G5 SE 5505, windows update problem

Here is what I did to "fix" this issue:

1.  I went to Device Manager>processors and uninstalled one of the processors listed.  It listed several of the same processor (one for each core) and rebooted.  This probably did nothing. 

2.  I downloaded the latest AMD Ryzen chipset drivers.  In may case the file was:  AMD_Chipset_Software_7.06.02.123.exe.  I installed it and rebooted. You can find this file or the most recent version on numerous sites.
  
3.  After reboot, I followed some directions on reddit and ran "command prompt" as administrator and did the following commands one at a time:

net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver

I read that this step is essential because repeated failures corrupt the servicing stack.  I don't know, but I did it.  the catroot2.old command didn't work for me, but I tried, and I successfully fixed the problem anyway.

Reboot again.

3.  I went into my Windows apps and ran the AMD install manager (the thing I installed in step 2.)  It found even more updated drivers.  I installed them and rebooted again. 

4.  I ran windows update!  A different Windows security update showed and installed correctly.  I rebooted.

5.  I ran windows update again.  This time, I found the problematic update 2026-01 Security Update (KB5074109) (26200.7623) that would NOT install correctly. However, this were different this time.  The computer did NOT try to reboot to finalize installation.  It simply rejected the update while I was still in Windows.  The update failed before it tried to reboot and finalize installation.  So,I did more research and I found out that this is a widespread problem with this update - NOT my computer.  My computer DID need the chipset update, but after fixing that issue, the update is now being rejected like a "normal" up-to-date computer would reject it.  Microsoft will hopefully fix this security update soon. 

Here is what Copilot said about this update when I asked if it was problematic:  "**Yes — KB5074109 is widely reported as problematic.** Multiple independent sources describe serious regressions affecting both performance and system stability.

### Major issues reported
- **Nvidia GPU performance drops and frame‑rate degradation** on Windows 11 systems, confirmed by Nvidia on their official forums   
- **BSODs, boot failures, and broken system tools**, with enough severity that emergency out‑of‑band patches (KB5077744 and KB5078127) were released to mitigate the damage   
- **Update installation failures**, even on new hardware, with repeated unsuccessful attempts and no reliable workaround reported by users on Microsoft Q&A   
- **Crashes, Outlook hangs, and cloud‑file issues**, prompting Microsoft to push emergency fixes specifically targeting KB5074109 regressions   
- **Confirmed BSOD and boot‑loop issues**, especially on commercial PCs, acknowledged by Microsoft in an updated support document   
- **Microsoft explicitly recommending uninstalling KB5074109** due to system‑breaking bugs, including app failures and instability 

### Why this matters for your Dell G5 5505
Your system already has a history of Windows Update failures tied to firmware/ACPI quirks and chipset‑driver mismatches. KB5074109’s instability increases the likelihood of:
- repeated install failures  
- boot‑related issues  
- GPU performance regressions (your system uses AMD iGPU + discrete GPU switching logic)"