Microsoft’s recent Windows 11 update has stirred up a storm of concern among users, with reports indicating that the update may not only fail to install but could also lead to significant issues with solid-state drives (SSDs). An emergency update has already been rolled out, but the implications of the August update appear to extend beyond mere installation failures.
Potential SSD Failures
According to a report by WccfTech, the August update has been linked to multiple SSD failures, particularly when large data writes are executed. Users have reported that their drives become non-functional during these processes, raising alarms about the reliability of storage devices under the new system.
The initial findings were shared by user @Necoru_cat on X, who noted that affected drives “disappear from the OS,” rendering SMART data unreadable. In some instances, access to buffered data remains possible, but files themselves are inaccessible. This troubling situation appears to stem from a suspected malfunction in the drive cache, leading to a high probability of file corruption.
While the extent of the issue remains uncertain, the list of potentially vulnerable drives is currently limited. However, it is unlikely that many users will be eager to test their SSDs with large file writes given the risks involved.
Testing conducted by @Necoru_cat suggests that SSDs with over 60% usage may be particularly susceptible after approximately 50GB of continuous writing. Similar symptoms have also been observed in hard disk drives (HDDs). Notably, SSDs utilizing Phison NAND controllers seem to be more prone to these issues, especially DRAM-less models, which exhibit problems at lower write volumes.
As of now, Microsoft has yet to issue a formal statement regarding these reports. Efforts to obtain clarification and guidance for users have been initiated. Historical patterns suggest that an annotation may eventually appear in the update report once the situation is fully assessed.
The current predicament echoes the challenges faced by users following the latest emergency update, which addressed what Windows Latest described as a “headache” for many. The publication noted that it took some time for Microsoft to acknowledge critical issues flagged by users.
According to WccfTech, the SSDs believed to be affected by the update include:
- Corsair Force MP600
- Phison PS5012-E12 controller-equipped SSD
- KIOXIA EXCERIA PLUS G4
- Fikwot FN955
- SanDisk Extreme PRO M.2 NVMe 3D SSD
The source suggests that the root of the problem may lie in a storage driver or kernel-level regression introduced with the update, which mishandles long sequential writes. This mismanagement could lead to controller lock-ups, causing drives to become unrecognizable to the operating system.
Until Microsoft provides official guidance on the matter, users are advised to refrain from executing long sequential write operations, particularly if their drives fall within the aforementioned list or are equipped with a Phison controller. This situation presents a challenging backdrop for Microsoft’s ongoing campaign to transition approximately 700 million hesitant Windows 10 users to Windows 11, and the company will undoubtedly be eager to resolve these issues swiftly.
