Microsoft shares temporary fix for Windows 11 gaming issues

Summary

Microsoft has released a temporary workaround for Windows 11 users experiencing game crashes, freezes, and errors following recent updates. The issue, affecting games like ARC Raiders and The Finals on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, is linked to drivers installed by RGB lighting components. A temporary fix involves disabling the 'inpoutx64' driver via the Windows Registry, though users are cautioned about potential side effects on RGB functionality.

Full text

Microsoft shares temporary fix for Windows 11 gaming issues By Sergiu Gatlan August 24, 2026 05:42 AM 0 Microsoft has shared a temporary fix for ongoing gaming issues caused by Windows 11 updates released during the August 2026 Patch Tuesday. On impacted PCs, users reported games crashing or failing to launch, as well as game freezes, "EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION" errors, and even unexpected system restarts. When it confirmed it was investigating this known issue on Wednesday, Microsoft said it affects games like ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals on systems running Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. "Following the release of Windows updates on August 11, 2026 (KB5121003) and later, Microsoft received reports of issues involving inability to run games as expected," Microsoft noted. In a Thursday update, the company linked the gaming issues to drivers or components installed by RGB devices on affected Windows systems. "Ongoing investigation indicates that this issue is related to peripherals or internal device components which have RGB lighting features. Such devices may install drivers or code components with file names similar to inpoutx64. In systems where these drivers are found, the issue is then triggered by launching certain games," it said. "We are presently working to understand the relationship between these RGB components and the games which trigger this issue. We will provide an update when more information is available." Embark Studios, the Swedish video game developer behind The Finals and ARC Raiders, confirmed Microsoft's conclusion that inpoutx64.sys causes these issues, but also added that they stem from changes made to the Windows kernel driver. Official workaround now available Microsoft has now shared a temporary fix until it resolves the issue, which requires gamers to disable the inpoutx64 driver using the Windows Registry. It's also important to back up the registry, because you may need to undo the changes after Microsoft resolves this bug in a future update. To disable the driver from the registry, you have to go through the following steps: ​Open the Windows Registry by opening the Start menu and typing "regedit". Select the Registry Editor from the results. ​Navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\inpoutx64. You can do this using the folders on the left side of the window or by typing the path into the address bar at the top of the window. ​On the right side of the window, find the registry value named Start. Double-click this key and enter the number "4" under the field titled Value data. ​Close the window and restart your computer. "Please note, it is possible that disabling this registry key can result in unintended behavior, such as issues with RGB features on peripherals or components, or issues with the software used to control RGB features," Microsoft warned. "If you experience such issues and want to restore that functionality, you may re-enable the driver by restoring the registry key to its previous value." Microsoft also asked gamers experiencing these issues to file a report via the Feedback Hub app, and said that it's still working to understand the relationship between the games that trigger these issues and these RGB components. This isn't the first time Microsoft has addressed gaming stability and performance issues caused by Windows updates. For instance, it removed several upgrade blocks that prevented players of Asphalt 8: Airborne, Star Wars Outlaws, Assassin's Creed, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora from upgrading their Windows devices to the latest version. Most recently, it lifted another compatibility hold after fixing a bug in the Auto HDR Windows feature that was breaking some games on Windows 11 24H2 devices. Once attackers have valid credentials, only 37% of their actions are blocked Overall prevention scores can hide what happens after initial access. Once attackers are using valid credentials, prevention drops sharply.The Blue Report 2026 measures defenses technique by technique across 338 million simulations run in customer production environments. Get the report Related Articles: Microsoft blames Windows gaming issues on RGB lighting devicesMicrosoft says August Windows updates may cause gaming issuesMicrosoft fixes known issue causing Windows Defender crashesWindows KB5121767 OOB update fixes shutdowns on some Dell PCsMicrosoft: Some Dell PCs shut down after recent Windows updates

Indicators of Compromise

• malware — inpoutx64.sys

Entities