Crashes, freezes and weird behaviour by MS GameInput

[uuf6429]

Ever since I'm using my laptop more often, it freezes permanently every few days, with the last event mentioned in the Reliability History and Event logs being something about installing, updating or reconfiguring Microsoft GameInput 10.1.22621.3036 (whose redist one can find in this repository).

It's not like MS doesn't know about it. I found literally thousands of complaints going back to 2020.. It is all part of Microsoft's "Gaming Services". Be glad you are getting only a mention in reliability monitor as many report freezes, restarts, and even BSOD relating to this. (From what I can tell, these more critical reports are from gamers whose game depends on GameInput to run.)

source: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/daily-gameinput-reconfiguration.7496/post-167878

So what's wrong with this whole thing?

• First of all, the permanent freeze of course. We're used to error messages, various BSODs and so on... but a permanent freeze? How the hell could that happen?
• I don't care about XBox or XBox Pass or any of the other streaming/spying/bloatware crap. Why are we forced to have this buggy software?
• Why isn't this application listed in Add or Remove Programs?
• Why (according to the reliability tool), Windows Update is updating this software, but this doesn't show up in Windows Update History???
• And additionally, why does it keep being "updated" to the same version (the one already mentioned above)

I just spent some €300 for priority support in sorting this problem (after contacting MS Support twice and twice they fcked up my system while following the usual "run sfc, disable services etc" script) - I'm still waiting for a reply since a few days. PS: If it helps, I downloaded and ran the redist manually, it didn't seem to do anything, nor cause a freeze.

[Gavin-Williams]

Q) First of all, the permanent freeze of course. We're used to error messages, various BSODs and so on... but a permanent freeze? How the hell could that happen?

• I've seen freezes on devices, not very often, since Windows 7 or Vista, Windows has been a lot more stable. But it can happen. Sometimes I think memory issues can do this kind of thing. I can't answer as to whether Input is to blame. MS should definitely look into any possible bugs with this component though.

Q) I don't care about XBox or XBox Pass or any of the other streaming/spying/bloatware crap. Why are we forced to have this buggy software?

• Not a very good question, Windows and XBox share a lot of code. To say you don't care about XBox doesn't mean anything much. And do you mean GamePass? It's a software subscription. You don't have to care about it if you don't subscribe, but many people do. Windows doesn't have to be customized just for you. It has many things that many people use. Not everyone uses the same things. They are not streaming/spying/bloatware crap. No one is going to listen to you when you talk like that. Because it's just noise. As to 'why are we forced to have buggy software' - no one intends for you to have buggy software. But it's an unfortunate problem with software that it has bugs - don't worry, people are working on it.

Q) Why isn't this application listed in Add or Remove Programs?

• Because it's not an application, it's an API and system service. And may be used by applications to get input from peripherals.

Q) Why (according to the reliability tool), Windows Update is updating this software, but this doesn't show up in Windows Update History???

• Not everything is listed in the Windows Update History, certainly not every system component - which this is.

Q) And additionally, why does it keep being "updated" to the same version (the one already mentioned above)

• This is probably the most relevant question, I don't believe components should be updated to the same version repeatedly. But, how do you know it's actually being reinstalled? Is it possible that the message is just a log of the update process being initiated? There is a difference. Since the API and service are still being developed, it's possible they do regular update 'checks' to make sure the latest version is installed. That doesn't seem unusual to me, and in fact, would be a reasonable step to take to make sure that the latest, most stable version is installed - which is what you really want isn't it?

[uuf6429]

I can't answer as to whether Input is to blame. MS should definitely look into any possible bugs with this component though.

I've bought premier/business support to look into this. I've been asked repeatedly to provide a crashdump even though I got one out of every 4-5 freezes. After a few weeks the freezes stopped (since 14-02). There were some updates since then, so I suspect something might have fixed it.

Not a very good question, Windows and XBox share a lot of code. To say you don't care about XBox doesn't mean anything much. And do you mean GamePass? It's a software subscription. You don't have to care about it if you don't subscribe, but many people do. Windows doesn't have to be customized just for you. It has many things that many people use. Not everyone uses the same things. They are not streaming/spying/bloatware crap. No one is going to listen to you when you talk like that. Because it's just noise. As to 'why are we forced to have buggy software' - no one intends for you to have buggy software. But it's an unfortunate problem with software that it has bugs - don't worry, people are working on it.

It may be badly phrased, but I still think it was a valid question:

• I don't care about XBox(software) in the exact sense that (at the moment) I don't care about about having MS Office installed, and for whichever reason, Microsoft is respecting that and not pushing Office as aggressively as the gaming services stuff.
• I don't need to have customisations because that's how Windows is supposed to work - it's heavily based on (system) components and packages that can be changed depending on policy, for example. I'm pretty sure SysAdmins wouldn't be happy if this gaming stuff gets pushed to their users' corporate machines.
• Given that, I still don't understand why this component is so entrenched into Windows while lacking explanations and documentation.
• I may be wrong, but I have the feeling this relates to the xbox game bar which again, this is an unwelcome addition to my system. If I wanted it, I would happily install it, and since I don't it's by the very definition of bloatware. And considering that one of the functions is to record the screen and perhaps audio, as far as I'm concerned, that's also spying (innocently and unintentionally perhaps).
• I'm not saying the software is intentionally buggy, but rather forcing software that is known to be buggy. That is what I gathered from the link above.

Because it's not an application, it's an API and system service. And may be used by applications to get input from peripherals.

There are dozens of similar applications/services and they all follow the same flow (MSVC Redist., various anti-cheat services like PunkBuster etc):

• they get installed as a dependency and user consent is typically requested
• they can be uninstalled separately
• they will warn you during uninstallation that some (original) apps may break
• while they run as a service and may cause performance issues, they can be uninstalled, which resolves said performance issues (and they're therefore troubleshoot-able)

Not everything is listed in the Windows Update History, certainly not every system component - which this is.

I find that the recent changes (in the last few years) to Windows Update is to blame. Every update should be listed in that history. Think about it, users wouldn't even be looking at that history if something wasn't wrong and they need all the details they can get.

But, how do you know it's actually being reinstalled?

I don't. I kept finding the following message in the Reliability History, at the same time or almost when the freeze happens:

Windows Installer installed the product. Product Name: Microsoft GameInput. Product Version: 10.1.22621.3036. Product Language: 1033. Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation. Installation success or error status: 0.

I'm super frustrated about the whole situation because:

1. a lot of things are changing (and broken) in Windows, which prevent me from doing self-servicing (for example a lot of troubleshooters have been retired)
2. searching online hinted that it's an old problem, with no or barely any solutions
3. contacting MS support 3 times resulted in absolutely terrible feedback - each time running the same set of steps ("run sfc", "run dism", "disable all services", "reset the system") without any real investigation (one case ended up making things worse because they recommended disabling various graphics and intel services)
4. paying for support I get a very late response which in the end revolved around waiting and hoping for crash dumps instead of real answers

[Gavin-Williams]

There is certainly not enough support for GDK and the new Input system. There needs to be people looking at the github and working on bringing GameInput over to the WindowsAppSDK as promised.