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Windows 11 update KB5074109 has been linked by users to black screens, lost displays, freezes and game artifacts on some PCs with NVIDIA graphics cards. The update was released on January 13, 2026 for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. Secondary reports say an NVIDIA representative acknowledged an investigation and recommended uninstalling the update for affected systems, but there is not yet evidence of a universal NVIDIA–Microsoft root-cause finding.
Microsoft’s documentation does not list the consumer NVIDIA gaming issue as a named known problem. Treat the reports as a possible compatibility issue—not proof that every NVIDIA PC is affected or that the graphics card has been damaged.
What KB5074109 is—and what is confirmed
KB5074109 is the January 13, 2026 cumulative security update for all editions of Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. It updates systems to build 26100.7623 on 24H2 and 26200.7623 on 25H2. Microsoft describes it as a security and quality update, not a graphics-driver update.
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That distinction matters. A Windows system-component change can expose an incompatibility in a display driver, graphics API, power-management path or particular hardware configuration even though the update does not contain an NVIDIA driver.
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Users have reported black screens and display loss after installing KB5074109, including cases involving NVIDIA hardware. Other reports describe graphical artifacts in Forza Horizon 5 and blank screens after sleep. These reports establish a timing and symptom pattern, but they do not establish how common the problem is or prove that KB5074109 is the cause in every case.
Microsoft’s KB5074109 documentation lists other known issues, including problems involving Remote Desktop credentials, cloud-storage applications and some lock-screen configurations. It does not specifically name the reported consumer NVIDIA gaming black screens.
Is NVIDIA officially investigating?
Secondary coverage from Tom’s Hardware and Windows Central attributes an investigation and an uninstall recommendation to an NVIDIA representative.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe available evidence does not establish which GPU generations, driver branches, games or graphics APIs are affected. It also does not show whether all reported symptoms share one cause, or whether the fault lies in Windows, the NVIDIA driver, DirectX or Vulkan paths, firmware, a game, or a specific monitor configuration.
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The safest description is therefore: NVIDIA reportedly investigated compatibility problems appearing after KB5074109, while the universal cause and a definitive NVIDIA fix remain unconfirmed.
Symptoms users are reporting
“Black screen” can describe several different failures. Reports associated with KB5074109 include:
- A black screen during or immediately after Windows startup.
- A monitor showing “No Signal” while Windows continues running.
- A display that goes blank after sleep or wake.
- A screen that turns black during a game.
- Game artifacts or other corrupted graphics, including reports involving Forza Horizon 5.
- Freezes accompanied by a system sound.
- Crashes or apparent graphics-driver resets.
- Desktop, wallpaper or display-configuration changes.
- A display that returns after a forced reboot or graphics-driver reset.
The Microsoft Q&A black-screen reports, artifacting report and post-sleep report are user accounts, not controlled testing or formal Microsoft incident confirmations.
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- Open Settings.
- Select Windows Update.
- Open Update history.
- Expand Quality Updates.
- Look for 2026-01 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 … (KB5074109).
Record the build number under Settings > System > About, or press Windows + R, enter winver and press Enter. Also note your Windows edition, NVIDIA GPU model, NVIDIA driver version, number of monitors, refresh rates, HDR status, the affected game and whether the issue happens at startup, after sleep, at the desktop or only during gameplay.
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Try these fixes in order
1. Reset the display driver
When the screen is blank but Windows may still be running, press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B. Windows will attempt to reset the graphics driver; you may hear a beep or see the screen flicker.
You can also press Windows + P, press P again to cycle display modes, and press Enter. Check the monitor’s cable, input selection and power. Disconnect secondary displays and test with one monitor. These steps follow Microsoft’s general blank-screen guidance; they do not prove KB5074109 is responsible.
2. Test the NVIDIA driver
If Windows remains usable, check the installed NVIDIA driver version. If the problem began after both a driver update and KB5074109, test a rollback or perform a clean installation of the correct driver for your exact GPU and Windows version using NVIDIA’s official software.
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3. Check for later Windows updates
Go to Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates. Microsoft released preview update KB5074105 on January 29, 2026, bringing builds 26100.7705 and 26200.7705 to Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2.
Microsoft’s KB5074105 notes document a black-screen fix in isolated multiuser environments and a GPU-related dxgmms2.sys correction associated with KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE. They do not explicitly say that KB5074105 fixes the consumer NVIDIA gaming black screens or artifacts described in user reports. Later cumulative updates may supersede earlier fixes, so install available official updates rather than collecting random standalone packages from forum posts.
4. Temporarily uninstall KB5074109
Consider removal only if the PC worked normally before the update, the symptoms began soon afterward, basic display checks failed and driver testing did not resolve the problem.
- Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history.
- Select Uninstall updates.
- Find the entry containing KB5074109.
- Select Uninstall, then restart.
Uninstalling a security update removes protections against the vulnerabilities it addressed. Use this as a temporary diagnostic or recovery step, not a reason to block Windows updates indefinitely. Pause updates only long enough to test a later update or driver. The uninstall option may be unavailable if KB5074109 has been superseded, partially removed or made non-removable by the system’s recovery state.
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If Windows will not display a usable image
Enter the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) by interrupting startup two or three times, or boot from Windows installation or recovery media. Then try:
- Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates > Uninstall latest quality update.
- Startup Settings > Safe Mode, where you can remove the update or replace the graphics driver.
- System Restore, if a suitable restore point exists.
Safe Mode is useful for recovery, but it does not reproduce normal gaming conditions. If there is no image even in BIOS or UEFI, Windows is probably not the only suspect. Test another cable, monitor or GPU output; use one display; try integrated graphics if the processor supports it; and check that the graphics card is seated and its power connectors are secure.
When the problem may not be KB5074109
| Observed behavior | More likely category |
|---|---|
| No image before BIOS/UEFI appears | Cable, monitor, GPU, firmware or other hardware |
| Windows logo appears, then the display disappears | Driver, display stack or Windows update |
| Blank screen only after sleep | Power-management or display-driver path |
| Artifacts or crashes in one game or API | Game, driver, DirectX/Vulkan interaction, overclock or temperature |
UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME |
Storage or boot failure, not necessarily a GPU problem |
| Only one monitor fails | Output, cable, display mode or multi-monitor interaction |
Microsoft also investigated separate January 2026 boot failures involving UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME. That can produce a black crash screen, but it is a different failure class from a graphics-driver black screen. BleepingComputer’s report provides context on that issue.
Likewise, artifacting can result from an overclock, overheating, a failing cable or GPU, or a game-specific bug. Replacing hardware is not justified solely by these reports unless the failure also appears before Windows loads or persists after the update and driver variables have been eliminated.
What evidence to collect for support
- Windows 11 version and build number.
- KB5074109 installation date and whether a later cumulative update is present.
- NVIDIA GPU model and driver version.
- Game name, graphics API if known, and exact reproduction steps.
- Monitor count, cables, refresh rates and HDR configuration.
- Whether the issue follows startup, sleep/wake, a game launch or a specific display.
- Whether Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B restores the image.
- Whether the screen is visible in BIOS/UEFI or Safe Mode.
This information helps distinguish a Windows-update regression from a driver, game, monitor or hardware problem.
Current status
As of the documentation status reported on August 18, 2026, Microsoft’s KB5074109 page still did not list the consumer NVIDIA gaming issue as a named known issue. That does not prove that no workaround or fix exists elsewhere; it means Microsoft’s public KB entry does not formally confirm this particular report pattern.
The defensible conclusion is that KB5074109 may be involved in black screens, display failures and game artifacts on some NVIDIA-equipped Windows 11 systems, and NVIDIA reportedly investigated the reports. Users should troubleshoot reversibly, install official later updates and drivers, and reserve KB5074109 removal for systems with a strong timing link and persistent symptoms.
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