Windows 11’s significant 2024 update, known as 24H2, has encountered a troubling issue that has left some users facing system failures and the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). Reports indicate that specific models of Western Digital SSDs are at the heart of this problem, leading to crashes shortly after the update is installed.
Users have taken to forums to share their experiences, highlighting the following SSD models that seem to be particularly affected:
- WD SN770
- WD SN580
The crashes manifest after users upgrade to Windows 11 24H2, with the BSOD displaying a “Critical Process Has Died” error message. Initial investigations suggest that the root cause may lie in faulty memory drivers that struggle to manage the 200 HMBs (Host Memory Buffer) associated with these SSDs. It’s worth noting that both SSD models had previously caused issues during the Windows 11 23H2 update, albeit for different reasons.
What to do if you’re affected
For those experiencing these crashes, reinstalling Windows 11 or repositioning the SSDs does not appear to remedy the situation. However, a temporary workaround is available.
If your Western Digital SSD is causing your system to crash after the 24H2 update, consider disabling HMB in the Windows Registry. While this action may negatively impact overall performance, it can help prevent the Blue Screen errors until a more permanent solution is provided by Microsoft.
To disable HMB in the Registry, follow these steps:
- Open the Start menu, search for
registry, and launch Registry Editor from the results. - In Registry Editor, navigate to HKEYLOCALMACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesstornvmeParametersDevice using the left sidebar.
- Once in the Device section, check for HMBAllocationPolicy in the right-side panel. If it’s not present, right-click in an empty area and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, naming it
HMBAllocationPolicy. - Double-click on HMBAllocationPolicy and set its value to 0.
- Restart your PC to apply the changes.
Both Microsoft and Western Digital are reportedly aware of the crashing issue and are actively working on a solution. However, as of now, no official acknowledgment or communication has been released regarding the matter.
Further reading: Crucial Windows 11 settings to change ASAP
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and localized from German.
