I can not control my ARGB lighting for my mobo and AIO.

Jason 0 Reputation points
2026-08-31T01:44:27.7233333+00:00

I loose control of my ARGB lighting for my mobo and AIO several days after a Windows update or reinstallation. I have already reinstalled Windows twice and the problem seemed to be fixed, but it comes back after 3-5 days. My RAM and GPU RGBs work with GCC and OpenRGB but not the mobo or AIO. I have tried uninstalling GCC and only using OpenRGB, I have uninstalled Open RGB and tried only using GCC, I have unistalled Windows, and all of it ends up the same. Last time everything was stuck on the color red. Now it's stuck on rainbow. It also seems to affect my fan controls as well, nothing stays the way I set it prior to shutting down. I have even powered down and unplugged the PC and held down the power button to see if that would help, but nothing is working, outside of a complete Windows reinstall( I'm not doing that every week!)

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Windows update
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  1. Kai-H 26,125 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-08-31T10:04:42.66+00:00

    Hi, Jason

    This looks less like a Windows installation problem and more like the motherboard’s onboard controller, firmware, or ARGB hub losing its saved state. Since the motherboard lights and fan controls fail together, troubleshooting should focus on that controller path.

    Besides the solutions provided by the Q&A Assist, here are some suggestions you can try: 

    Enter the BIOS and load Optimized Defaults, then configure a basic fan curve directly under Smart Fan and save it. If the BIOS settings also reset after shutdown, replace the motherboard’s CR2032 CMOS battery.

    Check the exact motherboard model and PCB revision printed on the board. From its manufacturer support page, install the latest stable BIOS, chipset driver, and any available LED-controller firmware. Do not use GCC’s automatic update list for this test.

    If the AIO and fans use a separate ARGB hub, make sure its SATA power cable and motherboard sync cable are firmly connected. Many hubs require holding the case LED button for several seconds to switch from built-in rainbow mode to motherboard-control mode.

    Perform a clean boot and test for several days. If control remains stable, re-enable startup services gradually to identify which utility is taking over the hardware.

    OpenRGB also notes that motherboard lighting may require low-level SMBus access, so confirm that your exact board is supported before relying on it. OpenRGB SMBus documentation

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-31T01:44:44.4933333+00:00

    This pattern matches a known Windows 11 issue involving some RGB-related drivers or software components with names similar to inpoutx64. Microsoft documented that these components can interfere with system behavior after certain updates, including RGB-related functionality and game/system stability.

    Since reinstalling Windows only fixes it temporarily, the more likely cause is the RGB driver or controller software being reintroduced and then taking control again.

    Recommended path:

    1. Check whether a background lighting controller is overriding Windows lighting control.
      • Open Settings > Personalization > Dynamic Lighting.
      • Expand Background light control.
      • If another RGB controller app is listed above the Dynamic Lighting Background Controller, move it to the top only if that is the controller intended to manage the device, or adjust the priority so the expected controller wins.
      • Also check Compatible apps in the foreground always control lighting and turn it off if foreground apps should not override lighting.
    2. Test with Windows Dynamic Lighting enabled or disabled.
      • In Settings > Personalization > Dynamic Lighting, toggle Use Dynamic Lighting on my devices.
      • If Dynamic Lighting is off, devices use their default non-Dynamic Lighting behavior.
      • If individual device cards appear, configure the motherboard/AIO-related device there and verify whether device-specific settings are overriding global settings.
    3. If the problem started after a recent Windows update and the system has RGB-related instability, check for the inpoutx64 driver.
      • Microsoft identified an issue where RGB-related components with names similar to inpoutx64 can cause problems.
      • A documented workaround is to temporarily disable that driver in the registry.
      Warning: editing the registry is risky. Back up the registry first. Steps documented by Microsoft:
      • Open Start, type regedit, and open Registry Editor.
      • Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\inpoutx64.
      • On the right, open the Start value.
      • Set Value data to 4.
      • Close Registry Editor and restart the PC.
      Microsoft notes this can cause unintended behavior such as loss of RGB features or issues with RGB control software, so this should be treated as a diagnostic step.
    4. If lighting sliders in Windows do nothing, assume another RGB app is still higher priority.
      • Microsoft specifically notes that when brightness/effects do not change the device, a background RGB controller app is likely taking priority.
      • Recheck Background light control after each software change.
    5. For the fan-control part of the issue, the available context does not provide a Windows-side fix beyond the RGB-driver conflict guidance. If fan settings and motherboard/AIO lighting both stop persisting after shutdown, that points to the same controller stack or motherboard utility path rather than a clean Windows installation issue.

    A practical next step is to isolate whether inpoutx64 is present and whether changing Dynamic Lighting/background controller priority changes behavior before reinstalling Windows again.

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