Microsoft has officially stated that its recent Windows 11 24H2 security update (KB5063878) is not linked to the reported failures of solid-state drives (SSDs) and hard disk drives (HDDs). This announcement comes after a thorough investigation into user complaints alleging that the update led to data corruption and drive malfunctions. The tech giant’s findings indicate that they could not replicate the issues on their systems or in collaboration with storage device partners. Furthermore, Microsoft’s telemetry data and internal testing have not indicated any uptick in disk failures or file corruption since the update’s rollout.
In a detailed service alert, Microsoft conveyed, “After thorough investigation, we have found no connection between the August 2025 Windows security update and the types of hard drive failures reported on social media. As always, we continue to monitor feedback after the release of every Windows update and will investigate any future reports.”
What users said about the Windows security update that affected their PCs
Reports from Bleeping Computers highlight that the issue was initially raised by Japanese users who experienced SSD failures during intensive write operations, particularly when saving large files or multiple files simultaneously on drives that were over 60% full and running the latest Windows 11 security update.
Subsequently, similar problems emerged from users of various storage devices, including:
- Corsair Force MP600
- Maxio SSDs
- SanDisk Extreme Pro
- Kioxia Exceria Plus G4
- Kioxia M.2
- Drives equipped with InnoGrit and Phison controllers
Feedback from users indicated that while some affected drives regained functionality after a system restart, others remained inaccessible even after rebooting. A spokesperson from NAND controller manufacturer Phison acknowledged the situation, stating, “We are working with Microsoft to resolve the issue. We understand the disruption this may have caused and promptly engaged industry stakeholders. At this time, the controllers that may have been affected are under review, and we are working with partners.”
Until the underlying cause of these issues is identified and rectified, Windows 11 users with drives exceeding 60% capacity are advised to refrain from tasks such as downloading, copying, or writing very large files, particularly those in the tens of gigabytes range.
