USB audio broken after September Windows 11 update
After installing the September security update for Windows 11 (KB5124008), some users encountered failure of audio devices. Microsoft officially confirmed the problem on the known issues page: some USB Audio Class 1.0 devices may not start or produce sound.
In Device Manager, the error “This device cannot start. (Code 10)” appears. Users also report complete absence of sound, unresponsive volume controls, and unavailable sound settings. In some cases, devices work in normal stereo mode but fail when enabling multichannel modes such as 8-channel or 3D audio.
The problem affects several versions of Windows 11: 24H2, 25H2, and 26H1. Microsoft documentation separately notes that some customers were able to temporarily restore sound by switching to two-channel mode. However, this is only a temporary solution.
Microsoft released out-of-band update KB5129195 on September 14, 2026. It partially resolves the issue: fixes crashes in 8-channel and 3D modes, but other symptoms — complete loss of audio or ‘Code 10’ error — remain. The company continues working on a full fix and promises to update documentation as new data emerges.
The situation is typical for complex Windows updates: after installing a cumulative patch, incompatibilities with drivers may appear. For users who encounter the problem, Microsoft recommends contacting business support if an immediate workaround is needed. Home users have to wait for the next update.
Primary source: learn.microsoft.com ↗