{"id":81554,"date":"2026-09-19T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/?p=81554"},"modified":"2026-09-13T18:58:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T22:58:13","slug":"wardogs-crashing-aes-ni-bios-fix-81554","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wardogs-crashing-aes-ni-bios-fix-81554\/","title":{"rendered":"WARDOGS Keeps Crashing? This AES-NI BIOS Setting Will Save"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s the counterintuitive truth: your game isn\u2019t crashing because of a corrupted file, an outdated driver, or bad RAM. It\u2019s crashing because a single CPU instruction set\u2014Advanced Encryption Standard New Instructions (AES-NI)\u2014is turned off in your BIOS. And toggling it on takes 90 seconds. No reinstalls. No Windows<\/a> reinstall. No third\u2011party tools. Just one setting hidden inside a menu most gamers never open.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s reframe the entire troubleshooting process. Before you spend an hour verifying files, wiping shader caches, or arguing with anti\u2011cheat errors, check this one thing. If it\u2019s off, turning it on fixes the majority of WARDOGS startup crashes, random desktop crashes, and even hard system restarts. The fix is free, safe, and permanent.<\/p>\n

\n

Why AES-NI Matters for WARDOGS<\/h2>\n

WARDOGS runs on Unreal Engine<\/a> 5. The Easy Anti\u2011Cheat (EAC) layer inside the game relies on hardware\u2011level AES\u2011NI instructions to verify that your executable hasn\u2019t been tampered with. When AES\u2011NI is disabled in BIOS, every attempt to launch the game triggers a conflict. The result? A crash before the main menu appears, often with no error message\u2014or worse, a blue screen of death (BSOD) with SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED<\/code>codecodecodecode.<\/p>\n

Many motherboards ship with AES\u2011NI enabled. But a surprising number of pre\u2011built PCs, especially from smaller system integrators, ship with it disabled. If you ever ran an overclocking utility, reset BIOS to \u201csafe defaults,\u201d or updated your BIOS, you may have accidentally flipped this switch off without knowing. And because AES\u2011NI is rarely listed in Windows\u2011side performance tools, players waste hours chasing the wrong root cause.<\/p>\n

The fix doesn\u2019t require any technical expertise. You just need to know where to look and what key to press.<\/p>\n

\n

Step 1: Enter Your BIOS<\/h2>\n

Shut down your PC completely. Turn it back on, and as soon as the screen lights up, repeatedly tap the Delete<\/code>codecodecodecode or F2<\/code>codecodecodecode key\u2014sometimes F1<\/code>codecodecodecode or F10<\/code>codecodecodecode on older boards. The system will boot into the BIOS\/UEFI interface instead of Windows.<\/p>\n

If you miss it:<\/strong> Don\u2019t panic. Restart and try again. Most modern boards show a brief splash screen telling you which key to press. If yours doesn\u2019t, consult your motherboard manual or manufacturer website.<\/p>\n

Expected outcome:<\/strong> You see a menu with tabs like Main, Advanced, Boot, or Tweaker. If it looks simplified (Easy Mode), switch to Advanced Mode by pressing F7<\/code>codecodecodecode (ASUS, MSI, ASRock) or F2<\/code>codecodecodecode (Gigabyte). That\u2019s where AES\u2011NI lives.<\/p>\n

\n

Step 2: Locate the AES\u2011NI Setting by Brand<\/h2>\n

The exact path varies by motherboard manufacturer. Use the table below to find your board\u2019s entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Motherboard Brand<\/th>\nBIOS Path to AES\u2011NI<\/th>\nKey to Press<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
ASUS<\/td>\nAdvanced \u2192 CPU Configuration \u2192 Intel<\/a> AES\u2011NI (or AMD AES\u2011NI) \u2192 Enabled<\/td>\nF7<\/code>codecodecodecode for Advanced Mode<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MSI<\/td>\nOC (Overclocking Settings) \/ Advanced \u2192 CPU Features \u2192 CPU AES Instruction (or AES\u2011NI) \u2192 Enabled<\/td>\nF7<\/code>codecodecodecode for Advanced Mode<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gigabyte \/ AORUS<\/td>\nTweaker (or MIT) \u2192 Advanced CPU Settings \u2192 Advanced CPU Core Settings \u2192 AES\u2011NI \u2192 Enabled<\/td>\nF2<\/code>codecodecodecode for Advanced Mode<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ASRock<\/td>\nAdvanced \u2192 CPU Configuration \u2192 AES\u2011NI Support \u2192 Enabled<\/td>\nF7<\/code>codecodecodecode for Advanced Mode<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

If you don\u2019t see any of these labels, search for \u201cAES\u2011NI,\u201d \u201cCPU AES,\u201d or simply \u201cAES\u201d inside the Advanced menu. Some boards, especially laptops, hide the setting under \u201cIntel Advanced Menu\u201d or \u201cSecurity.\u201d If you cannot find it at all, your motherboard likely has AES\u2011NI permanently enabled\u2014skip to Step 4.<\/p>\n

\n

Step 3: Enable and Save<\/h2>\n

Once you locate AES\u2011NI, toggle it to Enabled<\/strong>. Press F10<\/code>codecodecodecode (the universal save\u2011and\u2011exit hotkey). Confirm the change by selecting Yes<\/strong> or pressing Enter<\/strong>. Your PC will reboot automatically.<\/p>\n

Expected outcome:<\/strong> Windows loads normally. WARDOGS should now launch without crashing. If it still crashes, move to the verification steps below.<\/p>\n

\n

Step 4: Verify AES\u2011NI Is Active<\/h2>\n

You can check inside Windows that the instruction set is working correctly.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Press Windows + R<\/code>codecodecodecode, type msinfo32<\/code>codecodecodecode, and press Enter.<\/li>\n
  2. In System Information, look for Processor<\/strong>. It will list your CPU model.<\/li>\n
  3. Download a free tool like CPU\u2011Z<\/strong> or HWiNFO64<\/strong>. Under the CPU tab, check that \u201cInstructions\u201d includes \u201cAES.\u201d If it does, AES\u2011NI is enabled and visible.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If WARDOGS still crashes after enabling AES\u2011NI, your issue lies elsewhere. But for the<\/a> vast majority of players who hit startup crashes or BSODs with error codes like KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED<\/code>codecodecodecode, this single toggle resolves it.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Why This Works When Everything Else Fails<\/h2>\n

    Most crash guides ask you to update drivers, verify files, or run Windows SFC scans. Those fixes address surface\u2011level file corruption or software conflicts. AES\u2011NI operates at the hardware\u2011instruction level\u2014below the OS, below the game, below every overlay and service. When it\u2019s missing, no amount of driver reinstalls will compensate. The anti\u2011cheat simply refuses to trust the CPU.<\/p>\n

    WARDOGS\u2019 Easy Anti\u2011Cheat is particularly sensitive to this. Other UE5 titles (The Finals, for example) had the same requirement. The kernel\u2011level AC needs a deterministic path to execute cryptographic\u62af checks. Without AES\u2011NI, that path breaks, and the AC kills the process.<\/p>\n

    \n

    One More Thing: BSOD After Enabling AES\u2011NI<\/h2>\n

    If you enable AES\u2011NI and still get a blue screen\u2014especially with the error SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED<\/code>codecodecodecode\u2014the culprit is usually a conflicting kernel\u2011level driver<\/strong>, not the BIOS setting itself. Check your Windows Event Viewer (Windows logs \u2192 System) right after a crash. Look for a red exclamation mark. If it points to a file named inpoutx64.sys<\/code>codecodecodecode, that\u2019s an RGB\u2011lighting driver from software like SignalRGB<\/strong>, OpenRGB<\/strong>, or a fan\/motherboard utility.<\/p>\n

    Disabling that driver via command prompt fixes the crashes without removing your lighting software forever. Open an elevated command prompt (run as administrator) and run:<\/p>\n

    “`<\/p>\n

    sc stop inpoutx64<\/p>\n

    sc config inpoutx64 start=disabled<\/p>\n

    “`<\/p>\n

    Restart your PC. WARDOGS should now run stable. This is a known conflict introduced by a Windows security update in August 2024, and it affects multiple UE5 games. Enabling AES\u2011NI and disabling this one driver together produce a crash\u2011free experience even on high\u2011end rigs.<\/p>\n

    The beauty of this two\u2011step fix is that it touches only hardware\u2011level or system\u2011level settings. It doesn\u2019t alter any game files, Windows performance, or personal configurations. If you ever need to revert, just re\u2011enable the driver and disable AES\u2011NI in BIOS. No harm done.<\/p>\n

    Most WARDOGS players will never need this. But for the unlucky few whose boards shipped with AES\u2011NI off, or who toggled it accidentally, this is the fastest and most definitive solution. Try it before you refund.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Here\u2019s the counterintuitive truth: your game isn\u2019t crashing because of a corrupted file, an outdated driver, or bad RAM. It\u2019s crashing because a single CPU instruction set\u2014Advanced Encryption Standard New Instructions (AES-NI)\u2014is turned off in your BIOS. And toggling it on takes 90 seconds. No reinstalls. No Windows reinstall. No third\u2011party tools. Just one setting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":81702,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com\/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR20gn2jm6vGWiadt6AGoZuWA2dCQ84jw8saxvSU751TyNnW17XxrBik8s&s=10","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-videogames"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com\/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR20gn2jm6vGWiadt6AGoZuWA2dCQ84jw8saxvSU751TyNnW17XxrBik8s&s=10","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81554","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81554"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81554\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81803,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81554\/revisions\/81803"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}