Windows 11 Update Causes Storage Drive Issues 💻

The latest Windows 11 24H2 security update, KB5063878, has become a source of major concern for users, with a growing number of reports indicating that the patch can render SSDs and HDDs inaccessible and potentially corrupt data. While the update was a critical part of Microsoft's August 2025 Patch Tuesday, intended to combat the "Lamma stealer" malware, it has introduced a serious and unintended bug for storage devices.

The problem, which seems to affect PC gamers and power users in particular, manifests during large sequential write operations. As documented in tech forums and news reports, drives can suddenly disappear from the Windows environment while tasks like updating a game or transferring large files are in progress. This issue is reportedly acute for SSDs using Phison controllers, causing the drive to vanish mid-transfer and leaving users with unreadable SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) attributes.

Hard Drive Not Found

This is not an isolated incident; Microsoft had previously issued a hotfix for a separate installation error with the same update (error code 0x80240069), but that fix did not address the more critical storage drive issue. News sources confirm that Microsoft has not yet issued an official fix or acknowledgment for the storage drive disappearance problem, though various communities are reporting on the issue. This uncertainty puts user data at significant risk, as attempts to recover files from the affected drives are often unsuccessful.

For now, experts and tech communities are advising users to take a cautious approach. It is highly recommended to avoid installing the KB5063878 update if possible. For those who have already been impacted, temporarily unplugging and reconnecting the drive may restore visibility, but this is not a permanent solution and may not prevent future data loss. Given the severe potential consequences, routine data backups are more essential than ever. Until a stable fix is released, delaying the update and ensuring your data is securely backed up are the best measures to protect your system.

What measures do you take to protect your data before installing a new operating system update?