Frustrated with visual glitches after installing the latest Nvidia drivers? Nvidia representatives are beginning to blame Microsoft for any problems you might have and are recommending that you uninstall the January 2026 security update.
Microsoft’s KB5074109 update for January has caused all sorts of problems, from black screens (formerly known as blue screens) and Outlook crashes to File Explorer ignoring settings stored in the desktop.ini file. It’s even breaking dial-up modems. And now it’s apparently causing issues in games as well.
The issue is that Microsoft and Nvidia released new software within a short time of one another: KB5074109 from Microsoft and the 591.86 version of Nvidia’s GeForce Game Ready drivers. Gamers initially blamed Nvidia, but support personnel pushed back, with “Manuel@Nvidia” telling users that uninstalling the Windows update might be the only fix.
“Even though it started after a Windows 11 update, we are looking into it,” Manuel wrote. “As far as I know, the only way to resolve it appears to be uninstalling KB5074109.”
So far, users seem to be reporting visual issues in various games. Manuel’s comments were made four days ago, a couple of days after Microsoft issued an optional patch that supposedly fixed a variety of issues. That patch, KB5074105, fixed various bugs that caused system crashes in addition to other improvements. Those fixes should be implemented in the next security patch rolling out on “Patch Tuesday” this month, Feb. 10, 2026.
The problem is not a simple one, as Tom’s Hardware points out: both the January and February patches are designed to fix bugs and improve the security of your PC, so removing updated code is never an ideal solution. It’s also possible that an updated Nvidia patch will solve the issue, as it’s happened before.
However, if you are having issues and wish to uninstall the January patch before the February patch drops, go to the Windows 11 Settings > Update & security > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates and look for the KB5074109 update. If it’s there, you can click the uninstall button next to it. (It’s also possible that Microsoft has since patched it, via the KB5078127 out-of-band patch.) Remember, it’s always a good idea to keep the patches in place unless absolutely necessary.