Microsoft: September updates break audio on some Windows PCs

By Sergiu Gatlan

• September 14, 2026
• 04:08 AM
• 0

Microsoft has confirmed that USB audio devices may fail on some Windows systems after installing the KB5124008and KB5124012 September 2026 security updates.

This known issue affects only devices running Windows 11, version 24H2 or later, and is limited to USB Audio Class 1.0 devices.

"After installing the September 8, 2026, Windows security update [..], some USB Audio Class 1.0 devices might fail to start or produce audio," Microsoft said in a Friday update to the release health dashboard.

Affected users reported seeing "This device cannot start (Code 10)." errors in Device Manager, no audio output, and unresponsive volume controls and sound settings.

Others said the impacted USB audio speakers fail only when using multichannel audio features, including 3D audio or 8-channel modes.

While Microsoft has not yet provided an official workaround, some users have been able to restore audio on affected Windows PCs by switching to 2-channel mode.

Microsoft addressed a similar issue in January 2025, triggered by the KB5050094 optional preview cumulative update, which caused audio playback issues and Code 10 errors on Windows 11 24H2 systems with USB audio device drivers.

In September, it also lifted a safeguard hold that prevented Windows 11 24H2 upgrades on systems with Dirac audio improvement software because of compatibility issues causing Bluetooth headsets and speakers to malfunction.

Two years ago, Microsoft blocked Windows 24H2 upgrades on systems with incompatible Intel Smart Sound Technology (SST) audio drivers because of blue screen of death (BSOD) issues and confirmed an issue that caused game audio to unexpectedly increase to full volume when using USB DAC sound systems.

With the September 2026 cumulative updates, Microsoft fixed known issues that wiped Windows desktop and mouse settings, as well as a bug that prevented Teams and Outlook from launching on ARM-based Windows devices.

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