Fix Windows 11 25H2 update KB5074109 problems—NVIDIA black screen, connection issues, and other stability errors with proven solutions.For those who haven’t installed it yet or haven’t checked for updates recently, you can confirm it by going to Settings → System → About. There, you’ll see Build 26200.7623, also known as KB5074109.
This update was released a few days ago as part of the January Patch Tuesday (B release). It is the first major update for the main Windows 11 release heading into 2026.
Reported Gaming and Performance Issues
One of the main problems users are reporting—across Reddit and Twitter—is severely degraded gaming performance after installing KB5074109.
Many reports specifically mention:
- NVIDIA GPUs experiencing black screens
- Sudden FPS drops and stuttering
- Random display driver crashes
- Frame rate instability in games
While NVIDIA users appear to be the most affected, there are also reports from users with AMD Radeon GPUs experiencing similar black screen issues.
Some users have even reported that opening Task Manager can trigger a GPU driver timeout, which is honestly concerning and unexpected behavior.
Recommended Temporary Fix
At this point, the safest option is to pause Windows updates temporarily:
- Open Settings
- Go to Windows Update
- Click Pause updates for one week
In addition, make sure your graphics drivers are fully up to date, whether you’re using NVIDIA or AMD. In many cases, Windows updates do not play well with outdated GPU drivers, which may be contributing to these issues.
Once your drivers are updated, you can decide whether to reinstall the update or wait for Microsoft to address the problems.
Microsoft-Confirmed Known Issue (Remote Desktop)
Microsoft has officially acknowledged at least one known issue with KB5074109 on its blog.
After installing the January 13, 2026 security update (KB5074109), users may experience credential prompt failures during Remote Desktop connections when using the Windows app on Windows client devices.
This issue impacts:
- Azure Virtual Desktop
- Windows 365
- Certain Windows builds using the Windows App
The problem causes sign-in failures when connecting remotely.
Workarounds Provided by Microsoft
If you are affected, Microsoft recommends using one of the following alternatives:
- Use the Remote Desktop Client for Windows to connect to Azure Virtual Desktop
- Connect using the Windows App Web Client via:
windows.cloud.microsoft
Microsoft has also confirmed that an out-of-band update is in development and will be released in the coming days. More details will be shared once it becomes available.
Final Thoughts
While not everyone is affected, KB5074109 clearly introduces multiple potential issues, especially for gamers and users relying on Remote Desktop services.
In my opinion, the best course of action right now is to:
- Delay installing the update
- Update GPU drivers
- Wait for Microsoft’s out-of-band fix
Hopefully, these issues will be resolved quickly, but until then, caution is warranted.
