Microsoft has issued an unusual advisory recommending that users uninstall the Windows 11 January 2026 security update after widespread reports of serious system and application issues.
The update, identified as KB5074109, began rolling out automatically on January 13. Soon after its release, users started reporting multiple problems, including Outlook Classic freezing, black screens, application crashes and disrupted desktop settings. In response, Microsoft acknowledged the issues and suggested temporary workarounds — including uninstalling the update — until a permanent fix is available.
According to Microsoft, the most severely affected users are those who rely on Outlook Classic with POP email accounts or local PST files, particularly when those files are stored in cloud-synced folders such as OneDrive. Many users reported Outlook becoming unresponsive, failing to close properly or repeatedly redownloading emails, rendering the application largely unusable.
Microsoft has advised affected users to temporarily switch to Outlook webmail or move PST files out of cloud-synced directories. In more severe cases, the company suggests uninstalling the January update altogether until a corrective patch is released.
The problems are not limited to Outlook. Users have also reported black screens after login, reset desktop and personalization settings, broken File Explorer customisations, and applications freezing when interacting with cloud storage services such as OneDrive and Dropbox.
Given the scope and severity of the bugs, uninstalling the update has emerged as the most effective short-term solution. However, Microsoft has cautioned that removing the security update could leave systems vulnerable to newly discovered threats, urging users to weigh stability against security risks.
Microsoft has published a detailed support document outlining known issues and possible mitigations. The company said it is actively investigating the root cause and working on a comprehensive fix that will be delivered through a future update.
Until then, users experiencing persistent issues are advised to monitor official Microsoft support channels and avoid reinstalling the update until a stable version is confirmed.
