Windows 10 update breaks audio for some systems
- Reference: 1661191328
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/08/22/windows_10_update_killing_sound/
- Source link:
[1]KB5015878 , released on July 26, apparently caused some Windows devices to have no audio, while others reported some audio ports malfunctioning, only some audio devices working, or sound only being played by certain applications.
Microsoft says in an update just before the weekend that it has [2]resolved the issue , and presents a few prevention measures for users to try.
[3]
Ultimately, though, Microsoft said that the only way to fix the problem is to use Microsoft's [4]Known Issue Rollback , but with a pretty important – and limiting – caveat: it'll only fix the problem on systems yet to experience it.
[5]
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"This KIR will prevent the issue on Windows devices which have not installed [the update] but will have no effect on devices already affected by this known issue," Microsoft says.
The main problem discovered was with audio device drivers that had "audio enhancements" settings disabled before the installation, and those that had trouble with the audio enhancements feature prior to the update.
[7]Microsoft looks beyond the US with Windows Subsystem for Android
[8]Microsoft brings more Arm64 support and an updated expiry date to Dev Channel Windows
[9]Microsoft tests new features in last year's Windows 10
[10]Want the very latest Windows Insider Dev Channel build? Check your disk space
Those who haven't yet installed the update can use the KIR or update the device drivers. Microsoft also recommends that anyone using advanced audio applications backs up all their settings before installing KB5015878.
If certain apps are affected, Microsoft recommends checking to be sure audio devices aren't being output to the proper sources, and/or reinstalling the affected app. If no audio sources are working, Microsoft suggests users try the Windows troubleshooter along with disabling audio enhancements in Windows.
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In short, if you still haven't deployed this update, which was issued in late July for client versions of Windows 10, you may be in luck; otherwise, expect potential trouble.
Microsoft's past few Windows updates have introduced a whole host of problems. On the day the audio-breaking Windows 10 update was released, The Register reported that the [12]previous update , [13]KB5015807 , issued July 12, caused problems with printing on both Windows 10 workstations and Servers.
Microsoft had a workaround for that problem too – look for and delete duplicate printers – but as of release notes released on [14]August 9 , the problem is still present and being investigated. A security update released the same day brought [15]an additional issue : Windows users were being sent into BitLocker Recovery and told to input a key to get past the locked boot screen.
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Microsoft has [17]confirmed the BitLocker [18]update issue , and said it's only affecting Windows 11 users. For now, Microsoft is warning all BitLocker users to disable the service prior to installing the update. ®
Get our [19]Tech Resources
[1] https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/july-26-2022-kb5015878-os-builds-19042-1865-19043-1865-and-19044-1865-preview-549f5551-fcc5-4fee-8811-c5df12e04d40
[2] https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-health/status-windows-10-21h2#2887msgdesc
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YwP8dxDWbHgW5Czd9wD@jQAAAAY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-it-pro-blog/known-issue-rollback-helping-you-keep-windows-devices-protected/ba-p/2176831
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YwP8dxDWbHgW5Czd9wD@jQAAAAY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YwP8dxDWbHgW5Czd9wD@jQAAAAY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/19/wsa_japan/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/18/windows_insider_arm/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/16/windows_10_21h2_update/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/11/want_the_very_latest_windows/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YwP8dxDWbHgW5Czd9wD@jQAAAAY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/july-12-2022-kb5015807-os-builds-19042-1826-19043-1826-and-19044-1826-8c8ea8fe-ec83-467d-86fb-a2f48a85eb41
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/26/windows_10_printer_bork/
[14] https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/august-9-2022-kb5016616-os-builds-19042-1889-19043-1889-and-19044-1889-67412989-3b5f-4443-89b4-f743382ab970
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/15/bitlocker_microsoft/
[16] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YwP8dxDWbHgW5Czd9wD@jQAAAAY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[17] https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-health/status-windows-11-21h2#2888msgdesc
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/15/bitlocker_microsoft/
[19] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Printers
Windows., such a stable OS :-/
I really like the totality of the fix, which is basically... on a per app basis or system wide affliction it might or might not happen and if or when it does you may or may not be able to fix it. So concrete!
Would it not be easier to only report when a Windows update DOESN'T break something?
RE: Win10 updates
Since, say, very late Win7, my Windows installations only began breaking with the discovery / mitigation attempts on PrintNightmare. Before then, breaking something in general with an update was an astonishingly rare occurrence for me, hasn't happened in many years. An update may have required a corresponding update to some affected app which was the reason for the Windows patch in the first place, but otherwise having subsystem failures? Hasn't happened in a long time.
LOL!
This is making Pulseaudio look like a great design
The Pulseaudio author is now at Microsoft
Having infected Linux with Pulseaudio and systemd, Lennart Poettering has joined Microsoft.
This might explain the recent problems !!!!!
[1]7.7.22 : Systemd supremo Lennart Poettering leaves Red Hat for Microsoft
(For anyone who didn't know - he also developed Pulse Audio, and described it as ""the software that currently breaks your audio"")
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/07/lennart_poettering_red_hat_microsoft/
"Microsoft has confirmed the BitLocker update issue, and said it's only affecting Windows 11 users. For now, Microsoft is warning all BitLocker users to disable the service prior to installing the update."
How is Mr. or Mrs. Average User meant to know thing like this?
And I thought updates were automated, ie not user selectable?
Printers
It's true, my Win10 workstation lost the ability to print *twice* after recent updates. For me the solution was a full rebuild of the printer installations - remove the printers, the ports and the drivers, then a full reinstall. The problem was that some print drivers do not want to uninstall, with an "In use" error, which turned out to be (after a dig-dug through the registry) that some print drivers install x86 and x64 versions of themselves. Removing the printer removed one version of the driver but not the other (usually leaving the x64), thereby causing the deletion hang.
Yes, I know, my decades-long history of hacking the Registry allowed me to fix it and I'll agree, that isn't a solution for all but the hardest-core, and shouldn't be needed in the first place. But, after much detective work, it works.
The problem seems to be old drivers; once everything was updated and synchronized (the various thermal label printers are direct USB-connected) it all works now. But a lot of people will / would / are tearing their hair out over this.