Microsoft has provided a temporary workaround to address severe gaming instability and launch failures affecting Windows 11 systems following the August 2026 Patch Tuesday updates.
The stability issues, which surfaced after the deployment of Windows updates including KB5121003 on August 11, 2026, have impacted systems running Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. Affected users have experienced games crashing or failing to launch entirely, alongside unexpected system restarts, freezes, and EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION error codes. Popular titles impacted by the glitch include ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals.
Following a joint investigation with developers, Microsoft confirmed that the failures stem from peripheral devices and internal hardware components utilizing RGB lighting features. These hardware accessories install specific drivers or code components, such as the inpoutx64.sys driver, which conflict with updated Windows kernel operations when certain games are launched. Embark Studios, the Swedish developer behind titles like The Finals and ARC Raiders, corroborated that the crashes are triggered by interactions involving the inpoutx64 driver and recent modifications to the Windows kernel.
To mitigate the issue prior to an official permanent patch, Microsoft has outlined a temporary registry-based workaround. Administrators and end-users can disable the problematic driver by accessing the Windows Registry Editor, navigating to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\inpoutx64 key, and modifying the Start value data to “4” before restarting the computer. The company advises backing up the registry prior to making modifications, as reversing the setting may be necessary if users wish to restore normal hardware RGB control functionality.
“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 in an advisory. “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 continues to investigate the exact mechanisms connecting hardware RGB components and game triggers. The tech giant has asked impacted users to submit diagnostic logs via the Windows Feedback Hub while engineers work on a comprehensive resolution.