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No sound from USB headset or speakers after Windows update KB5124008

If sound from USB speakers, a headset or an external sound card disappeared after September 8, 2026, your device is most likely fine. The Windows security update KB5124008 broke part of the USB audio devices: they fail to start or stay silent. Install the latest Windows updates first - the fix released on September 14 brings back surround modes (5.1 and 3D). If the device is completely silent, switch it to plain stereo mode: that helps many people while Microsoft finishes the full fix.

Microsoft has confirmed this problem on its official known issues page ↗

Why this happens

  • On September 8, 2026 Microsoft released security update KB5124008 (a KB number is simply the name an update goes by in the installed updates list).
  • After it, some USB audio devices stopped starting. The bug hits devices built on the USB Audio Class 1.0 standard - many simple speakers, headsets and external sound cards that need no driver of their own run on it.
  • It is not your device failing and not a virus - on another computer without this update the same device plays fine.

Quick checks first

1Sound died after September 8, 2026

Everything played before that date, and the silence started right after an update. To be sure, open Settings → Windows Update → Update history and look for KB5124008 in the list.

2The silent device is USB

Speakers, a headset or an external sound card plugged into a USB port. Built-in laptop speakers are not affected by this bug - if those went silent, it is a different problem.

3Code 10 in Device Manager

Device Manager (the list of all hardware in your computer - right-click the Start button to open it) may show “This device cannot start (Code 10)” on the audio device.

4Or: plain sound works, surround does not

Some devices keep playing in ordinary stereo but fail in surround modes - 5.1, 7.1 or 3D audio. That is the same bug, and this exact part is already fixed by the September 14 update.

If your case matches, the fixes below are about Windows itself, not about the driver. If sound is gone but nothing above fits - the update is probably not your story, and the usual checks apply; start with the general no-sound guide on our Troubleshooting page.

Fixing it manually

Install the Windows updates

  1. Start → Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates.
  2. Install everything offered and restart. The fix released on September 14 (KB5129195) restores surround sound; Microsoft ships the remaining repairs the same way.

Switch the device to stereo (2 channels)

  1. Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar → Sound settings → select your USB device.
  2. Open its properties and set the format to 2 channel stereo (on older Windows: speaker icon → Sounds → Playback → your device → Configure → Stereo).
  3. Microsoft confirms many devices come back to life in plain stereo while the full fix is pending.

Check the volume on the device itself

  1. On some affected devices the volume control stops responding and sits at zero.
  2. After switching to stereo, move the volume both on the device and in Windows - one of the two may have been stuck.

Don't reinstall the driver in circles

  1. This bug lives inside Windows, not in the driver - removing and reinstalling the driver changes nothing here.
  2. USB Audio Class devices run on the driver built into Windows, so there is no manufacturer's driver to swap in.

If nothing helped - wait for the full fix

  1. Microsoft writes that it is still working on the remaining cases (device not starting, Code 10).
  2. Keep an eye on Windows Update - the repair will arrive there, no action needed beyond installing it.
  3. Removing update KB5124008 would bring sound back, but it also removes security fixes, so we do not recommend it.

Know the exact device model?

If your case turned out not to be the September update (the sound died at some other time, or the device is not USB), the usual driver path applies: search the audio driver database by device name or Hardware ID.

To see what Windows thinks of the device: Device Manager → Sound, video and game controllers → your USB device → Properties. The General tab shows the Code 10 error if there is one; Details → Hardware Ids shows the device ID (USB audio devices start with USB\VID_...).

Try for example: USB audio device · read the Hardware ID guide · or browse the driver category

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Frequently asked questions

▸Is my headset or sound card broken?

No. If sound disappeared right after a Windows update, the device itself is fine. To be sure, plug it into a phone or another computer - it will play.

▸Can I uninstall update KB5124008 to get sound back?

Technically yes, but we advise against it: the update closes security holes in Windows. Stereo mode as a stopgap plus waiting for the full fix is the safer road.

▸Will a new driver from the manufacturer help?

Not for this bug. The break is inside Windows itself, and USB Audio Class devices run on the driver built into Windows. If your sound died in some other way - not after the September update - go through our general guide “No sound on Windows” instead.

▸Which Windows versions are affected?

Windows 11 (versions 23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H1 and the new 26H2) and Windows 10 (21H2 and 22H2). The fix path is the same everywhere: install the latest updates. Upgrading to 26H2 does not remove the bug.

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