How to Fix USB Audio Devices Not Working or No Sound in Windows 11

What Microsoft says about the USB audio problem

Microsoft lists this as a known issue for Windows 11, versions 24H2 and 25H2. After KB5124008, some USB Audio Class 1.0 devices might fail to start, produce no audio, or have unresponsive volume and sound settings. Some devices work in stereo (sound through two speakers) but fail in 8-channel (surround sound) or 3D audio modes.

Microsoft lists this issue as Mitigated on its Windows 11 25H2 release health page (as of November 5, 2026). Check that page for what Microsoft means by Mitigated.

Windows 11, version 23H2 has its own update for the same multichannel problem, KB5129242. Microsoft notes that update does not resolve the other audio symptoms either. Details can change while Microsoft works on a full fix, so check the Windows 11 25H2 release health page for the current status.

Which symptoms point to this issue

Compare what you see with this list before you start. Microsoft names each symptom below as part of this known issue:

• Device Manager shows “This device cannot start (Code 10)” for the USB audio device.
• The device is connected but produces no audio.
• The volume controls and sound settings do not respond.
• The device works in stereo but fails in 8-channel or 3D audio modes.

Microsoft’s notes do not say how many devices are affected or name specific brands. If your device does not state which USB Audio Class it uses, check the manufacturer’s documentation. If the documentation does not say, you cannot confirm it from Windows alone. The steps below are still worth running, because most of them also fix ordinary USB audio faults.

Fix USB audio devices not working in 🪟 Windows 11

These steps fix a USB audio device not working or giving no sound in Windows 11, starting with the quickest checks and ending with the last-resort options. Steps that need administrator privileges are flagged. All editions of Windows 11, including Home and Pro, use the same steps.

1. Unplug the USB audio device and plug it back in. Use a port directly on the PC, not a hub or a monitor’s USB port. Try a different port if the first one fails.

   

2. Restart the🔄 PC. Select Start › Power › Restart. A restart reloads the audio services and the device driver, which clears some start-up faults.
3. Test the device on another computer. If it fails there too, the device, cable or port is likely at fault and Windows settings⚙️ will not help. If it works there, continue.
4. Open Settings⚙️. Press Win+I.

   

5. Select System, then Sound. The path is Settings › System › Sound. The page lists your output and input devices.

   

6. Choose your USB device under Output. If it appears, select it and confirm the volume slider is above zero and the device is not muted. This is the same default device setting covered in how to change the default sound output device in Windows 11. If the device is not listed at all, go on to the next steps.

   

7. Play a sound and watch the volume slider. If audio plays, you are done. If the slider will not move or the Sound page does not respond, that matches the known issue, so keep going.
8. Open Device Manager. Right-click Start and select Device Manager. Device Manager lists every piece of hardware and shows whether Windows can start it.

   

9. Expand Audio inputs and outputs and Sound, video and game controllers. Look for your USB device. A yellow warning triangle on its icon means Windows could not start it.
10. Double-click the device and read Device status. The General tab shows the message. “This device cannot start (Code 10)” matches the known issue after KB5124008, though Code 10 can have other causes.
11. Open Windows Update🔃. Go to Settings › Windows Update🔃. This step installs the fix Microsoft has already released.
12. Select Check for updates🔃. Install everything offered, including KB5129195 on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 (or KB5129242 on 23H2). Select Restart now when prompted. Administrator privileges are required to install updates🔃.

    

13. Test the device again. If surround or 3D audio now works but stereo output is still silent or Code 10 remains, continue. Microsoft says the update does not fix the other symptoms.
14. Open the classic Sound dialog. In Settings › System › Sound, scroll to the Advanced section and select More sound settings. A window titled Sound opens. The label can vary slightly between Windows 11 versions.

    

15. Select the Playback tab and click your USB device. If the device is missing, right-click the empty space in the list and select Show Disabled Devices. A disabled device appears greyed out. Right-click it and select Enable.

    

16. Click Properties, then open the Advanced tab. The Default Format list shows the sample rate and bit depth, and for some devices the number of channels. The article on changing the audio format of a sound device explains the list in more detail.
17. Choose a 2 channel format. Pick an entry that begins with “2 channel”, then select Apply and OK. Some users restored audio by switching to 2-channel mode. If the list shows no channel counts, select the device, click Configure, choose Stereo and complete the wizard.
18. Turn off spatial sound if the device offers it. In the device’s Properties, open the Spatial sound tab, if present, and set the format to Off. The tab does not appear for every device.
19. Play a sound to test. Stereo audio returning confirms the multichannel or 3D mode caused the failure. Leave the device in 2-channel mode until Microsoft releases a fuller fix.
20. Uninstall the device in Device Manager. This forces Windows to rebuild its driver entry. Administrator privileges are required. Right-click the device in Device Manager, select Uninstall device, and confirm. Leave any “attempt to remove the driver” box cleared.
21. Unplug the device and restart the🔄 PC. Plug the device back in once Windows loads. Windows detects it and installs a driver again. Check Device Manager to see whether the warning triangle is gone.
22. Install the💿 manufacturer’s driver if your device has one. Download it⬇️ from the maker’s support site. This applies to devices with their own control software, such as audio interfaces. It does not apply to plain class-compliant headsets.

If none of these steps restores sound and Device Manager still shows Code 10, the last option is to remove the September update (KB5124008). Microsoft’s notes link the symptoms to that update, but they do not say it is the only cause. Read the warning in the next section first.

Last resort: remove the September security update

1. Open Windows Update🔃 settings. Go to Settings › Windows Update🔃.
2. Select Update history. The page lists recently installed updates.
3. Scroll to Related settings and select Uninstall updates. A list of installed updates opens.
4. Select KB5124008 and click Uninstall. Confirm the prompt, then restart. If KB5124008 is not listed, it may have been replaced by a newer cumulative update, and you cannot remove it from this list.

If Windows reinstalls the update, go to Settings › Windows Update and use the pause option to hold updates for a short time. Check the release health page before resuming, so you do not reinstall an update that still breaks the device.

Why the device might not appear at all

A USB audio device that is missing from both Settings and Device Manager is a different problem from Code 10. Check these causes:

• The port or cable is faulty. Try another port and another cable. Charge-only cables carry power but no data, so the device never registers.
• The device is disabled. Playback devices that are disabled stay hidden in the Sound dialog until you choose Show Disabled Devices.
• A USB hub (a splitter that adds extra ports) is not supplying enough power. Connect the device directly to the PC.
• Windows picked a different output. The device may be present but not set as the default. The steps above show where to change that.

For a broader checklist that covers built-in speakers, Bluetooth and HDMI as well as USB, see Windows 11 sound not working: 9 ways to fix audio issues. See what to do when your Windows 11 PC has no audio as well.

If only the microphone fails

A USB headset reports its speakers and microphone as two separate devices. Output can work while input stays silent, or the reverse. Use Windows 11 microphone not working: 8 ways to fix audio input issues for input faults. To choose between several inputs, see how to manage audio input devices in Windows 11.

Microsoft’s known issue describes output, volume controls and multichannel modes, and does not mention microphones, so treat a silent microphone as a separate fault until you know otherwise.

How to undo the changes

Each change in this guide can be reversed:

• 2-channel formatReturn to the Sound dialog, open the device’s Properties › Advanced tab, and pick the original format in Default Format. Do this after Microsoft ships a full fix and you want surround or 3D audio back.
• Uninstalled deviceUnplug the device and plug it in again. Windows reinstalls the driver.
• Removed updateGo to Settings › Windows Update and select Check for updates. Windows offers the update again.
• Disabled or hidden deviceRight-click it in the Playback tab and select Enable or Disable.

What to do next

If the device is still silent, check Windows Update again after the next monthly release, because Microsoft says it is still working on the symptoms that KB5129195 does not cover. Keep the device in 2-channel mode until then, and confirm the current status on the release health page. Read fix sound problems in Windows 11 for a wider set of fixes. how to rename audio devices on Windows 11 helps tell several USB devices apart once sound returns.