Windows Update Is Wreaking Havoc On AMD Ryzen Handhelds, Try These Workarounds

Do you have a Windows-based gaming handheld? Unless it's an MSI Claw, it almost certainly uses AMD Ryzen mobile hardware. In that case, you might want to hold off on your Windows Updates for a while—assuming you have configured your system with that capability. If you haven't, then you're probably experiencing reduced performance due to a faulty update that many users say causes unplayable game performance.

Windows 11's recent KB5035853 update, in combination with the March 2024 update rollup, seems to be sabotaging performance on many AMD-based machines, but the recent raft of AMD-based handheld gaming systems appears especially affected. Multiple users on Reddit have complained of reduced performance in all kinds of games, ranging from modern titles like Baldur's Gate 3 all the way to older titles like World of Warcraft:


One possible way to fix this problem is by uninstalling the KB5035853 update. You can do this by searching for "Uninstall Updates" in the Start search and then clicking the Uninstall button next to the correct update. That will probably resolve the problem for most users.


Alternatively, you can try some other, simpler steps suggested by Windows Latest. One method is to simply disable the Radeon Overlay in the AMD Adrenaline software. Open up the Adrenaline app, click the gear icon in the top right, and then go to Preferences. Disable the In-Game Overlay using the toggle switch there, and then close the app. You'll have to restart your machine before the difference will be felt.


If that doesn't work and you don't feel like uninstalling the March 2024 update, you can also try fully resetting your AMD Adrenaline settings to default. You'll do that in the System menu of the app's preferences. Click on the "Factory Reset" button to reset all AMD settings to their defaults. Keep in mind that this will also remove any customized game profiles you've created.

Hopefully one of these three tips will get you going again. On our ROG Ally, we ultimately had to uninstall the latest Windows update, as disabling the overlay didn't restore our lost performance. However, your mileage may vary on your different handhelds. Let us know how things turn out for you in the comments, including if you've suffered any gaming issues from the March 2024 update.