Microsoft removes all Windows 10 upgrade blocks including Conexant audio driver issues

Microsoft has now resolved all known issues that were preventing people from updating Windows 10. The company had put upgrade blocks in place that stopped users with certain hardware from upgrading to Windows 10 version 2004 and 20H2.

The last two safeguards to have been removed relate to Conexant audio drivers and Conexant ISST audio drivers. This change means that the latest version of Windows 10 can now roll out to more people, just ahead of Windows 10 version 1909 reaching end of life later this month.

See also:

• Microsoft withdraws AMD driver that causes INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE error in Windows 10
• Microsoft may have cancelled Windows 10X
• You can now find out which devices are using a particular driver in Windows 10

Microsoft and Synaptics have previously identified compatibility issues with versions 8.65.47.53, 8.65.56.51 and 8.66.0.0 through 8.66.89.00 of chdrt64.sys and chdrt32.sys, as well as uci64a96.dll through uci64a231.dll with a version number of 7.231.3.0 or lower. These longstanding issues have now been resolved, meaning the blocks on upgrading have been lifted.

In documentation for the Conexant audio drivers and Conexant ISST audio drivers, Microsoft explains:

The safeguard hold with safeguard IDs 25702617, 25702660, 25702662, and 25702673 has been removed for all devices as of May 7, 2021, including devices with affected drivers. If updated drivers are not available for your device and you are offered Windows 10, version 2004 or Windows 10, version 20H2, a small number of devices might roll back to the previous version of Windows 10 when attempting to update. If this occurs, you should attempt to update to Windows 10, version 2004 or Windows 10, version 20H2 again.

The company goes on to say that " if there are no other safeguards that affect your device, it can take up to 48 hours before the update to a later version of Windows 10 is offered". As the Conexant problems were the cause of the last remaining upgrade blocks, there should now be nothing stopping people upgrading to Windows 10 version 2004 or 20H2.

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