New Windows 11 Update is Turning Screens Black and Breaking Mouse Cursors

A recent Windows 11 update, KB5120998, is reportedly causing issues with mouse cursor appearance and desktop wallpaper display. This update, released on August 27, transitions systems to build versions 26100.9278 and 26200.9278 for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 respectively. Upon installation, certain users have noticed their mouse cursor becoming abnormally small or large, while others have found their customized pointers replaced by the standard white cursor.

Modifications to cursor settings through Windows accessibility and personalization also seem to revert back to default configurations after the update.

In addition to cursor problems, users have also reported their desktop wallpapers turning black after installing the update. Manual changes to the wallpaper can temporarily resolve the issue, but the black background often reappears upon sign-out or system restart. Some reports indicate that both cursor and wallpaper issues may occur simultaneously on the same device, suggesting possible interdependencies between hardware, display scaling, and personalization settings.

A small percentage of users are also experiencing blurry or pixelated text after the update, though running Windows' ClearType configuration has not proven effective for all.

Interestingly, a few users have encountered DISM error 0x800f0915 following the update, although this error has been observed previously on older Windows versions, making it unclear if the update is the sole cause. It is important to note that KB5120998 is an optional update, meaning users are not obligated to install it immediately. Despite Microsoft's official support page listing no known issues for this update, software engineer Jen Gentleman has advised users to report problems through the Feedback Hub.

To resolve the cursor and wallpaper issues, those who have uninstalled KB5120998 have found their settings restored to normal. Removal of the update can be accomplished by navigating to Settings > Windows Update > Update History > Uninstall updates, selecting KB5120998, confirming the uninstallation, and restarting the computer.

However, this removal will also eliminate the new features introduced with the update until Microsoft releases them again in a future Windows update. Microsoft anticipates addressing these issues in a forthcoming Windows 11 update, but no specific resolution date has been announced yet.