--- title: Microsoft blames Windows gaming issues on RGB lighting... description: Microsoft says the game crashes, freezes, and EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors reported after the August 11, 2026 Windows update (KB5121003) on Windows 11... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-blames-windows-gaming-issues-on-rgb-lighting-devices-spe8bssct twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Microsoft blames Windows gaming issues on RGB lighting devices | daily.dev og:description: Microsoft says the game crashes, freezes, and EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors reported after the August 11, 2026 Windows update (KB5121003) on Windows 11... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-blames-windows-gaming-issues-on-rgb-lighting-devices-spe8bssct og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/SPe8BSSct.png og:image:alt: Microsoft blames Windows gaming issues on RGB lighting devices og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Microsoft blames Windows gaming issues on RGB lighting devices **[BleepingComputer](https://daily.dev/sources/bleepingcomputer)** · 3 min read · 0 upvotes · 1 comments ## Summary Microsoft says the game crashes, freezes, and EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors reported after the August 11, 2026 Windows update (KB5121003) on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 may be caused by RGB lighting peripherals installing driver files named similarly to inpoutx64. Games affected include ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals. Embark Studios, developer of ARC Raiders and The Finals, confirmed the crash is tied to inpoutx64.sys, which changed with the update, and published a temporary workaround requiring users to delete the service and remove the file from the Windows drivers folder until Microsoft issues an official fix. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### Why are my games crashing with EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION after installing the Windows 11 KB5121003 update? The crash is linked to peripherals or internal components with RGB lighting features that install drivers or files named similarly to inpoutx64. Following the August 11, 2026 Windows update (KB5121003) and later, systems with these drivers trigger crashes, freezes, or EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors when launching certain games, including ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals, on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. _Track Windows update regressions like this one on daily.dev before they break your gaming setup._ ### How do I fix the inpoutx64.sys crash in ARC Raiders or The Finals after a Windows update? Embark Studios, developer of ARC Raiders and The Finals, confirmed the crash relates to inpoutx64.sys, which changed behavior with the KB5121003 Windows update. Until Microsoft ships an official fix, a temporary workaround involves deleting the associated service and removing the inpoutx64 file from the Windows drivers folder. _Developers debugging driver conflicts after Windows updates can follow fixes like this on daily.dev._ ### Has Microsoft blocked or delayed Windows 11 updates for gaming compatibility issues before? Yes, in October 2024 Microsoft blocked Windows 11 24H2 upgrades over Asphalt 8 crashes and Easy Anti-Cheat blue screens, and in January 2025 lifted a compatibility hold after fixing an Auto HDR bug that broke games on 24H2 devices. Microsoft has also removed upgrade blocks affecting Assassin's Creed, Star Wars Outlaws, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. _Anyone timing OS upgrades around gaming stability can follow this pattern of Windows compatibility holds on daily.dev._ ## Community discussion Top comments from developers on daily.dev. **@notalizard\_really** · 1 upvotes > Skill issue ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [Microsoft: Recent Windows updates cause desktop loading issues](https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-recent-windows-updates-cause-desktop-loading-issues-istfntwwy) · BleepingComputer · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [I kept track of every Windows 11 update that broke something this year, and the list is getting long](https://daily.dev/posts/i-kept-track-of-every-windows-11-update-that-broke-something-this-year-and-the-list-is-getting-long-nduszkbik) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#microsoft](https://daily.dev/tags/microsoft), [#gaming](https://daily.dev/tags/gaming), [#hardware](https://daily.dev/tags/hardware), [#windows](https://daily.dev/tags/windows) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-blames-windows-gaming-issues-on-rgb-lighting-devices-spe8bssct) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} 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Following the August 11, 2026 Windows update (KB5121003) and later, systems with these drivers trigger crashes, freezes, or EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors when launching certain games, including ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals, on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. Track Windows update regressions like this one on daily.dev before they break your gaming setup."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How do I fix the inpoutx64.sys crash in ARC Raiders or The Finals after a Windows update?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Embark Studios, developer of ARC Raiders and The Finals, confirmed the crash relates to inpoutx64.sys, which changed behavior with the KB5121003 Windows update. Until Microsoft ships an official fix, a temporary workaround involves deleting the associated service and removing the inpoutx64 file from the Windows drivers folder. Developers debugging driver conflicts after Windows updates can follow fixes like this on daily.dev."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Has Microsoft blocked or delayed Windows 11 updates for gaming compatibility issues before?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes, in October 2024 Microsoft blocked Windows 11 24H2 upgrades over Asphalt 8 crashes and Easy Anti-Cheat blue screens, and in January 2025 lifted a compatibility hold after fixing an Auto HDR bug that broke games on 24H2 devices. Microsoft has also removed upgrade blocks affecting Assassin's Creed, Star Wars Outlaws, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Anyone timing OS upgrades around gaming stability can follow this pattern of Windows compatibility holds on daily.dev."}}]} ```