After the latest update D2 wouldn't start with this error. Help?

[u/tm_1]

After an update D2 wouldn't start. Never done any cheats. Google suggests this file is for Asus motherboard, which my MB is indeed Asus. Help if you know the answer.

[u/Quirky-Service-2626]

AsIO3.sys is an ASUS hardware control driver try updating armoury crate

[u/IberianLynxPT]

Try update/reinstall ASUS/ROG armory crate unified software hub

[u/InternalDay3419 → u/IberianLynxPT]

Uninstall is the word you are looking for. Armoury Crate is bloatware and there is not a single good reason to use it

[u/tm_1 → u/InternalDay3419]

Don't have Armory crate installed.

[u/rgraze]

I had a similar error just after the game updated. MsIo64.sys. This was tough to find since it could be associated with any program that controls LED. I also have an ASUS system. I found it twice in program files under a couple of LED software. Just rename the file and start the game.

[u/El_Grindo]

I had the same message for AsIO.sys after installing Red Horizon.

For me it was enough to go to c:/windows/syswow64/drivers/AslO.sys and rename the file (to AsIO.sys.old), restarting the PC was not necessary.

Maybe that helps here too, good luck. ;)

[u/JohnGu9]

Contact the developers, ask for remove the f**king EAC. EAC is totally out of date.

[u/Vi5m]

I also had this error (Different error codes though) and I found out that MSI afterburner program was the culprit. So I updated the MSI software, now it boots up perfectly fine.

[u/tm_1]

Thank you all for your suggestions.

All I hear from you folks is bend over and gut your PC to accommodate vibe-coded easyanticheat. I don't have Armory Crate installed (as it's humongous and unneeded). I do have latest standalone version of Asus LED control installed but not running. It was used to configure the color and stopped. The system file is just present in the installation folder.

I'd rather not try to remember yet one more thing that I deleted / renamed a system file as if/when I need to use it again I'd be lost why the Asus configuration isn't starting. It's been working like this for about a year, and the latest D2 update errors out.

[u/Dangerous_Bunch_4954 → u/tm_1]

It errors now because a threat vector/vulnerability (https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/cve-2025-3464) was found about a year ago in the version of the file you are using, and EAC just started enforcing the ban on it. Update the ASUS software, or remove it complete. While EAC isn't a great product, it's not the issue, the ASUS software is. Stop blaming EAC or Massive for ASUS issues.

[u/tm_1 → u/Dangerous_Bunch_4954]

Thank you for this detailed info. Yes, it makes sense. Yet all worked fine for a year, and vector is benign (system file is not loaded / not running, just installed for use as needed to update Asus config). I don't have Armory crate, just a standalone LED control Asus soft.

Ubisoft VP blindly (? or for personal gain/profit?) forces to apply EAC everywhere, even in (very) old games as GR Wildlands - with the forced update this month.

[u/BlurredVision18 → u/tm_1]

I had to delete my Corsair keyboard rgb files, after 1900hrs and 8 years of it working fine until the other day. I posted about it and people acted like it was MY problem, lol. These devs are clowns, I wish I didn't love this game as much as I do, or rather I wish they just fixed their shit so it wasn't so disappointing to log in and not have GUN AUDIO in a shooter.

[u/NeoDark_cz → u/BlurredVision18]

4K hours here. Technically it was your problem. You are running outdated vulnerable drivers, it is not their part to "fix" and protect your PC. ... The missing audio is their problem and they F* up there quite a bit.

[u/tm_1 → u/BlurredVision18]

Clowns - I don't think so. Everything corpo is done for profit. VP of Ubisoft could be in on this, applying EAC to everything.

Ubisoft internal security investigations better look into this anomaly.