Windows 10 Feature update (to 2004) Conexant driver Issue

I am getting confused. I have a Lenovo Yoga 13 laptop bought in 2014 with a "Conexant HD" sound device.

It started off as Win 8.1 and I then upgraded it to Win 10 years ago.  It has installed all of the updates to 1909 and continues to install updates to this. It is blocked by Microsoft from updating further.  

With any other "PC", where I could easily replace the OS SSD I would clone the OS disc, take out the "original" and play with the copied clone to try the options above.  This is risky with the yoga - strip down to take out the SSD is (for a mere mortal) not really possible.

Taking an image is risky as reinstalling from an image doesn't always seem to work for me. I don't want to be left with a laptop I have to reinstall windows from scratch as I am not sure all of the MS office and Adobe software would reinstall - its all very serviceable but dates from 2014!

SO I have tried some "gentle changes" and taken "restore points" before each one.  The first thing I did was to update from the Lenovo web site - this updated the Conexant driver from one dated 2014 to one dated 2016. Not a lot of use.

I then searched the web for later driver files for other Lenovo devices. I found several - one of which was purposely designed to allow the update to version 2004.  HOWEVER with these the laptop "blue screened" either on loading or after a few minutes. I had to use the restore point to get back to the stable 2016 sound driver.

I also tried loading generic MS drivers by uninstalling the Conexant driver - same effect - blue screened. Had to go back to the 2016 Lenovo driver.

I am not going to start deleting Conexant files from the registry if I have no idea what they do!  This process so far seems to have left me with rogue Bluetooth entries even though I haven't changed any Bluetooth drivers!

So I am really stuffed by Microsoft here. Everything I have done seems to lead to instability. Perhaps this is why Microsoft still says "Investigating" - they don't know what to do either. Am I to be stuck on Win 10 version 1909?

Mel

So it was a bit weird for me...

First of all, I uninstalled conexant on Friday last week, and then waited 5 days for the update, but no it never showed up and the "we're getting things ready" thing stayed there. On Wednesday I gave up. But, I had to actually format (reinstall) my Windows anyways (because of my hard disk, nothing to do with here), so I did so. I had an old (I think windows 1903, definitely older than 1909) installation media, and I reinstalled Windows with that. It installed fine, then I immediately added the registry key. It first updated to 1909, then and hour or so later it offered me 20H2. Now I am using 20H2 with Conexant drivers just fine. 

The thing I don't understand is Conexant drivers seems to run, why don't Microsoft just let users to update?

Anyways, thanks to everybody who helped.

I think I have an idea about what actually did happen here. 

When I tried installing the 2004 version back in September, after replacing Conexant drivers with Microsoft basic drivers (with the "Rollback drivers" option from device manager) and then putting the Registry Block, I had to manually search and remove all of the Conexant Drivers leftover files from Win 10 install directory including a Backup of the Conexant drivers from System 32 > DriversRepository folder. There were a lot of leftover files that I had to delete. Only after then I got the update offered to me.  

Now, this might have exactly happened to you as you didn't removed the leftover files and waited 5 days but didn't get the update offered. But when you Reinstalled WIn 10, you basically removed all traces of the drivers and promptly put in place the block. Maybe that is why this time you got the update offered without any issue.

I am assuming you didn't install the Conexant drivers after updating to 1909 from your installed 1903 prior to upgrading to 20H2.

Am I correct in my assumption? let me know.

And congratz for finally upgrading to the latest version.

So it was a bit weird for me...

First of all, I uninstalled conexant on Friday last week, and then waited 5 days for the update, but no it never showed up and the "we're getting things ready" thing stayed there. On Wednesday I gave up. But, I had to actually format (reinstall) my Windows anyways (because of my hard disk, nothing to do with here), so I did so. I had an old (I think windows 1903, definitely older than 1909) installation media, and I reinstalled Windows with that. It installed fine, then I immediately added the registry key. It first updated to 1909, then and hour or so later it offered me 20H2. Now I am using 20H2 with Conexant drivers just fine. 

The thing I don't understand is Conexant drivers seems to run, why don't Microsoft just let users to update?

Anyways, thanks to everybody who helped.

Thanks a lot, I'll try it once it is weekend so that I have 2 days without video conferencing. Hope it goes smooth

Thanks for that quick reply. Both bluetooth and the internal mic when headset disconnected work fine. Though I don’t have a bluetooth headset that I can rely on for video conferencing, and I couldnt figure out a way to ıse the built in mic when I connect the headset. I can wait a few days to get the update without a mic, but after I get the update and download Conexant drivers, won’t it cause problems like crashes, since that is the reason that Microsoft blocks the update in the first place. My initial plan was to never go back to Conexant drivers.

Anyways, I don’t think I need the update too desperatly, so i can wait, i think they will sort this out when the 1909 end of support date comes.

Nowadays all the laptops have what is called a 3.5mm combo-jack. If you take a closer look you will see  3 black round strip that divides the entire 3.5mm headphone jack into 4 different sections: 2 of them are for stereo playback (left and right channel of the speaker), 1 for the Microphone input and 1 is for the (GND) Ground connection. So whenever you plug in the headphone jack the laptop detects all the connections and disables onboard Speakers (output) and Microphones (input). There are ways to use the built-in Microphones but it's not worth it, esp with the Conexant drivers or Microsoft basic drivers. Realtek does provide a convenient way to do so, but talking about Realtek in this thread is like talking about the kind (!) of Girlfriend we wish we had (sigh)! 

Answering your question regarding the aftermath is, Absolutely Smooth as Butter !

After upgrading to 2004, I installed the old Conexant drivers, and it's been around 3 months, and I have never ever faced any incompatibility issues, any crash or BSOD (Blue Screen of Death). In that time I have gotten all the updates including 20H2 and subsequent Cumulative updates. Also, Microsoft offered me a newer Conexant driver (version 8.66.95.70) update through "Optional Windows Update".

This is so bizarre! Why would they flag this as Incompatible when they don't cause any issue after the upgrade? No one knows why is this but it is what it is, and Microsoft does not feel the need to explain this. 

Simply put: No, you won't face any issue after the upgrade due to the Conexant drivers, as I have not faced any issue so far.