Compatibility Issue with Intel SST Drivers and Windows 11 Version 24H2

[Tagadock]

Hello everyone,

I recently discovered an issue with my ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 that may also concern Intel Smart Sound Technology (SST) users.

The microphone volume on my device is extremely low when running Windows 11 version 24H2, making communication on apps like Discord or online games nearly impossible. After extensive troubleshooting and even reinstalling Windows 11 via Lenovo’s USB recovery tool, I identified the root cause: a compatibility problem between Intel SST audio drivers and Windows 11 version 24H2.

In particular:

• The microphone audio is not being properly amplified.
• The "Audio Enhancements" option, typically accessible in Windows Settings under System > Sound > Microphone Properties, is missing in version 24H2. This option is present and functional in version 23H2 and earlier, where the microphone works perfectly fine.

This issue seems similar to previous compatibility challenges with Intel SST, such as drivers causing BSODs on Windows 11 24H2.

To temporarily resolve this issue, I reverted to Windows 11 version 23H2, where everything functions as expected. However, this is not a sustainable long-term solution, especially for those relying on up-to-date software.

I am sharing this here to raise awareness and to seek advice from the community and Intel’s team. If anyone else has experienced this issue or found a workaround, please share your insights. Additionally, I would appreciate it if Intel could investigate this compatibility issue and release updated drivers that fully support Windows 11 version 24H2.

Thank you for your attention to this matter!

[Earl_Intel]

Hi Tagadock,

Thank you for posting in the communities!

I appreciate sharing this useful information to us. To better assist you and determine the most appropriate resolution, could you please provide the needed details listed below:

• Have you already tried contacting Lenovo Support regarding this issue?

Kindly run this on your system so that I can also gauge the following peripherals and the driver versions that you have: Intel® System Support Utility for Windows*

Once finished downloading, open the tool, click on scan (leave the default items checked), click next, then save the system information to a .txt file. Please provide us the .txt file.

You can also try following these troubleshooting to try and resolve the issue:

1. Open Device manager
2. In System devices > Intel(R) Smart Sound Technology (Intel(R) SST) Audio Controller
3. Right click and select Update driver
4. Select Browse my computer for driver software
5. Select let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer
6. Select High Definition Audio controller and install.

Source link: No Audio Output with Intel® Smart Sound Technology Update after...

Best regards,

Earl E.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Tagadock]

Hi Earl,

Thank you for your response!

Attached is my log file, generated on Windows 11 version 23H2. Let me know if you’d like me to upgrade to version 24H2 and generate a new log file there for further analysis.

To answer your question:

• I have contacted Lenovo Support, but they confirmed they only provide hardware support and cannot assist with software or driver-related issues.
• I also posted about this issue on Lenovo’s community forums, but so far, I haven’t received a satisfactory response.
• Additionally, I submitted feedback via Microsoft’s Feedback Hub, but I haven’t heard back from them yet.

Similar to what Akhilesh2 described, I cannot see the Intel(R) Smart Sound Technology (Intel(R) SST) Audio Controller driver listed in System Devices, even after attempting the suggested troubleshooting steps.

If there are any other steps you recommend, I’d be happy to try them. Thank you for looking into this!

[Akhilesh2]

I am also getting same issue and I dont see Intel(R) Smart Sound Technology (Intel(R) SST) Audio Controller driver in system devices. I tried updating Intel® Smart Sound Technology for Digital Microphones. But it didnt work.

[Akhilesh2]

Device settings for INTELAUDIO\CTLR_DEV_7E28&LINKTYPE_02&DEVTYPE_00&VEN_8086&DEV_AE20&SUBSYS_384617AA&REV_0001\5&1e39661a&0&0000 were not migrated from previous OS installation due to partial or ambiguous device match. 

I see above error in driver log though.

[Earl_Intel]

Hello Tagadock,

Thank you for sharing this useful information with us.

Try this method, download the latest generic Graphics Driver from our website.

Intel® Arc™ & Iris® Xe Graphics - Windows*

Some Graphics Drivers also include audio drivers.

Hi Akhilesh2,

You can also try downloading the latest Graphics Driver on the link above, noted please make sure your Graphics Driver is Intel Arc & Iris Xe Graphics, if not, kindly provide the exact Intel graphics card for us to check.

Best regards,

Earl E.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Tagadock]

Hi,

Thank you for your suggestion. I upgraded to Windows 11 version 24H2 and installed the latest graphics driver as recommended. Unfortunately, the issue persists—the microphone volume remains very low.

For your reference, I have attached the logs generated by Intel SSU on version 24H2.

For the time being, I will revert to version 23H2 to have a functional microphone, as it is critical for my daily use. Please let me know if there are any further steps or updates to resolve this issue.

Thank you for your assistance.

[rkaralkin]

Hello Tagadock

I have the same problem with audio.

And want o revert to 23H2, but can see that Go Back button is inactive in recovery options and don't know how to do this.

Did you made a fresh Windows installation or there is other way to do this?

Thanks!

[Tagadock]

Hi @rkaralkin,

I believe that if it's greyed out, reverting to 23h2 is no longer possible, apart from a fresh install.

I did a fresh Windows install from Lenovo's recovery image. It installed version 22h2, which I manually upgraded to 23h2 using the "enablement package" after applying all 22h2 updates : https://www.elevenforum.com/t/kb5027397-enablement-package-for-windows-11-version-23h2-feature-update.19372/

I hope this will help you!

[LeonWaksman]

Hi @Tagadock 

Please check in Windows Update if you can install the latest Cumulative Update Preview for Windows 11 Version 24H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5050094). This update may solve your problem.

Leon

[Tagadock]

Hi @LeonWaksman 

Thanks for your message! I just tested your advice.

Unfortunately, nothing has changed and the issue still remains.

[YasinAlbayrak]

I have same problem for all thinkbook,
I have tried many methods but problem still continue.

[Tagadock]

Hi @YasinAlbayrak, I may have a temporary fix for you. I uploaded it on Microsoft Community earlier and it seems to be working fine.

Here it is. Let me know if it helped!

1. Download and Install Equalizer APO

• Download Equalizer APO from the official website:
  https://sourceforge.net/projects/equalizerapo/

• Run the installer.

• Allow changes when prompted.

• Proceed through the installation until you reach the Configurator window.

2. Enable Equalizer APO on the Microphone

• In the Configurator, go to the Capture devices tab.

• Find and check the box next to
  "Microphone Array (Intel® Smart Sound Technology for Digital Microphones)".

• Click OK, then Finish.

• If prompted, reboot your computer.

Note: If the microphone does not appear in the list, make sure it is enabled in Windows sound settings and properly connected. You can select the device after the Equalizer APO installation by launching the “Equalizer APO Device Selector” app.

3. Increase Microphone Gain Using the Configuration Editor

• After the reboot, open the Equalizer APO Configuration Editor from the Start menu.

• On startup, you may see a message like
  "Equalizer APO is not installed on the selected device."
  This is expected, because the default selection is often an output device (e.g., speakers).
  Click "No" to dismiss the message.

• At the top, select
  "Microphone Array (Intel® Smart Sound Technology for Digital Microphones)" from the list of devices.

• In the main panel, add a Preamp block (use the "+" button or right-click).

• Set the gain to +12 dB. You can adjust this value as needed (between +10 and +20 dB).

• Go to File → Save to apply the configuration.

This will boost your microphone’s signal in most Windows applications.

4. Adjust Discord Settings if Needed

Some applications, such as Discord, may not reflect the gain increase automatically.

To fix this:

• Open Discord → Settings → Voice & Video.

• Scroll to the Audio Subsystem section.

• Set it to Legacy.

• Restart Discord.

[Tagadock]

FINALLY, Lenovo issued an update to fix the issue for the X1 extreme gen 5!! But you have to wait approx. 40 min for the install to complete due to another bug (oh the irony....). I hope it will also fix your problem.

[complete_profile]

Can you please link to the update? I just see an update to the Intel Management Engine...

[Tagadock]

Hi, here you go: https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobiles/n3ja112w.exe