Microsoft has begun rolling out a permanent fix for a known issue that causes system crashes and gaming problems on Windows 11 devices. The company confirmed that the third-party driver inpoutx64.sys is responsible for the failures, which have affected games such as ARC Raiders, MARVEL T kon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals. These problems have been reported on systems running Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, with users experiencing game crashes, freezes, and errors labeled EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION.
The fix works by blocking the inpoutx64 driver from loading on affected PCs. Microsoft stated that the block targets devices with this specific driver enabled and the game ARC Raiders installed. Once the block is applied, a message window will inform the user about the driver's disablement, and after that message, the game should launch normally. The resolution is now propagating to Windows consumer and business devices that are not managed by IT departments, and it requires a system restart to take effect.
The rollout began on August 26, 2026, at 6 PM PT, and Microsoft said 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 solution. IT administrators can disable the inpoutx64 driver using the Windows Registry, though Microsoft advises backing up the registry first in case the changes need to be undone.
Microsoft noted that its ongoing investigation does not indicate that disabling this registry key could result in unintended behavior. Administrators who want to re-enable the driver can do so by restoring the registry key to its previous value. Earlier in the investigation, Microsoft had initially suspected the August 2026 updates might be behind the crashes, but later determined that peripherals or internal components with RGB lighting features were the root cause. Such devices may install drivers or code components with file names similar to inpoutx64, and the problem was triggered when certain games launched on systems where those drivers were present.
This is not the first time Microsoft has addressed gaming stability issues tied to Windows updates. In recent years, the company removed upgrade blocks that had prevented players of Star Wars Outlaws, Assassin's Creed, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Asphalt 8: Airborne from upgrading 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. These steps are part of ongoing efforts to maintain gaming performance and stability across its operating system updates for U.S. and global users.
More software news from TechManNews.
