Microsoft rolls out fix for Windows 11 crashes, gaming issues

A known issue on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 causes system crashes and gaming failures due to the inpoutx64.sys driver, which is associated with peripherals featuring RGB lighting. This driver triggers errors such as EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION when launching certain games. Microsoft identified the driver as the root cause and has deployed a fix that blocks the driver from loading on affected systems with ARC Raiders installed. The fix disables the driver and notifies users, allowing games to launch normally. The update is rolling out gradually to consumer and unmanaged business devices, with a manual registry workaround available for enterprise environments. The driver block will be included in upcoming Windows security updates.

The issue causes system instability and game crashes on Windows 11 devices with the inpoutx64.sys driver installed, affecting gaming experience and system reliability. Games like ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals may fail to launch or freeze with access violation errors. The impact is limited to systems with peripherals that install this specific driver. The fix disables the problematic driver, restoring normal game functionality and system stability.

Microsoft has released an official fix that disables the inpoutx64.sys driver on affected Windows 11 devices, resolving the crashes and gaming issues. This fix is rolling out automatically to consumer and unmanaged business devices and requires a system restart. For enterprise-managed devices where the fix does not propagate automatically, IT administrators should disable the inpoutx64 driver by setting the 'Start' registry value to '4' under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\inpoutx64 and then restarting the system. Microsoft notes no unintended behavior is expected from disabling this driver and provides instructions to re-enable it if necessary. The fix will be included in the September 2026 Windows security updates and future releases.