Microsoft’s latest Windows update breaks cursors, wallpaper, and more – what to do if you’re affected
Windows 11 users who installed the September preview update are running into a bug that impacts the mouse. Released on August 27, the update is wiping out or modifying the personalized settings that people have set up for their mouse cursor. As a result, the cursor may appear too large or too small or might not show up at all.
The company confirmed last week, after a wave of user reports that their wallpaper switched to a black background automatically, that this bug is triggered after installing the KB5120998 August 2026 preview update on Windows 11 24H2 and Windows 11 25H2 systems. “Following installation of Windows updates released August 27 2026 (KB5120998) and later, some Windows Desktop settings fail to load, resulting in desktop backgrounds displaying as a solid black color,” Microsoft said in a Windows release health update.
The KB5120998 preview update causing this issue also changes or resets mouse settings, making it impossible to restore the previous settings after they are reverted.
What You Should Do
- As of Tuesday (9/8) evening, the issue has been fixed and users advised to update their devices.
- Make sure your device has the latest security updates installed.
