Microsoft Claims Windows 11 Security Update Not Responsible for Extensive SSD Crashes; Who is Ultimately at Fault?

The recent complications surrounding Windows 11 SSD performance have taken an unexpected twist. While Microsoft has maintained that its latest security update does not impact storage drives, numerous consumer reports suggest otherwise.

Microsoft Reports No Connection Between Security Update and SSD Failures

Affected users may recall that the recent ‘KB5063878’ security update was linked to SSD crashes, particularly during scenarios of significant write tasks. This issue, troublingly, was not isolated to specific manufacturers; instead, it seemed to affect a wide range of SSDs. Microsoft addressed these concerns in a service alert, as highlighted by BleepingComputer, asserting that it could not replicate the reported SSD failures and found no correlation to their latest updates.

After thorough investigation, Microsoft has 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.

Internal testing by Microsoft suggests that the newest security updates shouldn’t materially threaten consumer SSDs. However, real-world experiences tell a different story. Initially believed to affect only Phison-based drives, testing by the manufacturer revealed that after 4, 500 hours of cumulative assessment, they could not reproduce issues related to the ‘KB5063878’ and ‘KB5062660’ updates.

Phison E28 Gen5 SSD Controller with High Speeds — Image Credits: WCCFtech

Phison also noted a potential connection between the crashes and prolonged workloads without adequate cooling measures, such as dedicated heatsinks. This raises questions regarding the underlying causes of the failures, especially since both SSD manufacturers and Microsoft have been unable to reproduce the issues in their controlled environments, resulting in a standstill in determining the cause. Compounding the situation, numerous users have reported their SSDs becoming inoperable during the security update process.

In the interim, we recommend that users exercise caution and refrain from subjecting their SSDs to intensive workloads, as this has emerged as one possible trigger for the failures. Keep an eye on this developing situation, as more updates are likely forthcoming.

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