A possible bug in the most recent Windows 11 update can make a disk disappear in the middle of a large write operation. It’s not the only problem with the update.
Microsoft rolled out the monthly security update for Windows 11 last week, and as usual, problems didn’t take long to surface. An installation issue has since been resolved, but the update now also appears to affect HDDs and SSDs. A Japanese source reports via X, noted by Neowin and Cyber Security News, that after installing the update, drives can suddenly ‘disappear’ from Windows.
Hocus Pocus
This magic trick occurs during large sequential write operations and seems to affect both HHD “s and SSD” s. The disk suddenly can’t be found in Windows. Consequently, SMART functions are also inaccessible.
This can lead to file and data corruption. According to the source, a Japanese hobbyist, this can occur with various brands, including Samsung, Western Digital, and Seagate. Microsoft has not officially acknowledged the problem, so for now, we’re taking the report with a grain of salt.
But it certainly wouldn’t be the first time that a Windows update interferes with storage drives. Disconnecting the disk and reconnecting it to Windows would restore readability, but doesn’t guarantee recovery of damaged data. That’s why it’s wise to make regular backups of your drives.
read also
SSD broke and there is no backup: now what?
Disappearing HDDs and SSDs is not the only problem with the latest Windows 11 update. The installation failed for business users who use the Windows Server Update Services platform. This has since been addressed with a ‘hotfix’ by Microsoft. The July update also shows false error messages in Event Logs, which Microsoft says you can ignore. Nevertheless, Microsoft recommends implementing the updates as soon as possible, as they provide an important fix to Defender.