Windows 11 update breaks audio and microphones on some PCs, Microsoft confirms
Microsoft hits the mute button.
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- Microsoft confirms its September Windows 11 update can stop some audio devices from working after restart.
- The issue mainly affects USB audio devices that work without extra driver software.
- Microphones can also fail, disrupting calls, and Device Manager may show a Code 10 error.
- Microsoft has no permanent fix yet, but switching to two-channel audio may help temporarily.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Microsoft has confirmed its September Windows 11 update can cause audio devices to stop working, adding another issue to an already problematic Patch Tuesday update.
The audio problem appears after restarting the PC, rendering the user's computer completely soundless in some cases.
But the official line from Microsoft is that the problem means the update "might fail to start or produce audio."
The company has detailed a technical rundown of what is affected, outlining that it’s predominantly USB Audio Class 1.0 devices that are disrupted by the update.
A USB Audio Class 1.0 device is one which your computer recognizes straight away, without the need for a software driver update.
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Microphones also affected
But it’s not only incoming audio that's dysfunctional, as the update is playing havoc with microphones, too. Such an issue causes huge inconvenience for those who are loaded up with conference calls ahead of a busy week.
Device Manager may instead show the affected audio device or driver with the error "this device cannot start (Code 10).”
Another frustrating aspect of the problem is that uninstalling or disabling the device might not solve it, as the underlying complication may come from the Windows update itself.
It’s unclear at this stage how many PCs are affected or what types of systems are involved, but what is known is that the issue affects multichannel audio.
Though Microsoft have said that there’s no permanent fix (yet) for the hindrance, switching to two-channel mode is a potential temporary workaround.
Windows 11 September Update Kills Audio Output on Some PCs https://t.co/kSbn4L0cGw pic.twitter.com/xQXpCaXGFk
undefined TechPowerUp (@TechPowerUp) September 13, 2026
A "patchy performance"
The issue comes mere days after Windows released its September update known as “patch Tuesday,” which was intended to fix an array of issues, including Explorer.exe crashes, black screens, broken File History backups, Remote Desktop issues, and problems affecting some Linux-based virtual-machine applications.
According to Windows Latest, some systems are experiencing severe functionality issues as a result of this release, including Graphics and Processing Unit (GPU) glitches.
This pileup of issues from Microsoft comes as a vengeful researcher known as Nightmare Eclipse claimed last week that these updates could be bypassed under the bonnet.
And earlier this month, a Windows 11 bug falsely told users that their virus protection had been disabled because of the update, although it was later discovered not to be the case.
