A Windows Update is a small servicing update for things like security.
23H2 to 24H2 is a Windows Upgrade. When we upgrade from version to version, it’s essentially a reinstall of the operating system and then settings care carried back over. It’s common, for example, to have to reinstall iLok after an upgrade because of how their software and drivers work. It’s also common during an upgrade for unsupported settings to get reverted, etc.
I don’t know in the specific case of RME why reinstall of the driver was necessary, but when you realize you have a whole new OS, it’s not hard to see why it may be.
Pete