Key Takeaways
- ASUS laptops & certain processors are facing BSOD issues due to Windows 11 update.
- Integrated cameras are crashing after update, Windows Hello failing.
- Easy Anti-Cheat on Intel 12th Gen CPUs & Intel SmartSound drivers are also affected.
- A Subset of Western Digital NVME SSDs are affected as well.
Sometimes, some Windows updates make you think you’re better off without the updates. One of the major update rollouts, version 24H2, has been causing severe issues in several places, so much so that some users have reported BSODs. Here are some of the more common problems and how to fix them.
ASUS Laptops and Certain Processor Configurations Are at Risk
Two budget laptops from ASUS, the X415KA and X515KA, have been hit with BSOD problems after the Windows 11 24H2 update. However, the problem isn’t limited to ASUS machines, although they were the first ones to report the issue. It has popped up on several other systems, primarily due to a firmware conflict.
Machines running the Intel Celeron N4500 and Intel Pentium Silver N6000 processors are also experiencing a similar BSOD. While these chips won’t make the list of best CPUs for 2024, they’re present in many entry-level and student machines, making this a pretty aggravating situation.
Potential Fixes
ASUS has advised its users that it’s waiting on a firmware update before they can update their Windows machines without the BSOD happening. If you’ve already installed the update, you may want to roll it back using System Restore (if possible).
If you haven’t updated, you should avoid doing so until that firmware fix from ASUS comes through. Ideally, you should pause your Windows Updates so you don’t accidentally update automatically.
Integrated Cameras Stuttering and Crashing
If you own a laptop, chances are that you have an integrated camera system. The Windows 11 24H2 update causes those camera apps to freeze and crash out. Microsoft’s support forum has highlighted several of these issues including:
- When an app accesses the camera, the entire operating system hangs.
- Using Windows Hello for authentication fails completely.
- Any third-party facial recognition system may either cause the OS to hang or blue-screen immediately.
Potential Fixes
If you’re using Windows Hello to log in, consider using something else, at least temporarily. Windows 11 offers several ways to log in, including a password or a PIN system. If you forget your Windows PIN because you haven’t used it in a while, there are ways to reset it so you can get into your system.
If you’re using facial recognition on your laptop, it’s better to disable it temporarily. To do this, navigate to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in Options. Under Face Recognition (Windows Hello), you should see Remove to disable the feature temporarily. You can set it back up afterward.
If all else fails, you can use Windows Restore to roll back to a previous version, provided you have a backup.
Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) Conflicts
Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) has had its issues with Linux, but this Windows update is also not being very nice to it. Systems running Intel’s Alder Lake (12th Gen) processors and those with vPro technology are being affected. At the moment, games like Fortnite, Call of Duty, and iRacing use EAC, so if you play those games, updating to the latest Windows version might not be a good idea.
Potential Fixes
While EAC has yet to update any known fixes, updating to the latest version might help. Getting rid of EAC is not an option, especially if you’re a gamer, since you won’t be able to play online without it. However, it’s a good chance that your system isn’t even affected.
To verify your system is affected, keep an eye out for an error message from the BSOD if it pops up. This issue affects your system if the message contains “MEMORY_MANAGEMENT” as part of the stop code. Ideally, using Windows 11 System Restore to roll back to an earlier version is the best way to deal with this.
Intel SmartSound Technology Drivers
The Windows 11 24H2 update has also caused issues in Intel’s SmartSound technology (SST), specifically in IntcAudioBus.sys driver. The SST driver deals with audio processing on Intel’s Core and Atom processors. Luckily, not all SST users are affected, only those with an Intel 11th Gen Core processor and a specific version of the driver file (10.29.0.5152 or 10.30.0.5152). Luckily, this is a simple fix.
Potential Fixes
The easiest fix for this problem is to update your driver file to the current version. You can even use Windows Update to get that update directly without worrying about manually updating. If you prefer doing a manual update, you can get the updated driver package from Intel’s download center.
Western Digital NVME SSD Problem
If you’re running a Western Digital NVME SSD, you might encounter a BSOD after the update. The Windows 11 24H2 update changes how the operating system handles the Host Memory Buffer (HMB) on these DRAM-less drives.
Potential Fixes
This one is also pretty easy to fix, as Western Digital has released a firmware update for these DRAM-less drives. While this is usually a good thing, this firmware update risks corrupting all the data on the drive. If you have a drive you can use as a backup, maybe consider copying your data before applying the update.
There’s an alternative fix, but it requires fiddling around with your registry. Anyone who doesn’t know what they’re doing should avoid using this fix. Even those who attempt it should back up their registry before changing values. This is how you fix the problem temporarily:
- Back up your registry, then open the Registry Editor by hitting Windows+R and typing regedit in the window.
-
Go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorPortin Registry Editor. -
Find a DWORD named
HmbAllocationPolicy. - If the DWORD doesn’t exist, create it.
- Modify the DWORD value to either 0 or 2. 0 disables HMB allocation, and 2 sets it to 64.
- Reboot your machine.
This should solve the problem without the risk of corrupting your data.
Update Release Suspended
Microsoft has realized the update had been causing issues and has suspended releasing it to users. However, many people have already updated, thanks to automatic updates. If you’re dealing with a BSOD after Windows 11 24H2, then these might fix your problem, or at least inform you about it.
If your issue isn’t on the list, then you’re not completely out of luck. Situations like this are why system restore points exist, and you should use them to recover your operating system to its previous functionality. We can only hope that Microsoft sorts out this problem before they come up with another Windows update that breaks the operating system again.
