Windows Update and SSD Crashes – What’s Really Happening?
Over the last few weeks, reports have been circulating that a recent Windows 11 update is causing SSDs to fail or disappear. If you’ve been worried about your drive suddenly crashing after updating Windows, here’s a breakdown of what’s really going on.
Which Windows Updates Are Involved?
- The main update being blamed is KB5063878 (August 2025 security update).
- A few cases also point to KB5062660 and earlier updates like KB5056579.
- Users noticed problems especially when their SSDs were more than 60% full and handling large file transfers (50 GB or more).
What Problems Are People Seeing?
- SSD suddenly disappears from Windows.
- In most cases, a reboot brings the drive back.
- In rare cases, the drive doesn’t reappear — one report mentioned a WD Blue SA510 that stayed dead after the update.
- Drives with Phison NAND controllers are being mentioned more often in these reports.
What Microsoft and Phison Say
- Microsoft checked their internal data and said they found no evidence that KB5063878 or other updates are killing SSDs.
- Phison, a major SSD controller maker, tested for 4,500+ hours and couldn’t reproduce the failures.
- They suspect some reports could be coincidental hardware failures or misinformation.
Should You Be Worried?
- If you own a Phison-based SSD (look for controllers like PS5012, PS5013, PS5021, etc.), you might want to be more careful.
- If your SSD is from Kioxia, Samsung, WD (non-Phison models), or Intel, the risk is much lower.
- Most users affected were copying very large files on nearly full drives, which can stress any SSD.
What You Can Do
- Check your SSD model – In Windows, open Device Manager > Disk drives to see the model. Google it to find if it uses a Phison controller.
- Keep firmware updated – Use your SSD vendor’s utility (Samsung Magician, Kioxia SSD Utility, WD Dashboard, etc.).
- Avoid filling SSDs over 90% – SSDs perform worse and heat up more when nearly full.
- Back up regularly – Always keep your important files safe, regardless of updates.
- Delay updates if critical – If your PC is mission-critical, pause Windows Updates for a couple of weeks to see if Microsoft issues a fix.
✅ Final Verdict
- There’s no confirmed link between the Windows 11 update and SSD deaths, according to Microsoft and Phison.
- However, enough user reports exist that you should take precautions, especially if you own a Phison-based drive.
- Most importantly: backup your data, keep your SSD cool, and don’t panic.
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