Microsoft's release health page for Windows 11 25H2 lists two audio problems that are not fully fixed. The page itself was last edited on October 9, 2026; the two entries below were last touched on September 29 and October 2. Neither is solved by a button in Settings, so the useful part for an owner is knowing whether the description matches the PC in front of them. I read the 25H2 page; both entries list 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2 among the affected versions, and I did not read the separate pages for the other versions.
USB audio devices that stop working
After the September 8 security update (KB5124008), some USB Audio Class 1.0 devices may fail to start or produce sound. The entry lists the symptoms: Device Manager shows "This device cannot start (Code 10)", there is no audio output, volume controls do not respond or stay at zero, and the Sound settings page does not respond or is unavailable. Microsoft says the problem is limited to USB Audio Class 1.0 devices.
Its status is "Mitigated", not resolved. One part is fixed: the out-of-band update of September 14 (KB5129195) and later updates resolve devices that worked in stereo but failed in 8-channel or 3D audio modes. The remaining symptoms are still being worked on, and the entry gives no date. The only workaround it offers is for IT administrators, who are told to contact Microsoft Support for Business. For a home PC there is no step on that page to follow.
The entry does not list affected products and does not say how to tell whether a headset, DAC or audio interface is Class 1.0. That is a question for the device's maker. It also lists Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 23H2 as affected, so the problem is not limited to the newest version.
Older apps that close when they play AC-3 sound
The second entry was opened on October 2. After the September 22 update (KB5124010) and later ones, some applications that need Windows to decode AC-3 (Dolby Digital) audio might close unexpectedly. Microsoft says it depends on what the app does: some fail to launch, others work until a feature such as music playback is used. The affected apps "can include games, media players, and certain productivity applications".
Microsoft's own explanation of who is exposed is narrow. The component involved is mostly used by legacy applications that rely on Windows' built-in audio decoding, and many modern apps bring their own decoder and will not hit this. The status is "Confirmed", and the page says a resolution will come in a future Windows update, with no date. It lists no workaround.
One that is fixed, and only matters at work
A third September problem, domain-joined devices losing their trust relationship with the domain, is marked resolved by the September 22 update, with the status last changed on October 8. It affects machines in organisations using Credential Guard, so a home PC is not the audience. If your PC belongs to an employer or school, the entry has the details for the administrator.
How to check your own PC
For the USB entry, right-click Start and open Device Manager. Expand Sound, video and game controllers, and look for a warning icon on your USB audio device. Open its Properties; the Device status box shows the Code 10 message if that is the case. The walkthrough on a microphone that is not working covers the same Device Manager route for reinstalling an audio driver, which is a separate step and not something Microsoft's entry recommends for this problem.
For the AC-3 entry, the sign is an app that closes when sound starts, and only after the September 22 update or later. I could not find a way on the page to tell which apps use the old decoder, so an app that fails the same way every time is the evidence you have.
What Microsoft has not said
The page does not say whether the October 13 monthly update carries a fix for either problem. It does not say whether removing the update helps, and I would not guess. Windows 11 24H2 on Home and Pro also reaches end of updates that day, which is covered in our piece on the 24H2 date; if you are weighing whether to hold back an update, that deadline is part of the trade.
If the update itself will not install, what to try when Windows Update is stuck or failing goes through it in order. Another September update problem, on backups, is in the File History piece.
Last updated October 12, 2026