You might want to hold off on installing the latest Windows 11 update this weekend. Microsoft has confirmed that it's examining a growing number of reports that its newest version of Windows 11 is experiencing serious issues with SSDs – the solid-state drives used to store your apps and files on most modern laptops and desktop PCs.
If you've installed the latest update, released earlier this month, your Solid-State Drive (SSD) could vanish from the Windows 11 system due to a frustrating new glitch. A spokesperson for Microsoft told PC Mag: "We're aware of these reports and are investigating with our partners."
Samsung is one of the manufacturers impacted by the glitch in Windows 11
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Drives from major manufacturers, including Corsair, SanDisk, and Samsung, have experienced issues with Windows 11 following the monthly update. However, the full extent of the bug remains unclear.
The issue reportedly rears its head when transferring large amounts of data, such as downloading games or installing substantial software packages.
If your SSD is processing more than 50GB of data at a single time – particularly if your drive already contains over 60% of its capacity – you're at an increased risk of the drive vanishing from your File Explorer, reports suggest.
It's worth noting that others have not encountered any problems, so there's a chance you'll swerve the issue.
The KB5063878 security update rolled out by Microsoft could have severe consequences for data integrity. Users report "high likelihood of file corruption" when drives fail during active write operations.
Affected SSD models include the Corsair Force MP600, SanDisk Extreme PRO M.2 NVMe 3D, Kioxia Exceria Plus G4, Fikwot FN955, Adata SP580, and Kingston SNV2S2000G, according to data patiently compiled by Japanese technology website NichePCGamer. Drives with Phison PS5012-E12 controllers appear particularly vulnerable.
Phison, the Taiwanese controller manufacturer, is collaborating with Microsoft on a resolution. The company noted that "current online testing reports show this may impact storage devices from multiple vendors, and span across both SSDs and HDDs."
You can roll back the update manually if you're experiencing problems, though Windows 11 has been installing it automatically on many systems.
If you have been affected by the (as-yet-unexplained) issue, restarting your computer might temporarily restore access, but the issue typically recurs with subsequent large file transfers. With the engineers at Microsoft already investigating a fix for the problem, you might want to postpone any major installations or downloads for the moment – particularly if the SSD inside your Windows 11 machine is nearing capacity.
Beyond storage failures, your Windows 11 system might also be experiencing significant performance degradation in streaming software following the same KB5063878 update.
Microsoft has officially confirmed that applications like Open Broadcast Software and NDI Tools are suffering from "severe stuttering, lag, and choppy audio/video" issues.
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If you're a content creator or regularly use screen-recording software for archival purposes, you'll likely have already noticed these problems with Windows 11.
Thankfully, streaming from platforms like Netflix or YouTube shouldn't be impacted by the same bug, since these problems are confined to software that captures and broadcasts from the display with your PC. Microsoft states they're "investigating this issue", but hasn't provided a timeline for resolution.