Microsoft has recently encountered a significant issue affecting users of popular Western Digital (Sandisk) solid-state drives, particularly the widely acclaimed WD Black SN770. As reported by Neowin, systems equipped with these drives are currently being blocked from receiving the Windows 11 version 24H2 update. This situation has not been officially acknowledged in Microsoft’s update health documentation, leaving many users in a state of uncertainty.
Firmware Update Dilemma
When attempting to upgrade to Windows 11 24H2, users with the WD Black SN770 SSD are met with an alert indicating that their hardware is not ready for the new version. This notification halts the update process, stating that the upgrade will be available once the underlying issue is resolved. Unfortunately, no further guidance is provided, which has left many users feeling stranded.
Some resourceful users have discovered a workaround by manually applying the necessary firmware updates using the Sandisk Dashboard software, which has been available for several months. However, the path to this solution has not been straightforward. While Windows provided a link to a support page, the instructions from Western Digital lacked clarity. Users had to deduce that they needed to download the SanDisk Dashboard software to successfully update the firmware of their WD Black SN770 SSD.
Compounding the confusion is the recent corporate restructuring of Western Digital, which split into two entities earlier this year: one focused on traditional hard drives and the other on NAND-based products under the Sandisk brand. As a result, SSDs now fall under the Sandisk umbrella, further complicating the support landscape for users.
The SanDisk Dashboard application is the correct utility for managing firmware updates and is available on SanDisk’s support page. This tool supports a variety of drives, including WD Green, Blue, Red, WD Black, and various SanDisk SSD models such as the SSD Plus M.2, Extreme M.2, Extreme Pro M.2, and Ultra 3D. Once users successfully update their firmware using this software, they can proceed with the installation of the Windows 11 24H2 update without further complications.
Until Microsoft implements an automated process for downloading and installing the correct firmware, users with affected WD Black SSDs must rely on the SanDisk Dashboard to access the required updates and regain their ability to upgrade to Windows 11 version 24H2.
