Recent reports indicate that users with Nvidia GPUs may be experiencing a notable decline in gaming performance following the January 2026 Windows update, identified as KB5074109. This update, part of Microsoft’s routine Patch Tuesday releases, is designed to enhance security and address vulnerabilities, with the January edition tackling between 112 and 114 reported issues. While these updates are typically beneficial, this particular release appears to have introduced some unintended consequences for gamers.
Users have reported a range of issues, including significant drops in frames per second (FPS), black screen freezes, display hangs, and driver crashes, specifically citing nvlddmkm errors. If you installed KB5074109 on January 13, it may be the source of these disruptions. Although Microsoft has yet to officially recognize the problem, consumer forums are filled with user experiences echoing these concerns. In light of the situation, Nvidia has proactively released a new GPU driver aimed at mitigating these issues.
How to fix Nvidia GPU freezing, black screen, and FPS drops after the Windows January 2026 update?
For those affected, a temporary solution involves uninstalling the KB5074109 update. However, it’s important to note that this is a security patch, which means you may need to reinstall it once a proper fix is available. Here’s how to proceed:
- Navigate to Settings → Windows Update
- Select Update history
- Click on Uninstall updates
- Locate “Security Update for Microsoft Windows (KB5074109)”
- Click Uninstall
- Restart your PC
In some cases, the quality update may not appear in the Settings menu. If this occurs, users have reported success by booting into the Windows Recovery Environment to perform a more comprehensive removal of the update:
- Restart into Windows Recovery Environment
- Select Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Uninstall Updates
- Choose the most recent quality update (KB5074109)
- Reboot your system
Many gamers on forums have noted that performance issues often resolve after a reboot. However, if the operating system’s interactions have been permanently altered by the update, a simple uninstall may not suffice.
Read more: How to turn off Windows update permanently?
Additionally, updating your Nvidia drivers to the latest hotfix version can help alleviate these issues. Follow these steps:
- Open NVIDIA GeForce Experience or visit the company’s website.
- Install the latest Game Ready / Hotfix driver.
- Utilize DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) in Safe Mode.
- Reboot your system.
- Install the fresh NVIDIA drivers.
- Restart your PC.
After completing these steps, it is advisable to pause Windows updates temporarily until Microsoft rolls out a fix. Once a Known Issue Rollback (KIT) or a corrected update is available, you can install that or opt to skip the current version entirely.
Edited by Arka Mukherjee
