Task manager problems, audio driver issues, deleted files, modern apps unable to connect to the internet and, now, no audio. With all the issues piling up following the October 2018 Update, it"s getting hard to keep track of just how many things the update has broken for users.
Hey, @Microsoft ...I just updated Windows 10 with the newest update that came out, and I now apparently have no audio. Is there a way to get the audio back? (I really need audio on my laptop, and my dad and I aren"t sure how to fix it ourselves...)
— Joy Fetters (@joyrachsis6) October 12, 2018
Thanks!
As per Reddit reports and Microsoft"s support forums, the latest victim to the feature update is audio. Some users report a loss of audio while gaming, while others are suffering from a total lack of audio. There are also reports of Windows 10 showing no audio drivers, at all. The issues seem to emanate from the latest Patch Tuesday updates, when Microsoft finally restarted its rollout of the October 2018 Update albeit to the Slow and Release Preview rings.
For users suffering from a lack of audio, a Reddit user does have a potential fix:
- Search for "Device Manager" in the search bar. Go into your Device manager
- Expand "Sound, video and game controllers" and locate any audio driver that has SST in the name.
- Right click on the driver name and select Update Driver
- Select the "browse my computer for driver software" option.
- Select High Definition Audio
- Then, click next.
According to the above guide, SST should now be removed from the name of the audio driver and you should have sound again. However, some users report even installing audio drivers again may not fix the problem.
Initially it said “no audio output device installed” and when I tried to update the drivers it said the computer couldn’t find updated drivers. I have videos I need to watch for my classes so I need sound and idk what to do
— Ben (@captain__benny) October 11, 2018
Microsoft"s support accounts on Twitter have acknowledged the problem, and, hopefully, the company will fix these issues. In the meantime, you may wish to try the above guide and see if it resolves your problems. Another potential, and more advanced, fix can be found here. As always, anything involving mucking around with drivers or changing the registry may involve some risk so do keep that in mind. If you"re still having problems, please comment below, and share any other fixes you may have found for the benefit of other readers.
Update: Microsoft has now acknowledged the issue; the problem arose from Windows Update incorrectly pushing Intel Audio Controller version 9.21.0.3755 to users. Microsoft recommends uninstalling the offending driver in order to fix the problem, and has provided a useful guide here.
Update: Microsoft has now issued a fix via Windows Update that should remedy any audio issues you"re having. The problem arose from installing the Intel Smart Sound Technology driver (version 09.21.00.3755), and the new KB4468550 update from Microsoft should fix it. You can get it by either going to Windows Update and checking for updates, or download it manually using this link.