Windows 11 KB5030219 (September 2023 Update) is causing significant issues for users, particularly gamers playing Starfield. After installing the update, users have reported experiencing lag during gaming sessions, specifically for Starfield players. The update has also resulted in the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors, system slowdowns, unresponsive apps, and difficulties launching certain apps such as Steam and web browsers. Additionally, users have encountered problems with PCs not starting or freezing on lock screens, network and internet access issues, as well as crashes of the Start menu and Windows Search.

Our readers and posts in Microsoft’s Feedback Hub have confirmed that the September 2023 cumulative update is causing these significant problems. KB5030219 is a mandatory security update released during the September 2023 Patch Tuesday cycle. Some PC gamers, particularly those playing Starfield, have reported experiencing lag in their gaming sessions, and some have attributed the issue to the Nvidia update. However, Microsoft has not officially acknowledged any new issues with the Windows 11 update, but the community is facing various challenges. Numerous users have reported severe performance issues and Blue Screen of Death errors following the installation of the KB5030219 update. It is hoped that the tech giant is actively investigating these issues.

Based on reports from our readers, Reddit, and the Feedback Hub, here are some of the key issues encountered by users due to KB5030219:

1. Starfield performance issues: Users have experienced TDR (timeout detection and recovery) and crashes in the Starfield PC Game Pass version game after the installation of cumulative updates KB5030219 and KB5031217. Some users have found that removing these updates restores normal functionality to the game.

2. Nvidia GPU driver issues: There have been reports of Nvidia GPU drivers (537.34) disappearing after installing Microsoft’s update. Some users have also reported experiencing lag after simultaneous updates with the NVIDIA GeForce Driver. Other users have faced unexpected freezes and crashes while playing “Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart PC,” with severe lag causing a drop in frame rates from over 100 fps to a stuttering 10-15fps.

3. Windows 11 KB5030219 crashes with Blue Screen of Death errors: Users who previously had a glitch-free experience with Windows have encountered the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors after installing Windows 11 KB5030219. System slowdowns have been reported, even on machines with the latest hardware and SSDs. Users have also faced issues with unresponsive apps, including the inability to launch apps like Steam, web browsers, or Settings.

4. Start menu and Windows Search crashes: Following the upgrade to 22621.2283 (KB5030219), users have reported that the Search and Start menus are not functioning correctly. Microsoft has marked one post in the Feedback Hub as “looking into it.” Traditional solutions like restarting explorer.exe or running sfc scans have not resolved the situation.

It is unclear why these issues are arising with the cumulative update, but we hope that Microsoft will investigate and provide a workaround to resolve the problems encountered by affected PCs.