Windows 11 January update (KB5074109) causing black screens on 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 random black screens.
Users can mitigate potential problems by updating NVIDIA drivers, uninstalling the update, or pausing Windows Update.

Windows 11 2026-01 Security Update (KB5074109) (26200.7623) dropped 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 black screens that freeze (or hang) the system for a moment before recovering automatically.

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.

Microsoft has officially acknowledged some issues with the update KB5074109, mainly the Azure Virtual Desktop sign-in issue, but graphics-related complaints are mostly community-reported so far (on forums like Reddit, Microsoft Q&A, and tech sites). No official “known issue” for black screens or performance yet, but NVIDIA may release a hotfix driver soon (as they did in similar past cases).

What you can try to fix the problem

Since the company hasn’t acknowledged this as an issue on Windows 11, you can try to mitigate the problem 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, if the problem hasn’t been resolved, you can uninstall the update. 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.