Windows update KB4535996 causes micro stutters in games

2 min. read

Published on March 3, 2020

published on March 3, 2020

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There are many ways to introduce a bug to your PC, but a Windows 10 update should not be one of them. Yet, unhappy users are still reporting various system complications after installing the cumulative update (CU) KB4535996 that Microsoft released last week.

Update causes micro stutters in games

According to a Windows 10 Subreddit post, the CU KB4535996 may cause micro stuttering in video games—a quality defect that can ruin your gaming experience.

It’s not extreme, but I say my frame rate in games has gone down 10 frames or so, and stuttering occurs once in a while. After uninstalling the cumulative update, everything was fine. Weird.

Outdated graphics and video card drivers may cause irregular GPU frame rates. In that case, you can fix the problem by updating the drivers.

But if you had an excellent gaming experience before the CU, hardware drivers may not be the problem. Uninstalling the update appears to fix the issue, though.

Microsoft account access

Microsoft’s answers forum is also flooded with user complaints about update KB4535996 post-installation issues. After updating their Notebook, one user claims that they could no longer log in to their Microsoft account.

They tried logging out and back in as recommended, but that did not work.

Missing files

Another user posted that the update resulted in the loss of all their desktop files.

All I know is that my computer installed updates last night. Then I restarted this AM and everything was missing that was on my PC.

Some perennially frustrated users are resorting to ignoring all optional updates, which may not always be a great idea if their PCs have a problem that a Windows update could fix. So, folks are still craving for a Windows 10 world in which updates, including security fixes, can install without adverse effects.

Microsoft has not officially acknowledged any problem with the optional update it released last week. Users can only hope that the next Windows 10 fix will satisfactorily address all the issues raised so far.