Archive · 26 Jan 2026
Microsoft Warns of Windows 11 January 2026 Update Issues
Microsoft released a new update for Windows 11 in January 2026, but some users are having trouble starting their computers.
After installing the update, their PCs show a black screen and can't start up.
Microsoft says this is happening to a small number of devices.
They are working on a fix and have given steps to help people get their computers working again.
The update was supposed to make things better, but it's causing problems for some users.
Microsoft is advising people to uninstall the update if they can't start their PC.
Microsoft's January 2026 update for Windows 11 (KB5074109) is causing boot failures on some devices.
Affected users see a black screen of death (BSOD) with the stop code UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME.
The issue occurs post-update and prevents the system from starting up, requiring manual recovery.
Microsoft is investigating the problem and has provided steps to uninstall the update via Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
This is part of a series of issues with January 2026 updates, including shutdown failures and Remote Desktop sign-in problems.
- Who
- Windows 11 users who installed the January 2026 update (KB5074109)
- What
- A boot failure issue causing a black screen of death (BSOD) with the stop code UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME
- When
- After installing the January 13, 2026 update
- Where
- On physical PCs running Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2
- Why
- The update is causing compatibility issues with certain hardware configurations, preventing the system from booting properly
- Update Version
- KB5074109
- Affected Windows Versions
- 24H2 and 25H2
- Release Date
- January 13, 2026
- Error Code
- UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME
- Recovery Method
- Uninstall the update via Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)
