This past week, Microsoft addressed a series of printing issues stemming from its recent .NET Patch Tuesday updates, alongside some gaming-related complications. Initial investigations indicated that the problems were not linked to the Windows 11 KB5121003 update but were instead associated with RGB applications installed on user PCs.
Investigation Findings and Workarounds
Following a thorough investigation, Microsoft has released its findings along with an official workaround to mitigate the identified bug. The core of the issue lies in the inpoutx64 system driver, which has been implicated in compatibility problems. This marks the second driver-related concern to emerge within the week.
Microsoft’s research revealed that RGB control applications can inadvertently install drivers or components with names similar to inpoutx64. The complications arise when certain games are launched on systems where these drivers are active.
In a proactive response, Microsoft has begun rolling out a resolution that includes a block preventing the inpoutx64 driver from loading on affected devices. Currently, this block is specifically targeting systems with the driver enabled and ARC Raiders installed.
Once the block is implemented, Windows will disable the inpoutx64 driver and notify users with a message explaining the situation. Following this notification, Microsoft assures that the game should launch without further issues.
Additionally, the company is working to extend this block to systems running MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls. Notably, the issue affecting THE FINALS has already been resolved by Embark Studios.
The resolution is being distributed automatically to both non-managed consumer and business devices. Users will need to restart their devices after the fix is applied, and Microsoft has indicated that it may take up to 24 hours for the update to reach all impacted PCs.
For those using enterprise-managed devices, IT administrators will need to manually apply the fix using Microsoft’s provided workaround. Microsoft has confirmed that utilizing the workaround is safe, even if the automatic driver block is later implemented on the device.
Temporary Workaround Instructions
As for the workaround, Microsoft suggests temporarily disabling the inpoutx64 driver through the Windows Registry. Users can accomplish this by following these steps:
- Open the Registry Editor.
- Navigate to HKEYLOCALMACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesinpoutx64.
- Locate the Start value, open it, and change its data value to 4.
After closing the Registry Editor, a restart may be necessary for the changes to take effect. Microsoft advises users to back up the Registry before making any modifications, as is standard practice when altering Windows Registry settings. While the investigation has not uncovered any unintended consequences from disabling this registry key, users may experience issues with RGB functionality on their peripherals or the software controlling those features.
If users wish to restore the driver later, they can revert the Start registry value back to its original setting and restart their PC, which should reinstate the RGB-related functionalities that may have been disrupted by the driver’s deactivation.
