I don't normally recommend installing Windows 11's optional updates – but in the case of this bug, I'd make an exception

Wondering why your Windows 11 desktop keeps vanishing? It's because of this nasty bug.
Windows Latest

Windows 11 KB5077181 fixes gaming bugs, Nvidia black screen, and performance issue affecting explorer.exe, taskbar, and Start menu

KB5077181 could make some PCs faster if explorer.exe was hanging on your system, and it also fixes the black screen issue on Nvidia GPUs.
Hosted on MSN

Don't Update Your PC Yet — Latest Windows 11 Patch Breaks File Explorer

Microsoft is known to regularly release updates to Windows 11, either to resolve bugs or to install new features. However, the latest Windows update broke File Explorer. File Explorer Refuses to Open ...
Guru3D

Windows 11 KB5077181 targets Nvidia gaming bugs and explorer.exe crashes

Microsoft has rolled out the Windows 11 February cumulative update, KB5077181, and early coverage paints it as a corrective release aimed at both security and day-to-day stability.
ZDNet

Windows 11 update breaks File Explorer - among other glitches

Microsoft keeps running into brick walls with the 2024 version of Windows 11. Each new update designed to fix the outstanding bugs ends up introducing other problems. That's apparently true with the ...

explorer.exe bug

Windows 11’s optional KB5074105 update fixes the missing password icon bug linked to August 29, 2025’s KB5064081 and delivers 32 improvements.