Windows 11’s January 2026 KB5074105 preview update for 24H2 and 25H2 adds new features like Android cross-device Resume and MIDI upgrades while fixing Start menu, black screen, and graphics issues from earlier patches.
Microsoft has released KB5074105 as the January 2026 Preview Update for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, pushing systems to build 26200.7705. Unlike KB5074109, this is an optional, non-security update that focuses on new features and cleaning up some of the mess from January’s earlier patches.
What’s new in KB5074105
The update introduces a handful of user-facing changes and under-the-hood improvements, including:
- Cross-device Resume: Lets you pick up certain activities started on your Android phone (like media or documents) directly on your Windows 11 PC via the taskbar.
- Upgraded Windows MIDI services: improved support for MIDI 1.0/2.0 devices and better sharing between apps, which should please music creators and DAW users.
- Smarter security controls: Smart App Control can now be enabled or disabled from Windows Security without reinstalling Windows.
- New “Device” card in Settings Home: surfaces basic hardware and usage info right on the main Settings page.
- Expanded Windows Hello support: Enhanced Sign-In Security now works with some external fingerprint readers, not just built-in sensors.
Bug fixes after January’s problems
KB5074105 also brings a long list of fixes, some clearly aimed at issues seen after KB5074109:
- Fixes a black screen issue that could affect some systems after sign-in.
- Addresses Start menu and taskbar glitches, including cases where Explorer could hang at first login, preventing the taskbar from appearing.
- Fixes a dxgmms2.sys-related BSOD, which sits in the graphics stack, plus various desktop icon and desktop.ini localization quirks.
Because it’s a preview, KB5074105 won’t install automatically unless you explicitly click Download & install (or have “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” turned on). For users still nervous after KB5074109, it may be worth waiting for the next full Patch Tuesday rollup, but for those affected by the specific Start/menu/black screen issues it targets, this preview is Microsoft’s first attempt at a broader clean-up.
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Darryl Linington – Tech Writer – 53 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2025
I’m a tech editor and journalist with over 20 years of experience covering everything from cutting-edge smartphones and AI breakthroughs to gaming hardware and future-forward tech. I have a passion for making complex technology accessible, relatable, and genuinely interesting—especially when it’s something that impacts how we live, work, or play.
Outside of journalism, I’m also an author with a deep love for psychological thrillers, horror, and emotionally honest storytelling. My books include Drowning: The Island Saga Book 1, 3:33 a.m.: The Island Saga Book 2, The Midnight Murderer, Keystrokes of Vengeance, and the no-filter self-help guide Life’s Too Short For This Sh!t! Whether I’m writing page-turning mysteries or personal insights, my goal is to connect, provoke thought, and leave an impact.
Inspired daily by my daughters and shaped by years of media work and personal growth, I bring purpose, curiosity, and heart to everything I write—tech or fiction.
Darryl Linington, 2026-01-30 (Update: 2026-01-30)
