Updating to Windows 10 Version 2004/Conexant Drivers

First, when you say you "pulled" the .dll files in System32, did you rename them, delete them or move them somewhere else?

Second, when you updated and the Conexant drivers were reinstalled, were the .dll files reinstated in the Sys32 folder?

I'm guessing that you updated straight to 20H2, and that MS only offer the very latest version through WU. I suppose that if the update is firstly from 1909 to 2004 , with measures as described to overcome the driver problem and enable the update, but then there is an update to 20H2, the same procedures would need to be gone through again. This concerns me, as until there is a satisfactory resolution by way of compatible drivers being supplied from MS so that these steps are not necessary and a straight WU update can be done, this appears to remain a permanent problem in future updates beyond 20H2, for anybody running a machine with this Conexant audio/driver configuration. In other words, an empirical workaround will have to be found and used every time.

I just moved the .dll files from the System32 folder to another folder for temporary holding in case I needed to replace them (I didn't).

When I updated to 2004, the Conexant driver was reinstalled automatically and, yes, one of the two removed .dll files reappeared in the System32 folder.

I was only updated to 2004 (19041.789) from 1909, however, and have not been offered 20H2 (19042) yet, so your concerns may be valid. Not sure if it is a "measured rollout" thing or still a driver issue. I repeated the previous fix (updated Sound driver to MS, removed any UCI64Axxx.dll files from System32), and no offer to 20H2 after several days. Just now, I removed CHDRT64.sys from System32/drivers, and I may try fully uninstalling/deleting the Conexant driver. We'll see what happens?

First, when you say you "pulled" the .dll files in System32, did you rename them, delete them or move them somewhere else?

Second, when you updated and the Conexant drivers were reinstalled, were the .dll files reinstated in the Sys32 folder?

I'm guessing that you updated straight to 20H2, and that MS only offer the very latest version through WU. I suppose that if the update is firstly from 1909 to 2004 , with measures as described to overcome the driver problem and enable the update, but then there is an update to 20H2, the same procedures would need to be gone through again. This concerns me, as until there is a satisfactory resolution by way of compatible drivers being supplied from MS so that these steps are not necessary and a straight WU update can be done, this appears to remain a permanent problem in future updates beyond 20H2, for anybody running a machine with this Conexant audio/driver configuration. In other words, an empirical workaround will have to be found and used every time.

I just moved the .dll files from the System32 folder to another folder for temporary holding in case I needed to replace them (I didn't).

When I updated to 2004, the Conexant driver was reinstalled automatically and, yes, one of the two removed .dll files reappeared in the System32 folder.

I was only updated to 2004 (19041.789) from 1909, however, and have not been offered 20H2 (19042) yet, so your concerns may be valid. Not sure if it is a "measured rollout" thing or still a driver issue. I repeated the previous fix (updated Sound driver to MS, removed any UCI64Axxx.dll files from System32), and no offer to 20H2 after several days. Just now, I removed CHDRT64.sys from System32/drivers, and I may try fully uninstalling/deleting the Conexant driver. We'll see what happens?

Thanks for the clarification. Perhaps I'll have a try at getting to 2004 by the method  that you've used. Annoyingly, I still haven't been able to find out out what the status of "Confirmed" in the MS Update dashboard, and which has recently become this, actually means or signifies.

I've changed the Audio driver from the Conexant to the MS version already available on this machine, and all seems OK. The only irritation is a Conexant audio message about something not being present or running (I forget which) that pops up from time to time. I think this is because the two Conexant Cx services continue to start and run, but it's a minor problem and I should sort it out soon.

I have checked my windows system and found several of the offending .dll files, (see screenshot below). Should I delete these files and hope for an update or delete them and force an update or yet again delete them, go back to MS high def drivers and hope for the best?

In my experience, I just moved the affected .dll's -- I actually had two in the specified range -- out of the top level System32 folder only (not from any of the subdirectories). I'd kept the MS HD drivers in place for a week and nothing, but once I removed the .dll's, I was offered an update to 2004 within 24-48 hours and it installed with zero issues.

After update, however, the Conexant driver was reinstated and one .dll reappeared, and the same approach has failed to get me an offer to update to 20H2 even after several days.

I have checked my windows system and found several of the offending .dll files, (see screenshot below). Should I delete these files and hope for an update or delete them and force an update or yet again delete them, go back to MS high def drivers and hope for the best?

In my experience, I just moved the affected .dll's -- I actually had two in the specified range -- out of the top level System32 folder only (not from any of the subdirectories). I'd kept the MS HD drivers in place for a week and nothing, but once I removed the .dll's, I was offered an update to 2004 within 24-48 hours and it installed with zero issues.

After update, however, the Conexant driver was reinstated and one .dll reappeared, and the same approach has failed to get me an offer to update to 20H2 even after several days.

Thanks for the info, it would appear to still not be a complete resolution to the issues so I have decided now, to leave well alone and await Microsoft to come up with a resolution to this problem. I figure I have waited this long and I dont have any issues with version 1909, I can afford to wait a wee while longer. Thanks again to all.

Cordial saludo… No suelo escribir en este tipo de comunidades, sin embargo, en esta oportunidad lo hago para agradecer primeramente a las personas participantes que de una u otra forma se tomaron su tiempo en ayudar a otras incluyéndome y a quienes no nombro en particular porque entre tantos comentarios me perdí de quien decía que... Pues el tema con el controlador Conexant SmartAudio HD para la actualización de Windows 10 versiones 2004 y 20H2 ha sido un tema bastante polémico y de muchos comentarios en esta comunidad en particular, ya que después de buscar y buscar en la internet logré conseguir respuestas razonables y cónsonas ante tantas preguntas. Simplemente tomé los comentarios positivos y acordes a las herramientas disponibles que tenía para entonces y algo es claro la falta de detalles en los comentarios acerca de los dispositivos con que se trabaja como por ej. sistema operativo, marca y modelo del dispositivo, versión del controlador afectado, etc... También tuve mi ensayo y error por no ser un experto en el área, salvo con conocimientos elementales para entender lo aquí conversado, logré satisfactoriamente el objetivo, migrar a Windows 10 versión 20H2 con éxito. Y en segundo lugar para dar mi aporte, con mi Lenovo ThinkPad E550 con Windows10 Pro 64, cuya versión afectada es Conexant SmartAudio HD / No.8.66.36.50. Lo cierto es que efectivamente, cambiando el controlador en el Administrador deDispositivos al genérico proporcionado Microsoft, es suficiente para evadir el bloqueo de la  versión 1909. Sin embargo, tuve que recurrir a las Directivas de Grupo https://www.howtogeek.com/263851/how-to-prevent-windows-from-automatically-updating-specific-drivers/ para activar las restricciones con el controlador, ya que sin ellas al ubicar el Windows Update para visualizar la actualización de Windows a la próxima versión, se descargaba e instalaba automáticamente el controlador Conexant, evitando así la actualización. Luego de establecer la política para impedir la instalación del controlador mediante el ID del dispositivo tocó esperar la desaparición del mensaje de bloqueo y posterior actualización del Windows, otro punto importante aquí tratado y tiempo que logré acortar a menos de 24hrs. haciendo una limpieza en los registros con CCleaner y el Liberador de espacio en disco con la Limpieza de archivos del sistema, que logró quitar el bloqueo existente, y con un click nuevamente en buscar actualizaciones apareció el tan esperado mensaje “Actualización de característicasa Windows 10, versión 20H2",

y sí, lo curioso fue que me llevó directamente a ella sin pasar por la 2004. Una vez actualizado el sistema, me cercioré de correr el Windows Update un par de veces más para descargar las últimas actualizaciones y descartar posibles fallos. Por último, al revisar el Administrador de Dispositivos para validar el controlador disponible sorpresa me llevé, al observar que no había ningún controlador habilitado por lo que recurrí a deshabilitar la política de grupo creada anteriormente y automáticamente se instaló la Conexant SmartAudio HD / No.8.66.36.50, sin ningún problema hasta ahora.

Después de varias pruebas con el audio, en resumen puedo concluir, que con dicha versión no hay incompatibilidad alguna, salvo por el bloqueo existente y de existir algún fallo, este se presenta es durante la instalación a la nueva versión de Windows.