AE 2026 WIN 25H2 APP FREEZES POST SPLASH SCREEN

After installing AE 2026. The application opens but then freezes. ALL UI panels present has white and the dark mode gradually appears. When any click is attempted the application freezes. Requiring a re-boot to clear. 

I’m running a Yoga 9i Pro with an RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. STUDIO DRIVER

With Microsoft warning the Jan-26 patch Tuesday “2026-01 Security Update (KB5074109) (26200.7623)” has caused widespread user issues. I suspect this may be the smoking gun?

Has any community experienced similar performance issues? And are there any work arounds

AE 2025 works just fine.

Regards 

Leicester48