Microsoft says September 2026 updates can break audio on some Windows PCs

Microsoft says its September 2026 security updates can cause some USB audio devices to stop working on Windows PCs. The issue affects systems running Windows 11, version 24H2 or later, and is limited to USB Audio Class 1.0 devices.

The affected updates are KB5124008 and KB5124012, released on September 8, 2026. Microsoft said some devices might fail to start or produce audio. Users have reported “This device cannot start (Code 10)” errors in Device Manager, missing audio output, and unresponsive volume controls and sound settings.

Some USB speakers appear to fail only when multichannel audio features are enabled, including 3D audio or 8-channel modes. Microsoft has not provided an official workaround. However, some users have restored audio by switching to 2-channel mode.

Microsoft addressed a similar problem in January 2025 after the KB5050094 optional preview update caused audio playback failures and Code 10 errors on Windows 11 24H2 systems with USB audio drivers. The September updates also fix issues that reset Windows desktop and mouse settings and prevented Teams and Outlook from launching on ARM-based Windows devices.