Reports are surfacing online that the recent Windows 11 update may be leading to significant problems for SSD users. Individuals in Japan have observed that their SSDs have become corrupted, rendering file access and drive mounting unfeasible. Furthermore, they have reported the loss of SMART features, which enable SSDs to self-monitor and indicate issues.

The update in question, KB5063878, was issued by Microsoft on August 12. It is a Windows Secure Boot update that reestablishes certification for devices set to expire in June 2026. Although the update seems innocuous, some user accounts imply otherwise.

Mashable has not verified these claims independently, so this remains a speculation. According to Wccftech and Tech Radar, users began mentioning the issue on social media shortly following the update.

Users have noted that after transferring a substantial amount of data to the drive, it vanishes from the operating system and becomes inaccessible. Restarting the system results in Windows failing to read the partition, and the drive’s SMART features are compromised. Japanese PC enthusiast Necoru_cat indicated a high chance of system file corruption.

Necoru_cat pointed out that the problem consistently arises when writing around 50GB to an SSD that is at least 60% occupied, with some SSDs exhibiting more severe issues. The Japanese blog NichePCGamer has compiled a list of potentially affected SSDs, including brands like Corsair, Phison, Fikwot, Maxio, and others.

Wccftech theorizes that the update may have introduced a bug that improperly handles long sequential writes, causing the drive to become unrecognized by the OS.

Should you be worried? There are several reports of SSD problems on X, primarily from Japan, suggesting a possible region-specific issue. Additional mentions were found on Reddit, but their locations remain unverified.

If the problem were widespread, one would expect more reports, as the update has been available for six days. It does not appear to be a prevalent issue, but it is advisable to exercise caution with extensive data transfers.

To mitigate potential risks, consider the following tips:

1. **Back up your data immediately.** The bug seems to occur randomly, so better safe than sorry.
2. **If KB5063878 isn’t installed, pause Windows updates.** You can do this through Windows Settings under Windows Update. Resume once new updates are released.
3. **If you have installed KB5063878, keep Windows updates active.** You’ll want to get the fix as soon as it’s available.

If you encounter this issue, collect as much information as possible and report it to Microsoft using the Feedback Hub.