Most people don’t care about optional Windows updates, but that’s not the case with Windows 11 KB5036980, which became a hot topic after we first started seeing ads in the Start menu. Some people who installed the optional update KB5036980 are now running into new issues and Microsoft has confirmed the reports.
In a Feedback Hub post first spotted by Windows Latest, several users complained that they were getting 0x80070520 errors when trying to change their account profile picture. The error mainly occurs on devices with a local account, meaning you won’t encounter it if you use a Microsoft account.
The bug prevents users from changing the profile picture because Windows 11 can no longer save the image to AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\AccountPictures. Here is a screenshot of my device:
Microsoft updated the Feedback Hub message to confirm that it is aware of the reports and has already made changes to internal builds. This means that the May 2024 optional update should fix this in the preview builds, and that June 2024 Patch Tuesday will patch the bug for everyone.
I originally noticed and flagged the broken profile picture setting in KB5036893, which was released on April 9 as a mandatory Patch Tuesday update.
It turns out that the bug is also present in KB5036980, which is in the news for its Start Menu ads. This time it has spread more widely. In other words, if you didn’t experience any issues after the April 2024 Patch Tuesday, you’re more likely to encounter the bug with the optional update KB5036980.
In a statement, Microsoft support staff told me that the company is investigating error code 0x80070520 when users change their profile picture via Start > Settings > Accounts > Your information and then select Choose a file.
Microsoft has confirmed that the 0x80070520 error affects the last two Windows 11 updates: KB5036893 (mandatory) and KB5036980 (optional update that adds ads to the Start menu).
“We are working on a fix and will provide an update in an upcoming release,” the company added.
0x80070520 is not a new error code; it’s been around since the early days of Windows 8 and is typically associated with the Microsoft Store.
How to fix the broken profile picture settings in Windows 11
If you see the message ‘Error with account photo’. This photo cannot be saved. Additional information about the problem: Error Code: 0x80070520 Correlation ID: {89792324-C863-402D-A615-2C06B63E2883}’, you can resolve this problem by following these steps:
- Open Explorer and paste the following folder into the address bar:
- C:\Users\placeyourusername\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\AccountPictures
- Copy and upload the profile photo manually in PNG format. For example, you can upload dogs.png and Windows will use the image as your computer’s profile picture.
- Restart your device and a new profile picture will appear everywhere.
Other issues in the optional update KB5036980
It’s worth noting that KB5036980 is an optional cumulative ‘preview’ update, meaning it won’t automatically download or install unless you manually go to Settings and click ‘Download and Install’ under the update.
KB5036980 is an interesting update because it adds ads to the Start menu, but in the worst case it could break some devices.
As reported by people on Reddit, Windows 11’s optional April update left their PC with a black screen for several hours. Another user pointed out that they had to reinstall Windows after installing the failed update.
“Yes, my PC broke, I had to reset the CMOS to get it into recovery and reinstall Windows. Now he does the same. I’ll go back as soon as I can get back in. (Assuming I don’t have to reinstall),” one affected user commented in a post.
Windows Latest also received a report from a user who experienced BSODs after the update, but I don’t think these issues are widespread.