Microsoft's Windows 11 enforces monthly system updates to address security vulnerabilities, enhance performance, and introduce new features. The August 2025 Security Update (KB5063878) caused storage issues for users on Windows 11 version 24H2, leading to unresponsive SSDs and HDDs when writing large amounts of data. In response, Microsoft released an out-of-band update for versions 23H2 and 22H2 to fix a critical bug affecting reset and recovery features. Phison reported that they could not replicate the issues after extensive testing, and Microsoft is gathering customer feedback to determine if a genuine fault exists. Users should be prepared for potential complications from updates, as similar disruptions occur almost annually.
To protect against problematic updates, users are advised to enable System Restore, which allows reverting to a previous operational state; enable Quick Machine Recovery for expedited restoration from boot failures; uninstall problematic updates if accessible; disable automatic updates temporarily or permanently; and create full computer backups regularly. It is also recommended to delay updates for at least two weeks unless critical vulnerabilities are addressed and to postpone restarts after updates to allow time for backups and precautions.