HP OMEN 16 – Severe game stuttering and custom cursor reset caused by Windows Updates KB5122385 & KB5120998

Question

Hello,

I would like to report a performance regression on HP OMEN 16 related to recent cumulative updates.

Details:

Immediately after installing Windows updates KB5122385 and KB5120998, the following issues occurred:

1. Significant stuttering, micro-freezes, and frame drops in games that previously ran completely smoothly.
2. The custom Windows mouse cursor completely disappeared and reset to the system default pointer.

Confirmation / Resolution:

Uninstalling both KB5122385 and KB5120998 immediately resolved all game stuttering and restored full system smoothness and normal cursor behavior.

Could the engineering team look into what in these update packages is conflicting with display/gaming pipeline performance?

Answer 1

Hello,

The mouse cursor issue you are seeing is now a confirmed known issue with KB5120998.

Microsoft is currently investigating the issue and asks users to submit data via feedback hub.

https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/release-health/status-windows-11-25h2 (See screenshot below)

As for gaming performance issue, it is documented here, but it is ONLY if a certain driver is present, so it may not be an exact match to your symptom. But worth checking out the workaround presented here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-health/status-windows-11-25h2#some-games-become-unresponsive-when-certain-drivers-are-present

Answer 2

The reported cursor reset behavior matches a currently reported Windows 11 issue.

Microsoft has received reports that after Windows updates released August 27, 2026, including KB5120998 and later, mouse cursor personalization settings can be changed or reverted to standard settings. Reported symptoms include high-DPI cursors being replaced with larger white cursors, custom cursor animations reverting, and attempts to restore the previous customization being unsuccessful. For this issue, Microsoft is investigating and recommends submitting a report through Feedback Hub by pressing Windows key + F.

For the gaming symptom, the available Windows release health information in the provided material does not document KB5120998 or KB5122385 as a confirmed cause of game stuttering on HP OMEN 16. A separate gaming-related issue was listed for some games becoming unresponsive when certain RGB-related drivers are present, but that issue is marked resolved on August 26, 2026.

Supported next steps:

1. Open Feedback Hub with Windows key + F and file the issue, including that uninstalling KB5122385 and KB5120998 restored normal behavior.
2. Include that the device is an HP OMEN 16 and that both symptoms started immediately after the updates.
3. If needed, use Get Help or Microsoft Support for direct assistance.

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• Windows 11, version 24H2 known issues and notifications
• Resolved issues in Windows 11, version 24H2