Windows 11 24H2 breaks audio and Auto HDR, update blocked on affected PCs

As we head towards the end of the year, the Windows 11 24H2 update from October is still causing trouble for users. Microsoft has confirmed two new problems, and according to Neowin, one of them breaks audio output and the other breaks Auto HDR.

The audio issue occurs on computers “from one manufacturer” (Microsoft didn’t elaborate further on which manufacturer) with Dirac Audio and the cridspapo.dll, which processes audio for improved clarity and precision. The bug causes Windows 11 to no longer be able to output sound to integrated speakers, Bluetooth speakers, headsets, and other audio devices. There’s currently no workaround for those affected.

The other confirmed issue involves a bug in Auto HDR, a Windows 11 system feature that automatically converts SDR visuals to HDR for an improved experience. This bug causes glitches ranging from incorrect colors to full-blown crashes, and the only workaround at the moment is to disable the Auto HDR feature altogether.

Microsoft has since blocked the availability of Windows 11 24H2 on all affected systems, and the block will be lifted once the bugs are fixed.

You can learn more about these issues by checking out Microsoft’s official support notices: “Some devices that have Dirac Audio with cridspapo.dll might lose audio output” and “Auto HDR might cause games to stop responding or display incorrect colors.“

This isn’t the first time the Windows 11 24H2 update has been blocked for certain PCs, nor is it the first time gamers have run into problems after updating to Windows 11 24H2. If you’ve been blocked from updating, the silver lining is that you’re better off waiting several months for all the kinks to get ironed out before making the jump.

Further reading: What you need to know about Windows 11 24H2