Dunno how I missed this one. It is almost a week old now but no one seems to be talking about it.
I initially had 17 critical updates. Tried to install them but system crashed several times and had to restore it to before the update.
Then I tried to install only a couple of them at a time. Update installed an optional audio device driver which I had NOT selected, and that screwed up the system. I removed new driver and reinstalled original system driver, but system wouldn’t take it.
I kept rolling back and reinstalling driver untill it took, then tried update again - nogo.
Finally unstalled new driver, rolled back system to before all updates (earlier this month) and downloaded system driver from manufacturer & installed - voila, sound works again.
Currently installing 1 update at a time, (with mandatory system reboots every time, ugh).
5 are installed - 12 left - wish me luck.