Microsoft has been rolling out Windows 11 22H2 – Windows 11 2022 Update – since last week. While plenty of users are starting to receive the update, a subset of users with Intel PCs cannot get it. Microsoft says it is blocking the update for devices with the Intel SST Audio controller.
It seems Windows 11 2022 Update is not playing nicely with this driver and is causing Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors.
Microsoft has confirmed the issue and says anybody affected will be unable to install Windows 11 22H2. Moreover, users with Windows 10 are also included in the block. Microsoft points out this issue affects all hardware regardless of the operating system.
In its support document, Microsoft says the driver IntcAudioBus.sys running file versions older than 10.29.0.5152 or 10.30.0.5152 are causing the compatibility problem.
Users can check their situation with Intel SST Audio by heading to the Device Manager on their Windows PC (searching Device Manager is the fastest path). In the manager, search for hardware with the “Intel” branding and then the “Smart Sound Technology (Intel® SST) Audio Controller”.
Affected Driver
If you are unfamiliar with this driver, it manages voice commands and music playback on Atom and Core CPUs. Microsoft says it is specifically blocking any hardware that is running the above versions of the driver.
Microsoft has not said anything about providing ways to avoid this issue and is simply blocking Windows 11 2022 Update instead. However, there are updated versions of the driver which will mitigate the issue. The availability of those updates will depend on your OEM.
Tip of the day: For the most part, Windows apps are stable, but they can still be still thrown out of whack by updates or configuration issues. Many boot their PC to find their Microsoft Store isn't working or their Windows apps aren't opening. Luckily Windows 11 and Windows 10 have an automatic repair feature for apps that can resolve such issues.
