This past week, Microsoft released the first Patch Tuesday updates of 2026 on Windows 11 and 10 under KB5074109, KB5073455 and KB5073724, respectively.
Microsoft released corresponding new dynamic updates too alongside the Patch Tuesday updates. For those who may not know, dynamic updates bring improvements to the Windows Recovery process in the form of Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) updates, which are also called Safe OS updates. The dynamic updates also affect the Setup file binaries in the form of Setup updates.
These Dynamic Update packages are meant to be applied to existing Windows images prior to their deployment. These packages include fixes to Setup.exe binaries, SafeOS updates for Windows Recovery Environment, and more. Dynamic Updates also help preserve Language Pack (LP) and Features on Demand (FODs) content during the upgrade process. VBScript, for example, is currently an FOD on Windows 11 24H2. Both setup and recovery updates were released this time. Microsoft writes:
"KB5074108: Safe OS Dynamic Update for Windows 11, versions 24H2 and 25H2: January 13, 2026
This update makes improvements to the Windows recovery environment (WinRE).
KB5074208: Setup Dynamic Update for Windows 11, version 23H2: January 13, 2026
This update makes improvements to Windows setup binaries or any files that setup uses for feature updates in Windows 11, version 23H2.
KB5073454: Safe OS Dynamic Update for Windows 11, version 23H2: January 13, 2026
This update makes improvements to the Windows recovery environment (WinRE).
KB5074207: Setup Dynamic Update for Windows 10, version 21H2 and 22H2: January 13, 2026
This update makes improvements to Windows setup binaries or any files that setup uses for feature updates in Windows 10, version 21H2 and Windows 10, version 22H2.
KB5075039: Windows Recovery Environment update for Windows 10, version 21H2 and 22H2: January 15, 2026
This update automatically applies Safe OS Dynamic Update (KB5073933) to the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) on a running PC. The update installs improvements to Windows recovery features.
NOTE This update requires 250 MB of free space in the recovery partition to install successfully.
KB5073933: Safe OS Dynamic Update for Windows 10, versions 21H2 and 22H2: January 13, 2026
This update makes improvements to the Windows recovery environment (WinRE).
KB5073932: Safe OS Dynamic Update for Windows 10, version 1809 and Windows Server 2019: January 13, 2026
This update makes improvements to the Windows recovery environment (WinRE).
KB5073931: Safe OS Dynamic Update for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server 2016: January 13, 2026
This update makes improvements to the Windows recovery environment (WinRE)."
Microsoft notes that both the Recovery and Setup updates will be downloaded and installed automatically via the Windows Update channel.
As it happens often, the new Patch Tuesday updates also caused issues as Microsoft confirmed shutdown and hibernation issues, as well as remote desktop connection problems following the updates. Thankfully, Microsoft released new emergency OOB patches to resolve those issues.