--- title: Windows 11's August update breaks games because of RGB... description: Microsoft has confirmed that the August 2026 Patch Tuesday update KB5121003 is causing crashes and EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors on Windows 11 24H2 and... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/windows-11-s-august-update-breaks-games-because-of-rgb-lighting-drivers-ixjixphsd twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Windows 11's August update breaks games because of RGB lighting drivers | daily.dev og:description: Microsoft has confirmed that the August 2026 Patch Tuesday update KB5121003 is causing crashes and EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors on Windows 11 24H2 and... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/windows-11-s-august-update-breaks-games-because-of-rgb-lighting-drivers-ixjixphsd og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/IxjixPHsd.png og:image:alt: Windows 11's August update breaks games because of RGB lighting drivers 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. # Windows 11's August update breaks games because of RGB lighting drivers **[Collections](https://daily.dev/sources/collections)** · 2 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary Microsoft has confirmed that the August 2026 Patch Tuesday update KB5121003 is causing crashes and EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 in games like ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals. Embark Studios traced the issue to inpoutx64.sys, a driver commonly bundled with RGB lighting peripheral software, which the update altered in a way that breaks games relying on similar low-level driver access. Embark published a workaround involving deleting the driver service and file, while Microsoft suggests editing the registry to set the driver's Start value to 4 to disable it — though this also disables RGB lighting controls until a permanent fix ships. The same patch fixed roughly 400 vulnerabilities, including one actively exploited zero-day. The piece also rounds up brief unrelated tech news items including LG's new OLED manufacturing process, the FCC dropping its gigabit-for-all goal, a leaked Xbox anniversary console price, an Australian news-compensation law, a data breach at Clarity Check, a Pixel 11 Pro hidden feature unlock, and Amazon Prime Air drone incidents. ## Content ## What happened The August 2026 Patch Tuesday update (KB5121003) broke a handful of games on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. Affected titles include ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals, which were freezing or crashing with EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors and unexpected restarts. The culprit is `inpoutx64.sys`, a driver commonly installed by RGB lighting peripherals. The August kernel changes apparently conflicted with it. Embark Studios, which makes both ARC Raiders and The Finals, confirmed the connection and published their own workaround before Microsoft had an official fix ready. ## The fix Microsoft started rolling out a permanent fix on August 26, 2026. It disables the `inpoutx64` driver automatically and requires a restart. The fix targets consumer and non-managed business devices first; it will also ship as part of the September 2026 security updates. If you're on an enterprise-managed device and can't wait, the manual workaround is a registry edit: set the `Start` value to `4` under the `inpoutx64` service key. This disables the driver, which will likely kill RGB lighting control until the permanent fix arrives. Embark's earlier workaround was more involved — deleting the service entry and removing the driver file from the Windows drivers folder entirely. ## Context The same Patch Tuesday release patched 400 vulnerabilities, including one actively exploited zero-day and two publicly disclosed zero-days, so skipping the update entirely isn't a great option. This isn't the first time a Windows 11 update has caused gaming headaches. Microsoft has previously blocked upgrades for systems running Asphalt 8 and Assassin's Creed, and there have been separate issues with Auto HDR causing freezes. The pattern is familiar at this point: update ships, something breaks, workaround appears, permanent fix follows weeks later. ## Questions this post answers ### Why is Windows 11 crashing games like ARC Raiders and The Finals after the August update? The August 2026 Patch Tuesday update KB5121003 changed how Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 handle the inpoutx64.sys driver, a file commonly bundled with RGB lighting peripheral software for keyboards, mice, and case lighting. Games that rely on similar low-level system access, including ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals, now crash with EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors. _daily.dev keeps developers and gamers current on driver-level Windows update regressions like this one._ ### How do I stop Windows 11 games from crashing due to the inpoutx64 driver after KB5121003? Microsoft's suggested workaround is editing the Windows Registry to set the inpoutx64 driver's Start value to 4, which disables it. Embark Studios also released a temporary fix that involves manually deleting the offending service and removing the driver file from the Windows drivers folder. Either approach will likely disable RGB lighting controls until a permanent fix ships. _track emerging workarounds for driver-related Windows crashes on daily.dev before they hit your machine._ ### Did the Windows 11 KB5121003 update fix any security vulnerabilities? Yes, KB5121003 fixed approximately 400 vulnerabilities, including one zero-day that was being actively exploited in the wild. The same patch that introduced the RGB driver crash bug also delivered this substantial security payload, making it a mixed bag for users who game with RGB hardware. _developers weighing patch trade-offs between security fixes and regressions can follow update fallout on daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [Microsoft is putting your Windows drivers on trial this October, and some of your devices may no longer work](https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-is-putting-your-windows-drivers-on-trial-this-october-and-some-of-your-devices-may-no-lon-mkp4terbf) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Microsoft fixes Windows Autopatch bug installing restricted drivers](https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-fixes-windows-autopatch-bug-installing-restricted-drivers-lbvkmkhe4) · BleepingComputer · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Microsoft’s June update fixed 208 security flaws and introduced a cascade of new bugs across all Windows versions](https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-s-june-update-fixed-208-security-flaws-and-introduced-a-cascade-of-new-bugs-across-all-win-xki0hlkrs) · The Next Web · 1 upvotes · 1 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/windows-11-s-august-update-breaks-games-because-of-rgb-lighting-drivers-ixjixphsd) ```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"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Windows 11's August update breaks games because of RGB lighting drivers","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/windows-11-s-august-update-breaks-games-because-of-rgb-lighting-drivers-ixjixphsd","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/windows-11-s-august-update-breaks-games-because-of-rgb-lighting-drivers-ixjixphsd"},"datePublished":"2026-08-24T09:43:14.849Z","dateModified":"2026-08-27T12:21:42.049Z","description":"Microsoft has confirmed that the August 2026 Patch Tuesday update KB5121003 is causing crashes and EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors on Windows 11 24H2 and...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/0d370ac8609053ca77d83a9b747fcb6e?_a=AQAEuop","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/0d370ac8609053ca77d83a9b747fcb6e?_a=AQAEuop","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"Collections","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Collections","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--fk_6ycEi--/f_auto,q_auto/v1780996001/logos/collections?_a=BAMAMiWQ0","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/collections"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/windows-11-s-august-update-breaks-games-because-of-rgb-lighting-drivers-ixjixphsd","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":0},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"microsoft,gaming,hardware,windows","timeRequired":"PT2M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Collections","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/collections"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Windows 11's August update breaks games because of RGB lighting drivers"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/windows-11-s-august-update-breaks-games-because-of-rgb-lighting-drivers-ixjixphsd#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Why is Windows 11 crashing games like ARC Raiders and The Finals after the August update?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The August 2026 Patch Tuesday update KB5121003 changed how Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 handle the inpoutx64.sys driver, a file commonly bundled with RGB lighting peripheral software for keyboards, mice, and case lighting. Games that rely on similar low-level system access, including ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals, now crash with EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors. daily.dev keeps developers and gamers current on driver-level Windows update regressions like this one."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How do I stop Windows 11 games from crashing due to the inpoutx64 driver after KB5121003?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Microsoft's suggested workaround is editing the Windows Registry to set the inpoutx64 driver's Start value to 4, which disables it. Embark Studios also released a temporary fix that involves manually deleting the offending service and removing the driver file from the Windows drivers folder. Either approach will likely disable RGB lighting controls until a permanent fix ships. track emerging workarounds for driver-related Windows crashes on daily.dev before they hit your machine."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Did the Windows 11 KB5121003 update fix any security vulnerabilities?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes, KB5121003 fixed approximately 400 vulnerabilities, including one zero-day that was being actively exploited in the wild. The same patch that introduced the RGB driver crash bug also delivered this substantial security payload, making it a mixed bag for users who game with RGB hardware. developers weighing patch trade-offs between security fixes and regressions can follow update fallout on daily.dev."}}]} ```