How to Uninstall Windows Update (Windows 11 KB5074109)

Windows updates are essential for maintaining the security and functionality of your system. They include critical patches and enhancements that protect against emerging threats and vulnerabilities. Installing regular Windows updates keeps your device up to date with the latest security patches and features.

However, despite these benefits, some updates can cause issues on your system. After installing the recent Windows 11 KB5074109 update, some users report taskbar problems, and others are unable to use File Explorer.

Fortunately, Microsoft provides straightforward methods to address such issues by uninstalling problematic Windows updates. This process allows you to roll back a faulty update and revert your system to a previously stable state. In this guide, I’ll show you different ways to uninstall a Windows update in Windows 11, using KB5074109 as an example.

How to Uninstall Windows Update

There are several ways you can uninstall a problematic Windows update in Windows 11. In this article, we’ll use Windows 11 KB5074109 as an example, which has been reported to cause the taskbar and File Explorer to crash for some users.
We’ll cover:

1. Uninstall Windows updates via Settings
2. Remove Windows updates via Command Prompt
3. Uninstall updates using Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)
4. Uninstall updates from Safe Mode

Uninstall Windows Updates via Settings

The easiest way to remove a problematic Windows update is through the Settings app in Windows 11.

• First, open the Settings app in Windows 11. To do this, click on the Start menu, then ” Settings,” or use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + I.
• In the left pane, click Windows Update, then click “Update History ” in the right pane. Here, note down the problematic Windows update KB number.
• Scroll down and click on the “Uninstall updates ” option.

• Locate the problematic update, click ” Uninstall ” next to it
• Confirm the removal of the update by clicking ” Yes ” and wait a few minutes while the update uninstalls.

• Wait a few moments for the uninstall to complete. After uninstalling the update, it’s recommended to restart your computer to apply the changes.

That’s it. The selected Windows Update has now been removed from your Windows 11 PC.

Note: If you are a Windows 10 user, Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history. Click Uninstall updates, select the update by its KB number, and click Uninstall.

Remove Windows update Via Command Prompt

You can also remove a Windows update using Command Prompt. This method is quick, but you need to know the KB number of the update.

Open an elevated Command Prompt:

• Click the Start menu, type cmd,
• Right‑click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

• Click Yes if the User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears.
• Now type the command wmic qfe list brief /format: table and press the enter key to display the update history or installed Windows update list.

• In the list of updates that appear, locate the problematic update using its “HotfixID”. (This corresponds to the KB number, for example, KB5074109).
• Then, type the command wusa /uninstall /kb:HotFixID and press the enter key on the keyboard to uninstall the update from your computer.

Note: In the command below, replace ” KBhotfixid ” with the KB number corresponding to the update you wish to uninstall. For example, the following command will remove the update KB5074109:

wusa /uninstall /KB:5072033

To confirm the uninstallation of the update, click ” Yes “.

Here you are, you have just uninstalled the update that was causing problems on your Windows 11 PC.

Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

If Windows does not start normally after installing the latest update, or you suspect that an update is preventing Windows from booting, you can uninstall the update from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
You can access WinRE in one of the following ways:

Method 1 – Using a command (if Windows still boots intermittently):

1. Open an elevated Command Prompt.
2. Run this command:

   shutdown /r /o /f /t 0
   

   Your PC will restart directly into the Windows Recovery Environment.

Method 2 – Using installation media (if Windows won’t boot):

• Boot your PC using a Windows 11 installation USB/DVD.
• On the first setup screen, click Repair your computer (bottom‑left)

• Click Troubleshoot > Advanced options.

Finally, you will see the Advanced Options screen, which includes options such as Startup Repair, System Restore, Command Prompt, and more.

Uninstall the latest update

1. In the Advanced options screen, click Uninstall Updates.
2. Click Uninstall the latest quality update.
3. Confirm by clicking Uninstall quality update when prompted.
4. Wait for Windows to remove the latest quality update, then restart your PC.

This will uninstall the most recent quality update that may have caused problems on your Windows 11 PC.

There you go, you have just uninstalled the most recent update that was causing problems on your Windows 11 PC.

Uninstall Updates from Safe Mode

Safe Mode is a diagnostic mode that starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and services. It is commonly used to remove problematic software, including faulty Windows updates.

Start Windows 11 in Safe Mode

• Restart your PC.
• On the sign‑in screen, hold Shift and click Power > Restart.
• When you see Choose an option, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
• After restart, press 4 or F4 to start in Safe Mode.

Uninstall the update in Safe Mode

• Once your PC has booted into Safe Mode, press Windows key + R.
• Type control and press Enter to open Control Panel.
• Click Programs > Programs and Features.
• In the left pane, click View installed updates.
• In the list, select the update you want to remove (for example, KB5074109).
• Click Uninstall at the top of the list.
• Confirm the removal when prompted, then restart your PC normally.

The problematic update will now be removed from your Windows 11 installation.

Important Notes

• Security updates re‑install automatically:
  If you uninstall a security update (usually released on the second Tuesday of each month, also known as Patch Tuesday), Windows Update may automatically download and reinstall it later.
• Pause updates temporarily:
  To prevent a problematic update from reinstalling immediately, you can pause updates for 3–4 weeks:
  1. Go to Settings > Windows Update.
  2. Under Pause updates, choose a pause period.

  During this time, Microsoft may release a fixed version of the update.

Keep your system updated:
While it’s sometimes necessary to remove a faulty update, you should keep your system updated in the long run to maintain optimal performance, stability, and security.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ 1: How do I know which Windows 11 update is causing the problem?
Check Settings > Windows Update > Update history and note the most recent updates installed before the issue started. You can also search the specific KB number (for example, KB5072033) online to see if other users are reporting similar problems.

FAQ 2: Is it safe to uninstall a Windows 11 update?
Yes, it is generally safe to uninstall a problematic update, especially if it is causing crashes, blue screens, or performance issues. However, you should keep your system updated in the long run and reinstall fixed updates when Microsoft releases them.

FAQ 3: What if Windows 11 won’t boot after an update?
If Windows 11 won’t start normally after an update, use the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to uninstall the latest quality update. Boot into WinRE, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates, and remove the latest update.

FAQ 4: Will Windows reinstall the update I removed?
Yes, in many cases Windows will try to reinstall important or security updates automatically. To prevent this temporarily, go to Settings > Windows Update and pause updates for a few weeks while Microsoft releases a fixed version.

FAQ 5: Can I uninstall a Windows 11 update using Command Prompt?
Yes. Open Command Prompt as administrator, list installed updates with:

wmic qfe list brief /format:table

Find the HotFixID (KB number), then uninstall it with:

wusa /uninstall /kb:KBnumber

Replace KBnumber with the real update ID, for example 5072033 for KB5074109.