USB Audio No Sound or Code 10 After Windows Update KB5124008
Microsoft's out-of-band update of 14 September 2026 — KB5129195 on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, KB5129194 on 26H1 — fixes part of this. If your USB Audio Class 1.0 device worked in stereo but went silent in 7.1, 8-channel or 3D modes, install that update and multichannel audio comes back. The rest is still open: Code 10, no sound at all, or dead volume controls are not fixed. On Windows 11 26H2, which reached general availability on 29 September 2026, none of it is fixed — KB5129195 does not list 26H2 among the versions it applies to, and Microsoft's 26H2 known-issue entry offers no resolution at all.
Start here
This page is only about the KB5124008 regression. It is worth ten minutes because the check in the first step tells you whether you are hitting this specific bug or an ordinary audio fault — and the ordinary fixes (reinstalling the device, changing enhancements, swapping to an analog cable) have been reported not to help here.
Symptoms
- Device Manager shows "This device cannot start. (Code 10)" on a USB audio device
- A USB headset, DAC or audio interface that worked before September 8, 2026 produces no sound
- Volume controls are unresponsive or stay at zero
- Sound settings are unresponsive or unavailable
- The device plays fine in stereo but is silent in 7.1, 8-channel or 3D/spatial modes
- The device broke right after the PC upgraded itself to Windows 11 version 26H2
Why this happens
KB5124008 broke the USB Audio Class 1.0 path
Microsoft's release-health entry states the issue is limited to USB Audio Class 1.0 devices. Windows drives those with its in-box class driver usbaudio.sys, which it loads automatically when a device enumerates as USB Audio-compliant. Devices that enumerate as USB Audio 2.0 are driven by a different in-box driver, usbaudio2.sys, and fall outside the scope Microsoft describes. The entry was opened on September 11, 2026 with status Confirmed, and Microsoft says only that it is working on a resolution.
Confirm this is the KB5124008 regression before changing anything · Switch the device to 2-channel (stereo) output · Uninstall KB5124008 — last resort, and only if the update does not help · Install the out-of-band update that fixes the multichannel failure
Multichannel modes fail even when stereo still works
Microsoft notes that some affected devices keep working in standard stereo configurations and fail only when multichannel audio features are used, including 8-channel or 3D audio modes. That is why a headset can look healthy in Device Manager, pass a stereo test tone, and still be silent in a game set to 7.1 surround.
Switch the device to 2-channel (stereo) output · Uninstall KB5124008 — last resort, and only if the update does not help · Install the out-of-band update that fixes the multichannel failure
Fixes
Confirm this is the KB5124008 regression before changing anything
about 5 minThe workarounds below only make sense if your PC has the September 2026 update and your device is running on the USB Audio Class 1.0 driver.
Applies to: Windows 11 26H2, Windows 11 25H2, Windows 11 24H2, Windows 11 26H1
- Press Windows+R, type winver and press Enter. KB5124008 produces OS build 26100.9445 or 26200.9445. Build 26100.9457 or 26200.9457 means you already have the 14 September out-of-band update, which fixes the multichannel symptom but not the others.
winver - To confirm the update by name, go to Start > Settings > Windows Update > Update history and look for KB5124008 in the list.
- If winver reports Windows 11 version 26H2, read the build check below differently. Microsoft lists this known issue against 26H2 itself rather than against a particular KB — the originating update on its 26H2 release-health entry is recorded as N/A — so there is no build number that tells you whether you have the bug. The Device Manager checks that follow are what identify it.
- Search for "Device Manager" in the Start menu and open it. Expand Sound, video and game controllers, right-click your USB audio device and select Properties.
- On the General tab, check whether the device status reads "This device cannot start. (Code 10)". Device Manager also marks a device that has a problem with a yellow exclamation point.
- Switch to the Driver tab and select Driver Details. If the listed file is usbaudio.sys, the device is running on the USB Audio Class 1.0 driver — the only class Microsoft says this bug affects. If it is usbaudio2.sys, your device is enumerating as a USB Audio Class 2.0 device and Microsoft's known issue does not describe it.
- If a manufacturer's own driver is listed instead, note that Microsoft documents partner drivers as overriding the in-box class driver. In that case your problem more likely belongs to that driver than to this update, and the manufacturer's support is the better place to start.
Confirmed by the vendor.
Source: Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft
Install the out-of-band update that fixes the multichannel failure
about 20 minMicrosoft's 14 September out-of-band update resolves the symptom where a device works in stereo but goes silent in 8-channel or 3D audio modes. It does not address the other symptoms, and it does not cover Windows 11 26H2 — so this helps you only if multichannel is what broke and you are on 24H2, 25H2 or 26H1.
Applies to: Windows 11 24H2, 25H2 and 26H1, USB Audio Class 1.0 devices that fail only in 8-channel or 3D audio modes, Not Windows 11 26H2 — KB5129195 does not list it
- Check your Windows version first with winver. KB5129195 lists Windows 11 version 25H2 and version 24H2 as the versions it applies to, and KB5129194 covers 26H1. Version 26H2 is not among them, so if you are on 26H2 there is no out-of-band update for you to install and this step does not apply — skip to the stereo workaround below.
winver - Select Start > Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates. Microsoft states the out-of-band update downloads and installs automatically; it is also on the Microsoft Update Catalog as a standalone package.
- Install KB5129195 on Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2, or KB5129194 on 26H1, and restart.
- Confirm the build with winver: 26100.9457 on 24H2, or 26200.9457 on 25H2.
winver - Set your device back to its surround layout and test. Open the Sound control panel with mmsys.cpl, select the device on the Playback tab, click Configure and choose the 7.1 or surround layout you had before.
mmsys.cpl - If the device still shows Code 10, still produces no sound at all, or its volume control is still dead, this update does not cover your symptom. Microsoft lists those as still unresolved and is working on them — continue below.
Confirmed by the vendor.
Source: Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft
Switch the device to 2-channel (stereo) output
about 5 minFor the symptoms the out-of-band update does not fix — and for every symptom if you are on Windows 11 26H2 — this is still the stopgap Microsoft names: customers with devices that fail in multichannel modes have restored audio by switching to 2-channel. Note the wording — "some customers", not all.
Applies to: USB Audio Class 1.0 devices that fail only in multichannel modes, Windows 11 26H2, where no fix has shipped for any of the symptoms
- Open Start > Settings > System > Sound.
- Open the classic Sound control panel. On Windows 11 it sits under the advanced section of that page; on Windows 10 it is listed as Sound Control Panel. If you cannot find the link, press Windows+R and run mmsys.cpl instead.
mmsys.cpl - On the Playback tab, select your USB audio device and click Configure. If a surround layout such as 7.1 Surround is selected, choose Stereo and finish the wizard.
- If the device offers no Configure option, open Properties > Advanced instead and pick a 2-channel default format, then click Apply.
- Play something to test. If sound returns, the device works but is limited to stereo. If you had not yet installed the 14 September out-of-band update, install it — it restores multichannel on the devices it covers, so you may not need to stay in stereo at all.
Confirmed by the vendor.
Source: Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft Q&A, Microsoft
Uninstall KB5124008 — last resort, and only if the update does not help
Advancedabout 20 minReaders on Microsoft's own forum report that removing the update restores full multichannel audio and that reinstalling brings the fault back. Since 14 September there is a supported update that restores multichannel without giving up security fixes, so try that first; this stays relevant only for the symptoms it does not cover.
Applies to: Windows 11 24H2, Windows 11 25H2, Windows 11 26H1
Before you do this
Uninstalling a security update leaves your PC without that month’s security fixes until you reinstall it, and Microsoft advises understanding the risks before removing one. Microsoft has not recommended this workaround for this bug — it comes from reader reports. On 24H2, 25H2 and 26H1 a supported update fixes the multichannel symptom without this tradeoff, so only consider uninstalling if your symptom is one that update does not cover. On 26H2 this route does not apply at all: the issue is recorded against the version itself rather than a removable KB, so there is no KB5124008 to uninstall. Windows will offer the update again, so it only sticks if you also pause updates.
- Install the 14 September out-of-band update first and re-test. It is cumulative, and for multichannel failures it removes the reason to uninstall anything.
- Select Start > Settings > Windows Update.
- Under More options, select Update history.
- Under Related settings, select Uninstall updates.
- Select KB5124008 in the list, choose Uninstall, and restart when prompted. Microsoft notes that some updates cannot be uninstalled — if KB5124008 is not listed, this route is not open to you.
- To stop Windows reinstalling it straight away, use the Pause updates control in Settings > Windows Update. Windows allows a pause of up to 35 days.
- Watch Microsoft's release-health page. The entry is Mitigated, not Resolved — when the remaining symptoms are fixed, resume updates and install the fix rather than leaving the pause running.
Reported to work by 3 users; not confirmed by the vendor.
Source: Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft Q&A, Microsoft, Microsoft
Known issues
Windows 11 version 26H2 reached general availability on 29 September 2026 and carries this issue with no fix. Its release-health page lists the USB audio failure as Mitigated with the originating update recorded as N/A, and carries no resolution section — only "We are working to address this issue in a future Windows update". KB5129195 names only 25H2 and 24H2 as the versions it applies to.
Affects Windows 11 26H2 · Status: open
The 26H2 entry also describes the fault slightly differently: it lists Code 10, no audio output, unresponsive or zero volume controls and unresponsive sound settings, but not the multichannel/8-channel/3D audio symptom that appears on the 24H2 and 25H2 entries. Those two entries now list Windows 11 version 26H2 first among their affected platforms.
Affects Windows 11 26H2, Windows 11 25H2, Windows 11 24H2 · Status: open
Microsoft's entry moved from Confirmed to Mitigated on 14 September 2026. The out-of-band update released that day — KB5129195 on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, KB5129194 on 26H1 — resolves only the symptom where devices work in stereo but fail in 8-channel or 3D audio modes. Microsoft says it is still working to address the others. The KB5124008 article now lists this issue too, which it did not when this page was written.
Affects Windows 11 26H1, Windows 11 25H2, Windows 11 24H2, Windows 11 23H2, Windows 10 22H2, Windows 10 21H2 · Status: workaround only
Microsoft directs IT administrators who need an immediate workaround for the symptoms the out-of-band update does not address to Microsoft Support for Business. For home users it has published no workaround beyond the 2-channel switch, which it describes as having restored audio for some customers rather than all.
Affects Windows 11 24H2, Windows 11 25H2, Windows 11 26H1 · Status: open
The Microsoft Q&A thread behind this page concerns HyperX Cloud Orbit S headsets losing 7.1 audio. Three separate posters confirmed uninstalling KB5124008 restored it, and an advisor said no solution keeping both the update and working USB 7.1 audio could be confirmed. That predates the 14 September out-of-band update, which targets exactly that symptom; nobody there has reported back on it yet.
Affects Windows 11 24H2, Windows 11 25H2 · Status: workaround only
If none of this worked
If Driver Details shows usbaudio2.sys or a manufacturer driver, if your build predates 26100.9445 / 26200.9445 (on versions before 26H2, where a build number still distinguishes this), or if the device fails on a second PC too, this known issue is not your problem. Microsoft's issue is limited to USB Audio Class 1.0 devices, so Bluetooth headsets and motherboard analog outputs are outside its scope. Note also that the 14 September out-of-band update only covers the multichannel symptom — if you installed it and nothing changed, that does not rule this bug out, but it does mean the remaining fix has not shipped yet. Start from the general no-sound checks instead.
Common questions
- Has Microsoft fixed this?
- Partly, and only on some versions. The out-of-band update of 14 September 2026 — KB5129195 on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, KB5129194 on 26H1 — fixes devices that worked in stereo but went silent in 8-channel or 3D audio modes. Code 10, total silence and unresponsive volume controls are not fixed anywhere; the entry is marked Mitigated rather than Resolved. On Windows 11 26H2 nothing is fixed: KB5129195 does not list 26H2 among the versions it applies to, and the 26H2 known-issue entry has no resolution section, only a statement that Microsoft is working on it.
- Does this affect Bluetooth headsets or my motherboard's audio?
- No. Microsoft states the issue is limited to USB Audio Class 1.0 devices, so Bluetooth and onboard analog outputs are outside the scope of what it has confirmed.
- Will reinstalling the device in Device Manager fix it?
- It was not reported to help. Reporters on Microsoft's Q&A forum tried uninstalling and reinstalling the headset in Device Manager, changing audio enhancement settings, and using a 3.5 mm analog cable, and none of those restored multichannel audio.
- Can I just keep using stereo?
- You can, but check first whether you still need to. If multichannel is the only thing that broke, the 14 September out-of-band update is designed to restore it, so you can go back to 7.1 rather than staying in stereo. If your device shows Code 10 or produces no sound at all, stereo remains the stopgap and is a normal configuration, not something that leaves anything in a bad state.
- Which Windows versions are affected?
- Microsoft's affected-platforms list covers Windows 11 versions 26H2, 26H1, 25H2, 24H2 and 23H2, Windows 10 versions 22H2 and 21H2, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 and 2016, and Windows Server versions from 2012 through 2025. Windows 11 26H2 was added when that version reached general availability on 29 September 2026 and is the one version with no fix available at all.
- My PC just upgraded itself to 26H2 and the headset stopped working. Can I go back?
- Microsoft has not published a workaround for this on 26H2 beyond what is above, and this page does not cover rolling a feature update back, which is a different operation from uninstalling a monthly KB and has its own time limit and consequences. What is documented is that the issue is limited to USB Audio Class 1.0 devices, so check Driver Details for usbaudio.sys first — if your device runs on usbaudio2.sys or a manufacturer driver, this known issue does not describe your fault and the upgrade may not be the cause.
Did this fix work?
If a step is wrong, outdated, or did not help, telling us is the fastest way to get it corrected. Reports are reviewed before new articles.
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Sources
Microsoft · Release notes · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Microsoft's USB audio known issue is marked Mitigated as of 14 September 2026, partially resolved by the out-of-band update, which covers the 8-channel and 3D audio symptom only.
- Symptoms listed are Code 10 in Device Manager, no audio output, unresponsive or zero volume controls, unresponsive sound settings, and failure in multichannel modes.
- The issue is limited to USB Audio Class 1.0 devices.
- Microsoft directs IT administrators needing a workaround for the unaddressed symptoms to Microsoft Support for Business.
- Affected platforms include Windows 11 26H1, 25H2, 24H2 and 23H2, Windows 10 22H2 and 21H2, LTSC 2019 and 2016, and Windows Server 2012 through 2025.
- As of 29 September 2026 the affected-platforms list on this entry begins with Windows 11, version 26H2.
Microsoft · Release notes · checked Sep 30, 2026
- The same USB audio known issue and Mitigated status appear on the Windows 11 25H2 release-health page.
- Some customers reported restoring audio by switching to 2-channel mode, and Microsoft notes that this behaviour is resolved by the 14 September out-of-band update.
Microsoft · Knowledge base · checked Sep 30, 2026
- KB5124008 was released 8 September 2026 producing OS builds 26100.9445 and 26200.9445.
- The KB5124008 article now lists the USB audio failure among its known issues.
Microsoft · Knowledge base · checked Sep 30, 2026
- KB5129195 is a cumulative out-of-band update released 14 September 2026 producing OS builds 26100.9457 and 26200.9457.
- It fixes the case where USB Audio Class 1.0 devices that worked in standard stereo failed when using multichannel audio features.
- It installs automatically through Windows Update and is available standalone from the Microsoft Update Catalog.
Microsoft · Knowledge base · checked Sep 30, 2026
- KB5129194 is the 14 September 2026 out-of-band update carrying the same fixes for Windows 11 version 26H1.
Microsoft · Documentation · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Windows drives USB Audio Class 1.0 devices with the in-box class driver usbaudio.sys, loaded automatically when a device enumerates as USB Audio-compliant.
- USB Audio 2.0 DriversOfficial
Microsoft · Documentation · checked Sep 30, 2026
- USB Audio 2.0 devices are driven by a separate in-box driver, usbaudio2.sys, and a partner-supplied driver overrides the in-box class driver.
- Using Device ManagerOfficial
Microsoft · Documentation · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Device Manager shows a device's status on the General tab and flags a device with a problem using a yellow exclamation point; Driver Details lists the driver files in use.
Microsoft · Support page · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Documents uninstalling a Windows update via Windows Update > More options > Update history > Uninstall updates, and warns to understand the risks before removing a security update and that some updates cannot be uninstalled.
- Pause updates in WindowsOfficial
Microsoft · Support page · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Windows allows pausing updates for up to 35 days from the current date.
Microsoft · Support page · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Documents the Sound control panel route for selecting a playback device and changing its configuration, including opening it with mmsys.cpl.
Microsoft · Release notes · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Windows 11, version 26H2 reached general availability on 29 September 2026 and the page carries a "Current status as of September 29, 2026" banner saying so.
- The USB audio known issue appears on the 26H2 page with status Mitigated and originating update N/A, opened 11 September 2026 and last updated 29 September 2026.
- The 26H2 entry lists four symptoms — Code 10, no audio output, unresponsive or zero volume controls, and unresponsive or unavailable sound settings — and does not list the multichannel/8-channel/3D audio symptom that appears on the 24H2 and 25H2 entries.
- The 26H2 entry has no resolution section and states only "We are working to address this issue in a future Windows update and will provide more information when it is available."
- The issue is limited to USB Audio Class 1.0 devices.
Microsoft Q&A · Forum · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Multiple posters report HyperX Cloud Orbit S headsets losing 7.1 audio after KB5124008; three separately confirm that uninstalling the update restored it.
- One poster confirms that switching to 2-channel mode restores sound and volume control on the affected headset.
- Reinstalling the device in Device Manager did not help, and an advisor stated no solution keeping both the update and working USB 7.1 audio could be confirmed at that time.