[Victus Notebook] Games stop launching after BIOS update

[CesarGaspar]

[Victus Notebook] Games stop launching after BIOS update — IPF failed first, only clean NVIDIA reinstall works (until first reboot), UWP shell crashes (Windows.UI.Xaml.dll BEX64)

Device: HP Victus (13th-gen Intel, RTX 5060 Laptop GPU 8 GB VRAM, 16 GB RAM) - victus  HP 15.6 inch Gaming Laptop 15-fa2000

OS history: Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (build 26200) → also tested 24H2 (26100)

BIOS: updated recently via HP (issue began immediately after this update)

Summary / Symptom

After the BIOS update, multiple games stopped launching reliably:

• Battlefield 6 (Steam + EA App): “couldn’t connect to servers” at splash/black window or closes shortly after start.
• PUBG (Steam) and Arena Breakout: Infinite: same behavior — won’t open or close immediately.

Important timeline note:

• The first thing that broke was the Intel Innovation Platform Framework (IPF) driver. I disabled the IPF service entirely to test, but that did not fix game launching.
• The only action that makes games launch once is a clean NVIDIA reinstall using DDU. It works until the very next reboot, then the problem returns.

In parallel, Windows’ UWP shell intermittently crashes and reopens apps on its own.

Apparently

• This is a UWP/Shell crash (SystemSettings.exe / Windows.UI.Xaml.dll), not the game EXE.
• When the shell restarts, EA AntiCheat / game sessions drop, and BF6 reports “couldn’t connect to servers.”

What I already tried (condensed)

• Graphics
  
• Clean removal of NVIDIA with DDU (Safe Mode) → fresh Game Ready driver (custom/clean: Graphics Driver + PhysX only).
• HAGS Off, Game Bar Off, all overlays Off (Steam/GeForce/Discord).
• Forced dGPU per-app in System → Display → Graphics (High performance/NVIDIA).
• Verified NVIDIA Display Container LS running.
• Driver works only until first reboot, then fails again.
• Intel / IPF (key detail)
  
• The IPF driver was the first component to fail right after the BIOS update.
• I disabled the IPF service completely to test — no improvement in game launching.
• Anti-cheat & launchers
  
• EA AntiCheat: ran the official Installer/Repair as Administrator; cleared EA App caches.
• PUBG/BattlEye: Uninstall/Install (Admin) and Steam file verification for both games.
• Windows integrity
  
• SFC /scannow and DISM /RestoreHealth completed;
• Also tested rolling OS from 25H2 → 24H2

Current behavior

• Fresh NVIDIA (DDU) → games launch once.
• After any reboot → games stop launching again (BF6 “can’t connect to servers”; others hang/close).
• Reliability Monitor still logs SystemSettings.exe crash in Windows.UI.Xaml.dll near those times.

• Observation: After performing a clean NVIDIA driver reinstall (using DDU) and confirming the game launched, I immediately created a System Restore point. If I restore to that point later, the game launches and works again — but after the very next reboot the issue returns. This behavior is fully reproducible: works right after clean install/restore; breaks again on first restart.

Why I suspect a BIOS/firmware interaction

• Problems started immediately after the BIOS update.
• Issue survives OS repair and driver reinstalls, and reappears at boo).
• IPF was the first to fail; even fully disabled, I must DDU + reinstall NVIDIA after every cold boot to get a single successful session.

Next step on my side

I’ll proceed with a clean install of Windows 11 

[CesarGaspar]

HP Support, please help me. I saved and spent a lot on this notebook just to enjoy some moments of fun and relaxation — but now I can’t even do that.

[Garp_senchau]

@CesarGaspar, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

I’m sorry to hear about the trouble you’ve been experiencing with your HP Victus laptop. Let’s gather some information to help troubleshoot further.

To better understand your issue, could you please provide the following details?

Current BIOS version: You mentioned a recent BIOS update—let's confirm the version you're running now. You can find this in the BIOS setup during boot (usually by pressing F10 or Esc during startup).

Current Windows 11 version: It sounds like you've been switching between 25H2 and 24H2. Could you confirm which version you're currently on? You can check this by typing winver in the search bar and sharing the build number.

NVIDIA driver version: After the clean reinstall, which version of the NVIDIA drivers are you using? You can find this in the NVIDIA Control Panel under "System Information" or in the Device Manager under Display Adapters.

Once I have this information, we can narrow down the possible causes and look for a solution. Thank you!

Take care and have a good day. 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,

[CesarGaspar]

Hi @Garp_Senchau — thanks for the quick reply and guidance.

I’m away from my PC right now; I’ll check the requested information tomorrow and report back here.

Regards, Cesar

Regards,

[Garp_senchau]

Hey @CesarGaspar,

Thank you for your response

I understand that all the drivers are up to date, but could you please share the version numbers of the drivers I asked about earlier? This will help me provide more accurate assistance.

Regards,

[CesarGaspar]

Hi @Garp_Senchau — thanks for the follow-up.

Here are the details you requested:

• BIOS: F.05 (AMI)

• Windows: Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (current) - 

  26200.6899

• NVIDIA driver: 581.57 (DCH)

For reference: Victus by HP Gaming Laptop 15-fa2xxx, i7-13620H, 16 GB RAM.

Thanks!

[CesarGaspar]

Additional note: I’m also seeing this IPF popup:

C : \ Windows \ System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\ipf_cpu.inf_amd64_fe2967a6eb0d3a7d\ipf_helper.exe

I’ve already disabled the Intel Innovation Platform Framework Service in services.msc. Disabling it only hides this popup, but the games still won’t launch (BF6 shows connection error or the window closes on its own).

Additional observation: this IPF popup appears immediately after the game window closes/crashes.

[Garp_senchau]

Hi @CesarGaspar,

Thank you for your response and sharing these details

I kindly ask for your patience as I consult with my seniors to provide you with an accurate solution. I appreciate your understanding during this time.

Regards,

[CesarGaspar · Accepted solution]

Hi @Garp_Senchau — quick update:

I performed a clean install of Windows 11 on the Victus. The issue appears to be resolved — games are launching normally across multiple reboots.

Thanks for the assistance!

[Garp_senchau]

Hi @CesarGaspar,

That's awesome to hear! I'm glad everything is working smoothly now and that the games are launching properly. If you run into any other issues down the line, don't hesitate to reach out!

Regards,