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KB5124010 audio crash. Microsoft has confirmed an issue with the optional update KB5124010, released on September 22. Some applications that utilize AC-3 (Dolby Digital) audio decoding via Windows may close unexpectedly.
The defect affects Windows 11 versions 24H2, 25H2, and 26H2. Update KB5124010 introduced an error in the AC-3 audio decoding component: applications relying on this feature integrated into Windows may freeze suddenly, sometimes at startup and other times during specific actions such as music playback.
KB5124010 audio crash: why it matters
Microsoft acknowledged the issue on the official page dedicated to the health status of Windows 11 releases, with an update dated October 2. The affected build number is 26300.9550, corresponding to the optional update KB5124010 distributed on September 22, 2026.
Being an optional update, it is not downloaded and installed automatically via Windows Update. Users who have not yet applied it can therefore ignore it while waiting for a fix in the next mandatory update, likely scheduled for Patch Tuesday on October 13.
The symptoms reported by users are not uniform. Some applications freeze immediately at startup, while others function normally until specific features related to audio management are used. Among the categories of software potentially affected, Microsoft cites games, media players, and some productivity applications.
The defective component is the AC-3 decoding module integrated into Windows, a layer that older applications use directly without including their own audio library. Most modern software has long since incorporated its own decoders and therefore is not affected by the bug.
What changes and what are the effects
At present, no official workarounds are available. Microsoft has not provided automatic rollback tools for consumer users, limiting itself to announcing that a fix will arrive with a future update, without specifying further details. For those who have already installed KB5124010 and experience repeated crashes, the only concrete solution is to manually uninstall the update from the Windows Update history section.
The AC-3 issue adds to a list of open problems on Windows 11 26H2 that includes, among others, a malfunction in USB Audio Class 1.0 devices and a loss of secure channel with Active Directory domains on devices with Credential Guard. The first two issues have meanwhile been mitigated via a Known Issue Rollback; the same approach has not yet been adopted for the AC-3 issue.
Source and further reading on KB5124010 audio crash: original article.
* Content created with the assistance of artificial intelligence systems.