Microsoft has acknowledged that its latest Windows updates, released on January 13, 2026, are causing various applications to freeze when attempting to access files stored on cloud services such as OneDrive and Dropbox. This represents another critical bug identified within the recent patch.
This situation creates significant difficulties for individuals who depend on cloud storage for their daily work. Microsoft Outlook is a particularly affected application. If Personal Storage Table (PST) files are stored on OneDrive, Outlook may become completely unresponsive. The only way to restore Outlook’s functionality is to manually close the application or restart the computer.
Beyond the freezing, this bug can also prevent sent emails from appearing in the Sent Items folder. Users might also observe emails redownloading unexpectedly, which can be quite disruptive.
Microsoft’s official advice for the Outlook problem suggests a lack of robust solutions, recommending that users simply move PST files entirely out of OneDrive. While storing large PST files in OneDrive is generally not advised unless strictly for backup, altering an established workflow due to a mandatory security update is a considerable inconvenience.
This situation indicates potential challenges with basic integration testing between Microsoft’s operating system and its primary productivity suite. This cloud storage bug, identified as KB5074109, affects multiple Windows versions, including Windows 11 (25H2, 24H2, 23H2) and Windows 10 (22H2 and older LTSC editions).
The freezing issue is the latest in a series of problems originating from the same January patch. Prior to acknowledging the cloud storage problem, Microsoft had to issue an emergency out-of-band fix, KB5077744, to address widespread connection failures. This earlier bug prevented users from logging into remote connection applications, specifically impacting Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365.
The January update also reportedly caused some Windows 11 23H2 devices to fail to shut down or hibernate, necessitating additional troubleshooting by system administrators. For those experiencing freezing applications, Microsoft’s suggested workaround is to ‘contact the application developer’ to find alternative methods for opening data.
Given that Microsoft is frequently the application developer, this advice appears somewhat unhelpful. If Outlook is unresponsive, the recommendation to use webmail (if supported by the email provider) essentially sidesteps the problem rather than providing a direct solution.
Microsoft has stated that it is actively working on a resolution for this issue and will provide updates as more information becomes available. Considering the numerous critical problems that have emerged shortly after this patch release, it seems Microsoft should thoroughly review its update quality control processes before deploying mandatory security fixes.
