Windows 11 January update (KB5074109) breaks NVIDIA GPUs (fix included)

Microsoft released the January 2026 Windows 11 security update (KB5074109) for versions 24H2 and 25H2.
Shortly after release, some users with NVIDIA GPUs reported several issues, including black screens and FPS drops.
NVIDIA recommends uninstalling the KB5074109 update to mitigate the issue.

Windows 11 2026-01 Security Update (KB5074109) (26200.7623) was released on January 13, 2026, for versions 25H2 and 24H2, with important security fixes, Secure Boot certificate updates (to prevent future boot issues starting in June 2026), NPU-related battery drain improvements, and other quality enhancements.

However, shortly after release, many users (especially those with NVIDIA GPUs) reported compatibility issues with this update, including random momentary black screens that freeze (or hang) the system for a moment before recovering automatically.

Some user reports indicated average FPS dropping 10 to 30 percent, often about 10 to 20 FPS in popular titles, paired with worsened 1/0.1 percent low frame times, which makes stutter and lag far more noticeable.

This problem is likely an interaction between the update’s changes and NVIDIA driver behavior, similar to past incidents, such as the October 2025 update causing gaming slowdowns until NVIDIA released a hotfix. However, it’s unclear whether this issue is due to the January update release or a graphics card compatibility issue.

Beyond these issues, many users are experiencing stutters, driver crashes, and reduced responsiveness even outside games, especially on heavy GPU workloads.

Microsoft has officially acknowledged additional issues with update KB5074109, primarily the Azure Virtual Desktop sign-in issue, but graphics-related complaints are largely community-reported so far (on forums like Reddit, Microsoft Q&A, and tech sites). However, there has been no official response to the issues affecting NVIDIA‑powered PCs.

However, in the official forums, NVIDIA has responded to user complaints, noting that it is investigating the issue and that the evidence points to a problem with update KB5074109. As the company notes Even though it started after a Windows 11 update, we are looking into it. As far as I know, the only way to resolve it appears to be uninstalling KB5074109.

What you can try to fix the problem

Since the company hasn’t acknowledged this issue on Windows 11, you can try to mitigate it by updating the graphics drivers before installing the system update. If the update has already been installed, you can try removing it. Alternatively, you can also pause Windows Update until a permanent solution becomes available.

First, you can try updating the NVIDIA drivers to the latest version. If you already have the NVIDIA App installed on your computer, from the “Drivers” tab, check and download the latest update for your graphics card, and restart the device.

Alternatively, the company also recommended uninstalling the update KB5074109. You can do this from Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates, click the “Uninstall” option for the “KB5074109” package, and then restart the computer.

If you haven’t installed the January 2026 Security Update and have an NVIDIA graphics card, open Settings > Windows Update, then click the “Pause for 1 week” button to temporarily disable automatic updates. In the case that the device already downloaded the update and a restart is required, then from the “Restart now” button, open the menu and the “Schedule restart” option, and choose the last date to postpone the install.

Are you noticing these issues on your device? Let me know in the comments below.