Microsoft has concluded that the August 2025 Windows security update KB5063878 does not cause reported incidents of solid-state drive (SSD) and hard disk drive (HDD) failures. The update, part of the Windows 11 24H2 release, became available earlier in August. Reports of drive disconnections and data corruption emerged in the second half of the month.
Users, primarily in Japan, described issues during intensive write operations on drives with more than 60% capacity in use. Affected systems included models with Corsair Force MP600, Maxio SSD, SanDisk Extreme Pro, Kioxia Exceria Plus G4, Kioxia M.2, and drives using InnoGrit and Phison controllers. Some drives resumed operation after a system reboot. Others remained undetected even after restarting.
Microsoft stated it could not reproduce the reported behavior on updated systems. The company is gathering detailed reports from users and continues to analyze feedback following each update release. It has also collaborated with storage technology partners to assess potential causes.
Telemetry data and internal testing show no increase in disk failures or file corruption after installing KB5063878. Microsoft claims that there is no connection between the update and the reported drive issues.
Phison, a controller manufacturer linked to some affected drives, also conducted extensive testing. The company completed over 2,200 test cycles across more than 4,500 hours using potentially affected drives. It found no reproduction of the reported failures. Phison partners and customers have not submitted similar failure reports.
Phison indicates that the root cause may lie outside the drive controller. The company suggests that thermal conditions may influence drive stability during high-load operations. The company recommends using heatsinks or thermal pads when transferring large files or extracting large archives. This will help with temperature management and sustained performance.
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Doesn’t make me confident enough to install it. I’d rather stall the update for a few more weeks.