The Windows 11 October 2025 Update is still causing headaches for users of Microsoft's flagship operating system.

GPU giant Nvidia [1]acknowledged that the update caused dips in gaming performance for some and has pushed out a hotfix based on version 581.80 of its Game Ready Driver.

First spotted by [2]Windows Latest , the hotfix is a quick and dirty (or, in official parlance, "run through a much abbreviated QA process") patch to address some specific issues. In this case, the Windows 11 October update is slowing down games.

[3]

Usually, it's best to wait for the latest full driver drop, but a hotfix means that affected users might be able to get their hands on a solution earlier.

[4]

[5]

The Windows 11 October 2025 Update has not been Microsoft's finest hour. The Copilot company confirmed issues with playing content in some Blu-ray/DVD/Digital apps, USB mice and keyboards failed to work in the Windows Recovery Environment, and Microsoft even managed to delight developers by [6]breaking localhost , meaning web applications running on a local machine became inaccessible.

Still, as Windows boss Pavan Davuluri [7]said : "We care deeply about developers." Just perhaps not their development environment.

[8]It's a good time to be the arms dealer for the AI boom

[9]Ignite awash with agents as Microsoft triples down on AI

[10]Microsoft reveals new cloudy AI PC that's not a Copilot+ PC

[11]Microsoft issues patch to tackle Windows 10 Extended Security Updates failures

While the hotfix is the latest reminder of the things that broke after the Windows 11 October 2025 Update, it also highlights that Nvidia isn't only about AI. The company reported [12]impressive financials this week , but the computational strengths of those GPUs have their roots in graphics and gaming.

Then again, the company's latest and greatest RTX 50 Series cards did not have the greatest of starts. Gamers grumbled about [13]costs (which is par for the course when it comes to graphics hardware) and [14]overheating issues that brought to mind similar incidents with the [15]previous generation . And the drivers? Not great either, with some commentators calling them a " [16]disaster ."

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Microsoft has not acknowledged the issue in its release notes for the October 2025 Update for Windows 11 ( [18]KB5066835 ), but Nvidia has stated that the problem cropped up after the update was installed. ®

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[1] https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5750#wl

[2] https://www.windowslatest.com/2025/11/20/nvidia-confirms-windows-11-25h2-24h2-update-is-hurting-gaming-performance-releases-a-new-driver/

[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aR9JJfXfVVPzBb30tLzEoQAAAIM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0

[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aR9JJfXfVVPzBb30tLzEoQAAAIM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aR9JJfXfVVPzBb30tLzEoQAAAIM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/16/windows_11_update_localhost/

[7] https://x.com/pavandavuluri/status/1989764300488245266

[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/19/nvidia_earnings_q3_2025/

[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/19/microsoft_ai_agents_ignite/

[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/19/microsoft_virtual_pc_update/

[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/18/windows_10_esu_patch/

[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/19/nvidia_earnings_q3_2025/

[13] https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/newegg-blames-tariffs-for-rtx-5090-and-rtx-5080-price-hikes

[14] https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/rtx-5090-cable-overheats-to-150-degrees-celsius-uneven-current-distribution-likely-the-culprit

[15] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/25/nvidia_rtx_4090_so_hot/

[16] https://www.theverge.com/news/653115/nvidia-gpu-drivers-black-screen-crashes-issues

[17] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aR9JJfXfVVPzBb30tLzEoQAAAIM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[18] https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/october-14-2025-kb5066835-os-builds-26200-6899-and-26100-6899-1db237d8-9f3b-4218-9515-3e0a32729685

[19] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/