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.