System Crashes and Gaming Issues Plague Windows 11 Users, Microsoft Rolls Out Permanent Fix
A known issue has been causing system crashes and gaming issues on Windows 11 devices, affecting users who play certain games such as ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals. The problem was initially thought to be related to the August 2026 updates, but Microsoft later attributed it to peripherals with built-in RGB lighting.
It appears that the issue is caused by a driver called inpoutx64.sys, which is installed on devices with these types of peripherals. When a user tries to launch one of the affected games, the driver triggers a system crash or freezes the game with an “EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION” error. This has resulted in frustration for many users who are unable to play their favorite games without experiencing technical issues.
Microsoft confirmed that the inpoutx64.sys driver is the culprit behind these problems and has begun rolling out a fix that disables it on affected devices. The company has stated that this issue is resolved by blocking the inpoutx64 driver from loading, targeting devices with this specific driver enabled and the game ARC Raiders installed. This means that users will no longer experience system crashes or gaming issues when playing these games.
The rollout of the fix began on August 26, 2026, at 6 PM PT, and it may take up to 24 hours to reach all affected devices. The driver block will also be included in the September 2026 Windows security updates and future releases. For enterprise-managed devices where the fix will not propagate automatically, Microsoft has shared a temporary workaround that involves disabling the inpoutx64 driver using the Windows Registry.
To apply this temporary fix, IT administrators must back up the registry first and then follow these steps: open the Start menu and type “regedit”, select the Registry Editor from the results, navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\inpoutx64, find the registry value named Start, double-click this key, and enter the number 4 under the Value data field. Finally, close the window and restart the computer.
This is not the first time Microsoft has addressed gaming stability and performance issues caused by Windows updates. In recent years, the company has removed several upgrade blocks set up to prevent players of certain games from upgrading their devices to the latest Windows version. Most recently, Microsoft lifted a compatibility hold in January 2025 after fixing a bug in the Auto HDR Windows feature that was breaking some games on Windows 11 24H2 devices.
For users who are experiencing system crashes and gaming issues on Windows 11 devices, it is essential to keep an eye out for any notifications about the fix rollout. If you’re using a device with built-in RGB lighting peripherals, it’s recommended to disable these drivers temporarily until the fix propagates to your device. Regularly updating your operating system and checking for new security updates can also help prevent similar issues in the future.
Source: Bleeping Computer — 2026-08-27