Windows update is now causing “havoc.”
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Microsoft’s “nightmare” January update continues to plague millions of Windows users. Despite multiple emergency updates, there’s no signs of stability yet. Worse, the issues affect Outlook and cloud platform users as well. And the workaround is drastic.
Now, per Windows Latest, “Microsoft says uninstall Windows 11 KB5074109 to fix Outlook POP, PST hang, as 2026’s first update causes havoc.”
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Microsoft has admitted that “Classic Outlook profiles with POP accounts and PSTs hang after Windows updates on January 13, 2026.” This it attributes to cloud storage. “The Windows Team will be documenting fix guidance,” the company says. “We will update this topic with a link to the Windows guidance as soon as it is available.”
As Windows Latest notes, “it’s very rare for Microsoft to admit that it messed up, but the January 2026 Update is a disaster, as it continues to break features in Windows 11, including something as basic as Sleep mode (S3) on older PCs.”
Microsoft says symptoms include Outlook hanging and showing “Not Responding,” the email platform not opening after a crash unless you “end its process in Task Manager or restart the computer,” and sent items missing even as emails re-download.
The failure affects most Windows users: Windows 11, version 25H2; Windows 11, version 24H2; Windows 11, version 23H2; Windows 10, version 22H2; Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021; Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019.
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There are two other workarounds to try before you remove the latest Windows update. If possible, use webmail instead. Or you can also move your Outlook PST files out of OneDrive and store locally. Failing that, “remove the Windows Update,” Microsoft says, linking to How to uninstall a Windows Update.
The dilemma for millions of Windows users now is that Microsoft also warns that “while you might choose ultimately to uninstall a security update, you should know the risks associated with the uninstallation.” These include vulnerability to attacks, compromised personal information and potential data loss, Microsoft says.
Awkward optics and no easy options.