Microsoft admits January's Windows Update broke USB Digital to Audio Convertor
(2025/01/28)
- Reference: 1738075515
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/01/28/microsoft_admits_to_usb_digital/
- Source link:
The list of known issues in the Windows January 14 update continues to grow with USB audio device users the latest to be hit.
2025 is not going well for Microsoft and its regular Windows update. Shortly after the release of the security update, [1]KB5050009 , the company admitted to [2]issues with Citrix Session Recording software. The latest admission is related to USB audio, where playback might not work and an error message is shown in the Window Device Manager.
The error displayed is: "This device cannot start. (Code 10) Insufficient system resources exist to complete the API."
[3]
The problem is due to the use of a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) in a user's audio set-up.
[4]
[5]
According to Microsoft, "You are more likely to experience this issue if you are using a USB 1.0 audio driver based DAC in your audio setup."
A customer might use a DAC to improve the quality of their audio systems. Microsoft gave the example of home audio systems, professional music studios, and portable music players as use cases.
[6]
The solution? Don't use an audio DAC in the connection process. Instead, directly plug the audio device into the PC. This is a less-than-ideal solution for the average audiophile. There are very good reasons why a user would want to send audio through a dedicated external DAC rather than make do with what is built into the device. Sound clarity and overall audio performance are markedly improved.
The problem is that the January 14 update is a security update, and Microsoft, the company that gave us [7]that Windows error sound , does not want its users to avoid the update.
[8]Six vulnerabilities in ubiquitous rsync tool announced and fixed in a day
[9]Windows Patch Tuesday hits snag with Citrix software, workarounds published
[10]Microsoft adds another problem to the Windows 11 24H2 naughty list
[11]Windows 11 24H2 rolls out to more devices – with a growing list of known issues
It isn't just Windows 11 24H2 affected. Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2 ( [12]KB5050021 ) have the same known issue, as does Windows 10 ( [13]KB5049981 .)
Besides avoiding using an external DAC, Microsoft does not have much advice for affected users, saying only, "We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release."
In the meantime, audiophiles seeking clarity but instead receiving silence will need to get used to a degraded audio experience while Microsoft deals with the problem introduced by the update. ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/january-14-2025-kb5050009-os-build-26100-2894-bdbfb097-ea20-487d-9171-718d15e26f1b
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/15/windows_patch_tuesday_citrix/
[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=2Z5kNOMygvuGLPPoY0qjoogAAAhQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] 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=44Z5kNOMygvuGLPPoY0qjoogAAAhQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] 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=33Z5kNOMygvuGLPPoY0qjoogAAAhQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%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=4&c=44Z5kNOMygvuGLPPoY0qjoogAAAhQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0lhhrUuw2N8
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/17/rsync_vulnerabilities/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/15/windows_patch_tuesday_citrix/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/27/microsoft_windows_11_security_update/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/05/microsoft_windows_roll_out/
[12] https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/january-14-2025-kb5050021-os-builds-22621-4751-and-22631-4751-0dabc772-4925-4d47-97c4-a792adb1e6d9
[13] https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/january-14-2025-kb5049981-os-builds-19044-5371-and-19045-5371-12f3788f-6e7d-4524-8ab3-27d1666e0510
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
2025 is not going well for Microsoft and its regular Windows update. Shortly after the release of the security update, [1]KB5050009 , the company admitted to [2]issues with Citrix Session Recording software. The latest admission is related to USB audio, where playback might not work and an error message is shown in the Window Device Manager.
The error displayed is: "This device cannot start. (Code 10) Insufficient system resources exist to complete the API."
[3]
The problem is due to the use of a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) in a user's audio set-up.
[4]
[5]
According to Microsoft, "You are more likely to experience this issue if you are using a USB 1.0 audio driver based DAC in your audio setup."
A customer might use a DAC to improve the quality of their audio systems. Microsoft gave the example of home audio systems, professional music studios, and portable music players as use cases.
[6]
The solution? Don't use an audio DAC in the connection process. Instead, directly plug the audio device into the PC. This is a less-than-ideal solution for the average audiophile. There are very good reasons why a user would want to send audio through a dedicated external DAC rather than make do with what is built into the device. Sound clarity and overall audio performance are markedly improved.
The problem is that the January 14 update is a security update, and Microsoft, the company that gave us [7]that Windows error sound , does not want its users to avoid the update.
[8]Six vulnerabilities in ubiquitous rsync tool announced and fixed in a day
[9]Windows Patch Tuesday hits snag with Citrix software, workarounds published
[10]Microsoft adds another problem to the Windows 11 24H2 naughty list
[11]Windows 11 24H2 rolls out to more devices – with a growing list of known issues
It isn't just Windows 11 24H2 affected. Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2 ( [12]KB5050021 ) have the same known issue, as does Windows 10 ( [13]KB5049981 .)
Besides avoiding using an external DAC, Microsoft does not have much advice for affected users, saying only, "We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release."
In the meantime, audiophiles seeking clarity but instead receiving silence will need to get used to a degraded audio experience while Microsoft deals with the problem introduced by the update. ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/january-14-2025-kb5050009-os-build-26100-2894-bdbfb097-ea20-487d-9171-718d15e26f1b
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/15/windows_patch_tuesday_citrix/
[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=2Z5kNOMygvuGLPPoY0qjoogAAAhQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] 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=44Z5kNOMygvuGLPPoY0qjoogAAAhQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] 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=33Z5kNOMygvuGLPPoY0qjoogAAAhQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%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=4&c=44Z5kNOMygvuGLPPoY0qjoogAAAhQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0lhhrUuw2N8
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/17/rsync_vulnerabilities/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/15/windows_patch_tuesday_citrix/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/27/microsoft_windows_11_security_update/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/05/microsoft_windows_roll_out/
[12] https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/january-14-2025-kb5050021-os-builds-22621-4751-and-22631-4751-0dabc772-4925-4d47-97c4-a792adb1e6d9
[13] https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/january-14-2025-kb5049981-os-builds-19044-5371-and-19045-5371-12f3788f-6e7d-4524-8ab3-27d1666e0510
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Just another reason NOT to upgrade to Win11 then...
Spazturtle
Linux updates can't break audio because Linux has never had properly working audio to begin with, you do get to pick your own flavour of pain though which is nice (ALSA, PulseAudio, JACK or PipeWire).
Re: Just another reason NOT to upgrade to Win11 then...
cyberdemon
Nothing wrong with PulseAudio for my (desktop/music listening/games) uses, it works very well
I would only consider PipeWire for low-latency audio production/performance stuff
Every day that passes
Omnipresent
I'm more and more glad my pc is not connected to the interwebz.
Not that it doesn't try, it will sit and spin for hours trying...
lmao
Paul Herber
Audiophiles? USB? USB with that genuine valve sound. That's USB-Class-A.
IvyKing
If that's the case, then USB-Class-C must really terrible sound.
Andy Mac
In Redmond, no-one can hear anything, because they all have their fingers in their ears and are singing “la la la, I can’t hearrr youuuu!”
Just another reason NOT to upgrade to Win11 then...
Except this update breaks things in Win10 too...
Well.... Linux it is then...