Windows 11 update crashing games? KB5121003, KB5124010 and fixes

Two Windows 11 updates this year crashed games: KB5121003 in August and the optional KB5124010 in September. Both have fixes now. Since 26 August, Microsoft has been blocking the inpoutx64 driver that made ARC Raiders, The Finals and MARVEL Tōkon freeze. The WD-L020 error in WARDOGS was removed by game update 0.1.2 from 30 September. If the game still crashes, check below whether it is still the same problem.

You can find the numbers of installed patches in Settings: Windows Update, Update history.

Update	Games	Cause	Status in October 2026
KB5121003 (11 August)	ARC Raiders, The Finals, MARVEL Tōkon	The inpoutx64 driver installed by RGB and monitoring software	Microsoft has been blocking the driver since 26 August, and the block is in later updates too
KB5124010 (22 September, optional)	WARDOGS (WD-L020), Battlefield 6, partly Battlefield 2042	A conflict with anti-cheats, not confirmed by Microsoft	WARDOGS fixed in 0.1.2; for Battlefield there are only player reports

KB5121003: freezes caused by an RGB lighting driver

After the 11 August patch, games on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 froze, closed without a message or restarted the PC. The culprit turned out to be the inpoutx64 driver, installed by software for lighting, fans and hardware monitoring. Microsoft confirmed that this driver causes the problem and started blocking it from loading on 26 August.

On a home PC, a restart and an up to date Windows are enough. The automatic block does not cover company-managed hardware. There, or if the game still freezes, Microsoft's manual workaround remains:

1. Back up the registry: in Registry Editor choose File, Export.
2. Go to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\inpoutx64.
3. Double-click the Start value and set it to 4.
4. Close the editor and restart the PC.

After this change, the lighting or the program that controls it may stop working. If you do not have the inpoutx64 key at all, this problem does not affect you and the cause is somewhere else.

KB5124010: WARDOGS with error WD-L020 and Battlefield 6

After the optional KB5124010 for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, WARDOGS stopped launching with code WD-L020. Team17 linked the error to this patch on 23 September, and BULKHEAD fixed it on the game side in update 0.1.2. Update WARDOGS through Steam before you uninstall anything. We cover the game's other anti-cheat errors in our guide on WARDOGS anti-cheat and Elytra errors.

Battlefield 6 players reported crashing to the desktop 15 to 30 seconds after launch, with no message. Some suspect a conflict with EA's Javelin anti-cheat, but neither EA nor Microsoft has confirmed it. If the symptom still appears on the current game version, check your update history for KB5124010.

What about the October cumulative update

The changes from the optional KB5124010 went into the October cumulative update from 13 October. So uninstalling the September patch alone stops making sense once you have the newer cumulative update. Update the game and the anti-cheat first. Leave rolling back security updates for last, because it leaves the PC without fixes.

Both problems have the same source: drivers that run deep in the system, from RGB lighting to anti-cheats. Any RGB, mouse or monitoring program that installs its own driver can clash with a Windows update or an anti-cheat. We clean up drivers like these during remote PC optimization.

Which Windows update crashed Battlefield 6?

Players link the crashes to the optional KB5124010 for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. Microsoft has not confirmed it, and its changes are already in the October cumulative update.

What does error WD-L020 in WARDOGS mean?

Team17 linked it to KB5124010. Game update 0.1.2 from 30 September removes the conflict, so update WARDOGS first.

Why did ARC Raiders freeze after a Windows update?

Because of the inpoutx64 driver from RGB software. Microsoft has been blocking it since 26 August; on company hardware you still have to set the Start value to 4 manually.

Is disabling inpoutx64 safe?

It is the workaround Microsoft gave. The lighting or the RGB program may stop working, so back up the registry first.

How do I avoid optional patches in the future?

In Windows Update, turn off the toggle for getting the latest updates as soon as they are available. Optional patches will then only install manually.

Where can I see which updates I have installed?

In Settings, under Windows Update, in Update history. That is also where you uninstall a chosen patch.