Windows Updates Corrupt Data and Cause Crashes on Some SSDs and HDDs

Users have reported that recent Windows 11 24H2 updates can cause data corruption and crashes on certain SSD and HDD models. Microsoft has not yet reproduced the problem internally and is asking affected users to submit detailed reports of malfunctions.

Early Warning

The first public warning came from a Japanese researcher, who observed that Windows stopped recognizing drives with Phison NAND controllers during heavy write operations—such as saving large files, handling bulk transfers, or installing big game updates. The issue appeared after installing the August security update (KB5063878) and the preview update (KB5062660).

In some cases, affected drives recovered after a reboot. In others, they remained inaccessible. The researcher suggested that the cause may be linked to drive cache errors and a memory leak in the OS-buffered area.

“Tests show that symptoms appear on SSDs with more than 60% capacity filled after approximately 50 GB of continuous writing,” the researcher explained. “Reports indicate similar symptoms on HDDs. Phison NAND controllers seem more prone to problems, and DRAM-less models from the same company typically fail even with smaller data writes.”

Devices Impacted

Reports of similar problems have surfaced with additional devices, including:

• SanDisk Extreme Pro
• Corsair Force MP600
• Maxio SSD
• KIOXIA EXCERIA PLUS G4
• KIOXIA M.2 SSD

Many of these are equipped with Phison PS5012-E12 or InnoGrit controllers.

Microsoft’s Response

Microsoft has confirmed awareness of the issue and is working with hardware partners to investigate. However, the company says it has not yet been able to reproduce the failures:

“Neither internal testing nor telemetry has detected an increase in drive failures or file corruption,” Microsoft told reporters.

The company also noted that customer support has not received direct complaints so far. Microsoft is encouraging anyone affected to report problems through Support for Business or the Feedback Hub to help gather more data.

Vendor Statement

Storage vendor Phison acknowledged to Bleeping Computer that updates KB5063878 and KB5062660 could have affected some devices using its controllers.

“We understand the inconvenience this may have caused and have promptly engaged with relevant industry participants,” Phison stated. “An inspection of the potentially affected controllers is underway, and we are working with our partners.”

Temporary Precautions

Until the issue is resolved, experts advise Windows 11 users to limit heavy write operations. Recommended workarounds include:

• Avoid writing very large files (tens of gigabytes) at once.
• Split large transfers into smaller batches.
• When unpacking large archives with many files (e.g., 200 files of 200 MB each), process them in stages instead of all at once.