August 11, 2026—KB5121003 (OS Builds 26200.9168 and 26100.9168)

Applies To
Windows 11 version 25H2, all editions Windows 11 version 24H2, all editions
Want a quick overview?: Watch the Windows 11 release note video for this update.

Announcements and messages

This section provides key notifications related to this release, including announcements, change logs, and end-of-support notices.  

Windows Secure Boot certificate expiration

Windows Secure Boot certificate expiration

Important

Secure Boot certificates used by most Windows devices were set to expire starting in June 2026. Microsoft has been updating these certificates on PCs and non-managed business devices for the past months. Devices that haven’t received the newer certificates will continue to start, and standard Windows updates will continue to install. We will continue to install the newer certificates via Windows updates in the coming months.

End of updates

Windows 11, version 24H2 Home and Pro editions will reach end of updates on October 13, 2026. Devices running these editions will no longer receive fixes for known issues, time zone updates, technical support, or monthly security and preview updates containing protections from the latest security threats. Enterprise and Education editions remain supported until October 12, 2027.

To stay protected and up to date, we recommend you upgrade to the latest version of Windows 11.

Change log
Change date Change description
August 27, 2026 Added a resolution for the known issue, "Reports of certain games becoming unresponsive".
August 21, 2026 Added a workaround for the known issue, "Reports of certain games becoming unresponsive".
August 20, 2026 Added a known issue, "Reports of certain games becoming unresponsive".
August 17, 2026 Update added, "[Sharing] This update removes the Drop Tray experience (previously named Drag Tray) for devices where it was available. It also removes the associated setting under Settings > System > Multitasking. We are continuing to evaluate the experience and explore future enhancements."

Improvements

This update includes improvements from the following previously released updates:

The following summary outlines key quality improvements addressed by this update. The bold text within the brackets indicates the item or area of the change.

  • [Security updates] This update provides security improvements. For more information about the security vulnerabilities resolved by this update, see the Security Update Guide.
  • [Secure Boot] This update includes additional high confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Certificate deployment via Windows updates continues across supported PCs and non-managed business devices in the coming months.
  • [Sharing] This update removes the Drop Tray experience (previously named Drag Tray) for devices where it was available. It also removes the associated setting under Settings > System > Multitasking. We are continuing to evaluate the experience and explore future enhancements.

If you've already installed previous updates, your device will download and install only the new updates included in this package.

Components updates

AI components

This release updates the following AI components to version 1.2605.856.0: Image Search, Content Extraction, Semantic Analysis, and Settings Model. To learn more, see Release information for AI components.​​​​​​​

Servicing stack update

Includes KB5123304 (Build 26100.9156), which improves the reliability of the Windows update installation process. To learn more about SSUs, see Simplifying on-premises deployment of servicing stack updates.

Known issues in this update

Reports of certain games becoming unresponsive

Symptoms

Microsoft received reports of issues involving inability to run certain games as expected after installing this update.

Ongoing investigation indicates that this issue is associated with certain peripherals or internal device components that support RGB lighting features. These devices might install drivers or software components with file names similar to inpoutx64. On systems where these drivers are found, launching certain games can trigger this issue.

Games identified in reports of this issue include ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and THE FINALS. Reported symptoms include:

  • the game application becomes unresponsive
  • the game application closes without notice
  • the error "EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION" is displayed
  • the device restarts without warning

If you are experiencing this issue or a similar issue, please use Feedback Hub to submit a report. You can open Feedback Hub by pressing the Windows logo key + F. For additional information, see Send feedback to Microsoft with the Feedback Hub app. Your reports are helpful to our investigation.

Resolution

This issue is resolved by a block that prevents the inpoutx64 driver from loading on affected devices. When the block is applied, a message is displayed that states the driver has been disabled, after which the game will launch normally.

This resolution is available automatically to consumer and business devices that are not managed by IT departments. For enterprise-managed devices, the mitigation will not propagate automatically. IT administrators can follow the steps in the workaround section on the Windows release health site.

How to get this update

Before you install this update

Microsoft combines the latest servicing stack update (SSU) for your operating system with the latest cumulative update (LCU). For general information about SSUs, see Servicing stack updates.

Deployment

If you deploy dynamic updates such as this update to an existing Windows image, ensure the boot.stl file is included as part of the installation media. Failure to include the file might prevent devices from successfully starting from the installation media and can result in error code 0xc0430001.

Note

The boot.stl file is used during Secure Boot validation and must match the Windows version and architecture of the image you are updating.

To ensure the boot.stl file is included as part of the installation media, do one of the following:

  • Use the Update WinPE script to update an existing Windows image. (Recommended)
  • Manually copy the boot.stl file from the device Windows\Boot\EFI folder to the corresponding folder on your installation media before deploying the update.

For information about how to apply Dynamic Update packages to existing Windows images, see Update Windows installation media with Dynamic Update.

Install this update

To install this update, use one of the following Windows and Microsoft release channels.

Available Next Step
✅ This update downloads and installs automatically from Windows Update and Microsoft Update.

File information

For a list of the files provided in this update, download the file information for cumulative update KB5121003.

For a list of the files provided in the servicing stack update, download the file information for the SSU (KB5123304) - version 26100.9156.

Windows monthly updates explained

Description of the standard terminology used for Microsoft software updates

Microsoft Store for Business and Education with Configuration Manager

Get updates for apps and games in Microsoft Store