All articles tagged with #drivers
Microsoft says a Windows 11 update causes crashes and freezes due to interactions between games and RGB peripherals, linked to drivers like inpoutx64. The current workaround is to disable the inpoutx64 driver via the Windows Registry, which can disrupt RGB functionality, and a proper fix is still being developed.
Dutch regulators fined Uber nearly $1 billion for suspending driver and rider accounts, signaling intensified oversight of ride-hailing practices and platform accountability.
Microsoft says a Windows 11 update (KB5121003) can cause games to crash or reboot when RGB-enabled peripherals are involved, due to software components with file names similar to inpoutx64.sys. The issue affects three Embark Studios games (ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and THE FINALS). A workaround circulating in the community involves deleting the Inpoutx64.sys file and cleaning the registry, while Microsoft investigates the exact relationship between RGB devices and the games.”,
The Independent explains how HaveIBeenFlocked lets drivers see if their license plate has been looked up by Flock Safety’s network of over 120,000 cameras. While Flock says the system helps locate missing people, recover stolen vehicles and solve crimes, privacy concerns persist, with public records showing most searches relate to drugs or theft. Flock is cutting data retention from 30 days to seven and adding audit tools to flag abnormal searches; the ACLU calls this a partial win. The piece also notes a North Carolina officer was fired for misusing Flock to stalk an ex-partner.
Valve’s Steam Machine now has Windows drivers, and a Windows 11 install tested by ETA Prime shows the box can run as a capable PC. In CPU benchmarks, Windows edges SteamOS by about 22% in Geekbench 6 multi‑core; gaming results are mixed across titles and resolutions, with Windows sometimes leading at 4K/1080p and SteamOS catching up or edging ahead at other settings (e.g., Cyberpunk 2077 and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered). Overall, Windows on the Steam Machine is feasible and broadly competitive with SteamOS, though SteamOS remains attractive for its living‑room optimizations and ongoing driver/community support.)
Microsoft is adding a new recovery option for Windows 11 called Cloud Rebuild. It lets you reinstall the OS and your device drivers via the internet (no USB drive), even if Windows won’t boot. The process downloads the Windows image and drivers from Windows Update and installs them as a clean slate, without preserving apps or personal files. It’s in preview for Windows Insiders and is expected to roll out to all users in coming months; Reset this PC remains the option to download a cloud OS with data retention, but Cloud Rebuild focuses on a full OS reinstall.
Linux may disable all Microsoft RNDIS protocol drivers in 2026 due to security concerns, with Greg Kroah-Hartman pushing a patch to remove RNDIS support; Android has already blocked it, and the kernel could rely on more secure USB networking options instead.
Nvidia is ending the Windows Control Panel by migrating its features to the Nvidia app with driver release 610.47; the old Control Panel won’t install by default, though it remains available for RTX Pro/Quadro workstation drivers and can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store for now. The Nvidia app adds modern features like DLSS overrides and driver updates, offering faster, more integrated functionality.
Nvidia is retiring the classic Control Panel after 20 years with the Game Ready Driver 610.47, migrating its features to the redesigned Nvidia app; the Control Panel remains on existing installs but won’t be updated after a clean install, and users can still download it from the Microsoft Store if needed.
NVIDIA’s GeForce 610.47 WHQL driver retires the Control Panel after 20 years, removing it from clean installs and directing users to download it via the Microsoft Store or migrate to the NVIDIA App for ongoing control features. Enterprise RTX PRO users retain some support, while CUDA updates to 13.3 come with game-ready additions for 007 First Light, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, EA SPORTS F1 25: 2026 Season Pack, and World of Tanks: HEAT. Bug fixes target multi‑monitor stability with V‑SYNC, but power management issues on mobile GPUs remain.
Linux is moving to retire the outdated DTLK ISA speech-synthesizer driver (Double Talk) as part of the 7.2 kernel cycle. The driver hasn’t seen meaningful work in years, and the same hardware is supported by a separate accessibility path (Speakup), making the legacy driver largely unused. The commit argues removing it will reduce future maintenance, noting RC Systems’ DoubleTalk page remains outdated and the hardware should be retired with Linux 7.2.
Linux 7.1-rc5 launches with AI-assisted fixes across graphics, security, sound, and various drivers, plus improved HP/ASUS laptop x86 support and CPU power driver updates; Linus Torvalds criticizes the unusually large rc5 for late-cycle churn and hints that non-critical fixes may belong in linux-next, with a mid-June target for the stable 7.1 release.
Microsoft acknowledges that faulty third-party drivers have silently drained Windows 11 batteries and degraded performance for years. It will overhaul driver evaluation to assess power usage, heat generation, and performance, introduce automatic rollbacks to block problematic drivers, and shift away from crash-only criteria by incorporating telemetry to detect everyday usability issues.
Ahead of the Linux 7.1-rc1 release, the kernel tree is closing in on 40 million lines of code. Linux 7.1 currently stands at about 39,880,636 total lines (5,015,790 blank, 4,775,889 comments, 30,088,957 code) with removals like ISDN/PCMCIA and Baikal CPU support, yet overall code growth continues. The AMD graphics stack (AMDGPU/AMDKFD) has risen from 6,049,235 lines in 7.0 to 6,162,946 in 7.1, contributing to the surge.
Linux 7.1 trims the input subsystem by removing decades-old drivers for bus mice and other legacy hardware (InPort/Microsoft/ATI XL, Logibm, Palm Top PC 110 touchpad, ICS MK712, CT82C710 PS/2; OLPC HGPK support also dropped), part of a broader mainline cleanup that includes about 3,374 input deletions, while new drivers (Charlieplex GPIO keypad, aw86927, Chrome OS Fn-key map extension) are added in the same cycle.