How to fix audio after applying system update (KB5015878) on Windows 10
On July 26, Microsoft released the non-security update KB5015878 (opens in new tab) as a preview, and on August 9th the update was released as security update KB5016616 (opens in new tab)for devices running Windows 10 versions 21H2, 21H1 and 20H2 on the stable channel. However, it seems that the update didn’t roll out as expected, with users complaining about audio issues shortly after the release.
The company has already acknowledged the problem (opens in new tab) and explains that after installing KB5015878 or newer updates (e.g. KB5016616) audio may not fully work on some devices, no sound on certain ports or no sound on certain applications. According to the Health Dashboard website, the issue affects computers if the Audio Enhancements setting is disabled prior to installing the update or the audio drive has issues with the Audio Enhancements feature.
To prevent the problem from spreading, the software giant has already applied Known Issue Rollback (KIR). (opens in new tab) system to undo the changes. In this case, however, the rollback system prevents the faulty update from affecting other devices, not computers that already have the KB5015878 update or later versions installed.
If you have a device that is affected by this update, Microsoft provides some workarounds to mitigate the issue on Windows 10 (opens in new tab).
How to fix audio issues after installing update KB5015878
In case the audio is not working after applying the latest Windows 10 update, you can use some workarounds to mitigate the problem.
Update the audio driver
If the computer didn’t install the failed update, use these steps:
- Open settings.
- Click on Updates & Security.
- Click on windows update.
- press the View optional updates Possibility.
- press the driver updates Attitude.
- Select the audio driver update from the list (if applicable).
- press the Download and install Button.
Once you complete the steps, the update will be downloaded and installed automatically to avoid audio issues with KB5015878 update.
If there are no audio driver updates, check the device manufacturer’s support website for a newer driver and follow their instructions to update the device.
Microsoft also recommends backing up the audio settings for computers running advanced audio applications (e.g. Open Broadcaster Software (OBS)) before upgrading.
Reconfigure the audio settings
If the KB5015878 update only affects some applications, the bug may have corrupted the audio settings.
To resolve this issue, you must reconfigure the application’s default audio settings to point to the correct audio endpoint.
Each application has different settings, but usually you need to do the following:
- open that apartment.
- Open the app settings (or preferences).
- open that Audio the settings.
- Change the default settings to correct the audio device.
- Save the settings (if applicable).
After completing the steps, you may need to repeat the steps to fix the problem in the other apps.
If the application already has the correct settings, the app may cache the Windows Multimedia Device (MMDevice) ID. If this is the case, you may need to reinstall the app or contact the app developer for assistance.
Troubleshooting audio settings
If the audio problem occurs in all applications, you can fix the problem with the sound troubleshooter or turn off the audio enhancement settings.
To run the audio troubleshooter on Windows 10, follow the steps below:
- Open settings.
- Click on Updates & Security.
- Click on Troubleshooting.
- press the “Additional Bug Fixes” Possibility.
- In the Getting Started section, click the play audio Possibility.
- press the Run the troubleshooter Button.
- Proceed with the on-screen instructions (if applicable).
Once you complete the steps, the audio should work normally again.
If the problem persistsyou may need to disable audio enhancement settings with these steps:
- Open settings.
- Click on system.
- Click on sound.
- Under the Output section, click the device properties Possibility.
- In the Related Settings section, click the “Additional device properties” Possibility.
- press the improvements Tab.
- Check the “Disable all extensions” Possibility.
- press the Apply Button.
- press the OK Button.
After completing the steps, the audio should be working again on Windows 10.
Uninstall the update
Alternatively, you can try uninstalling the update to mitigate the issue until there is a permanent solution.
To uninstall update KB5015878 (or KB5016616) on Windows 10, follow these steps:
- Open settings.
- Click on Updates & Security.
- Click on windows update.
- press the View update history Possibility.
- press the Uninstall updates Possibility.
- Select update KB5015878 or KB5016616 and click on it Uninstall Button.
- press the Yes Button.
- press the Restart now Button.
Once the computer restarts, the update will be removed, which will fix the Windows 10 audio issue.
You might also want to open settings > Updates & Security > windows update and click the “Pause updates for 7 days” Option to prevent potentially installing the same update again.
Although using a computer without updates is not recommended, it is also possible to disable Windows Update (opens in new tab) Use Local Group Policy Editor and Registry.
More resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to frequently asked questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, see the following resources: