I’ve had zero issues with window updates now for years.
I update outside working hours and keep fully up to date and have nothing that’s caused issues.
Major updates can mean some software needs re authorising and sometimes power settings get re set to bablanced , but thats only the Major revisions.
M
Thanks for the heads up about Windows 24H2. Always good to hear real-world experiences before diving into an update. Appreciate you sharing the warning about recovery files getting deleted. Better safe than sorry with DAW systems.
haha. They’re not that bad.
What motherboard did you go with for the 9950x? Seems the newer x870e ones have various issues (and all in different ways). Been looking at the MSI Carbon Wifi but can’t decide if I want the new one (x870e) or the previous x670e. In fact I’m so indecisive about it that it’s the single factor delaying my new build at the moment. I keep scaring myself into rethinking after reading horror stories lol!
Im using my old Asus X670 still that i used when i built as a 7950x machine.
Just a bios update and chip swap to the 9950x.
M
Hi there, I couldn’t agree more and your posting kind of saved my life. I’m not an early adopter of Windows updates, so I waited until last Sat. before I installed 24H2. I’ve got an RME interface as well and, just like you, had to re-install the driver. Which of course is just a 2 minutes task, but then the sh*t really started hitting the fan. Totally erratic behavior of Cubase 13 Pro. While I was editing an AmpleSound instrument, the DAW resigned and vanished into thin air. Then, phase two, it reported a ‘serious problem’ in kernelbase.dll because Cubase ‘has become unstable’, when I tried to open a particular project. Phase three: I wasn’t even able to launch the DAW anymore. After confirmation of the Audio config, it just silently disappeared from the radar. No process running, no traces whatsoever.
I thought it was just one of those Cubase hickups which usually works itself out after a a reboot, but then started to suspect the Windows update and found your post which encouraged me to go back to 23H2 early enough. And it felt like waking up from a nightmare. And I learned my lesson, again.
This might be a configuration related issue. DAW running on ASUS ROG monster with plenty of resources, RME Babyface Pro FS, only mainstream plugins.
Btw. after the update Windows was loading a screen right after login which maundered sth. about dependecies and which would remain in the foreground and not go away without reboot.
Conclusion: 24H2? HANDS OFF.
Glad you found it helpful.
Appears to be people with RME interfaces that have the problem. Glad you could simply roll back the update. I know how relieved I was when it worked again
Thanks Andrew. I’m just not sure though if this can be isolated to users employing RME interfaces. Being an audio pro, I’m not really tech savvy below the application layer, but my understanding is that the driver simply ensures proper communication between the OS and the device. Full RME TotalMix functionality worked fine outside the DAW with 24H2, in my case. Thus, the driver did the job. Having said that, I’m aware that ASIO is also talking directly to the hardware, and we love the latency benefits it provides. But is the issue really just a 24H2 plus RME phenomenon? RME are not known for dragging their feet, thus I assume they would have identified the issue some time ago and published a fix to address it, given the time 24H2 has been around by now. Thanks again for your patience and insights.
I’ve now updated seven audio machines to 24H2. All machines have RME PCIe cards and all machines required a re-install of the RME drivers after the update.
Other than that, the updates have been uneventful.
Kernel drivers run in the kernel, and so can affect most anything in the system. But they also give you the best performance.
Note that RME has released several new updates to their drivers last month and this month. Not sure if you have tried those.
Pete
Microsoft
Yes, I did install the latest RME driver. Time stamp Jan 13, 2025.
My question would be why I need to re-install the audio driver in the first place, after a Windows update? Thanks.
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
FYI, USB to chipset matters a lot. I’m an RME interface user and I’ve experienced problems due to incompatibility, but this extends outside of RME. My Arturia Keylab has had problems with various ports as well. If all else fails, this has been a reliable solution, and apparently recommended by RME as fully compatible.
You have to use that one though with the Fresco Logic FL1100EX chipset. I have it and everything works great with it.
I just saw on tweakers.net (dutch) that this: KB5050094 - January 28, 2025, fixes issues with external usb audio since the latest windows update.
I still haven’t been offered 24H2 on my machine (not totally sure why), but there are lots of reports of 24H2 breaking audio and MIDI device functionality - even with KB5050094. Not just in Cubase, but FL Studio, Ableton and even Reaper.
So for now, I’m happy enough not to have 24H2. There’s a list of issues here:
but no mention of MIDI problems. Maybe folks with broken MIDI devices haven’t reported the problems?
Best solution this time is to stay on 23H2
Can’t agree. Been working flawlessly here for weeks of daily use.
yep ,me too. 24H2 working like a dream here day in day out.
M
Good for you 
However, if that would be the case for everyone, this thread wouldn’t exist. What’s your DAW and version, HW it’s running on, and audio interface? Thanks in advance.
For everyone else who wants to avoid the 24H2 install for now: I have edited the group policy on my Win Pro machine to set the target release to 23H2. Living in peace now. (Windows Home → regedit as Home has no group policy)
AMD 9950x 64GB DDR 5 RME UFX III
Windows 11 24H2
Cubase 14 latest
M