"After installing the September 8, 2026, Windows security update, some USB Audio Class 1.0 devices might fail to start or produce audio," Microsoft says in the release notes.
Microsoft issues out-of-band updates on September 14
On September 14, Microsoft released multiple emergency, out-of-band Windows updates to correct Remote Desktop Services (RDS) instability and a set of related issues introduced by this month's security updates. The updates and their target releases are:
- Windows 11 26H1: KB5129194
- Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2: KB5129195
- Windows 10 21H2 and 22H2: KB5129236
- Windows Server 2025: KB5129235
- Windows Server 2022: KB5129237
Microsoft made the Windows 11 26H1 update (KB5129194) available through Windows Update, Windows Update for Business, the Microsoft Update Catalog, and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). The Windows Server fixes are available through the Microsoft Update Catalog.
RDS failures, scope, and origins
The September security updates caused Remote Desktop Services to become unstable on affected systems, producing RDP connection and sign‑in failures and, in some instances, unresponsive servers. Microsoft acknowledged the problem after Windows administrators reported widespread RDS trouble following the September updates.
Microsoft also identified that related components and management tools could stop responding on affected machines, including Microsoft Management Console (MMC), RDS Licensing Diagnoser, File Explorer, and the Windows Update page. For Windows Server 2025 and Windows Server 2022 specifically, the server-side updates address RDS failures introduced by September's KB5122871 (Windows Server 2025) and KB5122882 (Windows Server 2022).
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See what we buildHyper‑V guest sharing and USB multichannel audio fixes — and remaining gaps
The out‑of‑band Windows 11 updates include fixes for a Hyper‑V issue affecting applications that use Host Compute Service (HCS)‑managed virtual machines. Microsoft reported some applications experienced problems when sharing Windows host folders with Linux guests using Plan9: shared folders either did not appear inside the guest environment or became inaccessible.
The updates also address an audio problem affecting some USB Audio Class 1.0 devices when used with multichannel modes, such as 8‑channel and 3D audio. Microsoft says affected devices continued to function in standard stereo mode but could fail when switching to these multichannel configurations.
Microsoft's release notes list the observable symptoms for affected USB Audio Class 1.0 devices: an error in Device Manager reading "This device cannot start (Code 10)"; no audio output; volume controls that are unresponsive or remain at zero; and sound settings that are unresponsive or unavailable. The company explicitly warns that the emergency updates do not resolve all USB audio problems introduced by the September updates and says it is working on a fix for the remaining audio issues.
Group Policy mitigations, uninstall trade‑offs, and administrator actions
Before shipping permanent fixes, Microsoft provided Group Policy mitigations for impacted Windows and Windows Server systems. Administrators reported that removing the September security updates restored Remote Desktop functionality, but doing so also removed the security fixes those updates contained. That trade‑off — operational recovery versus loss of security patches — framed earlier mitigation decisions and will shape how teams deploy the out‑of‑band updates.
What this means for Windows administrators, enterprises, and end users
- Windows administrators: deploy the appropriate KB for your release (see KB5129194, KB5129195, KB5129236, KB5129235, KB5129237), test in staging, and monitor RDS, MMC, File Explorer, and RDS Licensing Diagnoser after installation. Use the Microsoft Update Catalog or WSUS channels noted for server builds as needed.
- Enterprises and IT procurement teams: weigh the need for the emergency updates against change windows and update distribution methods; Windows Server fixes are catalog‑only, which may require manual distribution workflows for some environments.
- End users with USB Audio Class 1.0 devices: stereo playback may continue to work, but multichannel or 3D audio modes could still fail. Watch for subsequent Microsoft fixes addressing the remaining audio symptoms.
The immediate outcome is clear: Microsoft pushed out emergency updates to restore Remote Desktop and to correct several high‑impact regressions introduced in the September security release. A residual class of USB audio problems remains, and Microsoft says it is still working on a fix — leaving administrators to balance rapid deployment against testing and the risk of reintroducing other regressions if they roll back security updates.
Original story: Microsoft releases emergency Windows updates to fix RDS failures — BleepingComputer
