Why the Windows 11 KB5074109 Update Breaks Gaming and How to Fix It

Issue Overview

In January 2026 Microsoft released the mandatory Windows 11 cumulative update KB5074109. The update fixes 114 security vulnerabilities and addresses rapid battery drain on NPU‑equipped devices. Shortly after deployment, many users of NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards reported severe gaming regressions: frame‑rate drops of 15–20 fps, visual artifacts, random black screens, and in extreme cases failure to boot.

Root Cause Confirmation

NVIDIA investigated and confirmed that the degradation is caused by the Windows update, not by its own drivers. NVIDIA’s forum representative Manuel stated that the only reliable mitigation at present is to remove KB5074109. Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and released an optional supplemental update KB5074105, which addresses some black‑screen symptoms but has not been verified to resolve the broader performance problems.

Uninstallation Procedure

Users can uninstall the update through the graphical interface or, if that fails, via the command line.

Open Settings → Windows Update → Update History , locate KB5074109 and select Uninstall .

If the graphical uninstall fails, open an elevated Command Prompt and execute:

dism /online /remove‑package /packagename:KB5074109

Additional Notes

The issue appears specific to NVIDIA GeForce GPUs; AMD Radeon users have not reported similar symptoms.

KB5074105 is optional and must be installed manually; its effect on gaming performance remains unverified.

Systems unaffected by the symptoms can ignore the update; affected systems should monitor NVIDIA and Microsoft announcements for a permanent fix.