Windows 11 24H2 Security Update Leads to SSD and HDD Failures, Risk of Data Corruption
A significant security update released by Microsoft with the Windows 11 24H2 (KB5063878) has caused widespread issues for users, rendering SSDs and HDDs inaccessible and potentially corrupting user data. Last week’s Patch Tuesday (August 2025) saw Microsoft roll out several critical security updates for Windows 10 (KB5063709 / KB5063877 / KB5063871 / KB5063889) and Windows 11 (KB5063878, KB5063875) systems. Among these updates was a crucial Defender update aimed at combating the Lamma Stealer malware found in new Windows ISO installations. However, users and experts quickly discovered that this fix introduced unintended side effects for storage devices on Windows 11 24H2. The issue began with installation failures marked by error code 0x80240069 on the KB5063878 update, although a subsequent hotfix seemed to alleviate some problems. Unfortunately, this did not resolve the ongoing saga.
Reports from the cybersecurity community, including corroboration from an X (formerly Twitter) user, @Necoru_cat, indicated that the latest 24H2 update triggered critical failures with storage drives. Users reported that after installing the update, SSDs and HDDs could disappear from the Windows environment, rendering SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) attributes unreadable. This issue appeared most acutely during large sequential write operations, with one documented case occurring while updating a game (Cyberpunk 2077), causing the drive to vanish mid-transfer. Once a drive disappears from the system, attempts to recover data often prove unsuccessful, putting user files at significant risk. This is not the first instance of a Windows update causing hardware performance issues, particularly among PC gamers and power users. Many affected users reported problems while gaming or updating large game files, where heavy drive activity is common. The inability to access drives or the risk of data corruption can have severe consequences, especially for users with critical work or irreplaceable data. As of now, Microsoft has not issued an official fix for the storage drive disappearance issue. Users are advised to avoid installing the KB5063878 update if possible, particularly if they rely on large file transfers or critical SSD/HDD storage. For those affected, temporarily restoring visibility may be possible by unplugging and reconnecting the impacted drive, but this is not a guaranteed solution and may not prevent future data loss or corruption. Routine data backups and delaying the installation of the problematic update are strongly recommended.
Categories: Windows Update Issues, Data Corruption Risks, Storage Device Failures
Tags: Windows 11, Security Update, KB5063878, SSD, HDD, Data Corruption, Installation Failures, Storage Devices, Cybersecurity, Patch Tuesday