If you’ve been blocked from receiving Windows 11 for the past couple of years, Microsoft may have some good news for you

Although Microsoft is keen on getting as many customers to upgrade to Windows 11 as possible – as is evident from its latest advertising push -, many simply can’t upgrade because they are using older hardware that isn’t supported by the Redmond tech firm’s latest operating system. Then, there is another portion of users that have been restricted from receiving the update by Microsoft itself due to somewhat niche bugs and issues. Now, the company has removed one such upgrade block after a period of over two years.

So, what was the issue?

Back in 2021, Microsoft placed an upgrade block for certain Windows 10 customers after discovering compatibility issues between some versions of the Intel Smart Sound Technology (SST) driver and Windows 11. The driver is named Intel SST Audio Controller in Device Manager, with the affected versions being 10.29.0.5152 and 10.30.0.5152. The issue in question resulted in Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) crashes for impacted customers, forcing Microsoft to place a compatibility hold and preventing these devices from receiving any version of Windows 11.

We finally have a fix for this nasty bug

After two years, Microsoft has updated the Windows release health page, noting that Windows 10 customers affected by the issue should upgrade to version 10.29.00.5714 and 10.30.00.5714 or later before upgrading to Windows 11. You can grab the updated versions of the driver through Windows Update, but Microsoft has noted that if you still don’t receive the upgrade prompt for Windows 11 up to 48 hours after installing new drivers, it may be possible that they have not been developed for your hardware configuration. In this case, it’s your responsibility to reach out to your device’s OEM to request the relevant update.

In the same vein, if you’re an IT admin managing the deployment of Windows updates across your organization, do check out Microsoft’s documentation on the topic. The company has also recommended all customers to refrain from using the Update Now button or the Media Creation Tool (MCT) to install Windows 11, until they have updated the affected drivers.