In recent weeks, alarming reports have emerged regarding certain Windows 11 updates—specifically KB5063878 and KB5062660—allegedly causing failures in SSDs equipped with Phison controllers. Tech influencers across platforms like YouTube and TikTok quickly seized upon these claims, attributing issues of corrupted data and disappearing drives directly to Microsoft. While skepticism towards large corporations is understandable, both Microsoft and Phison have stated that they have been unable to replicate these reported issues.
Phison was first alerted to the concerns regarding SSD failures linked to the Windows update on August 18th. Following this, the company launched an extensive investigation into the claims. On August 27th, Phison released a statement declaring that after conducting over 2,200 test cycles, which amounted to more than 4,500 hours of testing, they found no evidence supporting the allegations. The statement emphasized, "unable to reproduce the reported issue, and no partners or customers have reported that the issue affected their drives at this time."
Shortly thereafter, Microsoft responded, asserting that after a thorough investigation, they found no correlation between the August 2025 Windows security update and the hard drive failures that had been circulating on social media. This revelation was not entirely unexpected, as the reports of affected users were relatively few and far between.
The first indication of a potential issue appears to stem from a Japanese user on Twitter, who suggested that the Windows update was causing SSDs to become inoperable. While several commenters echoed similar experiences, the lack of substantial evidence suggests that the problem may be more localized, potentially pointing to a defective batch of drives rather than a widespread software issue.
As it stands, there seems to be little justification for the belief that the August 2025 Windows security update poses a risk to your SSD. Despite the sensational claims made by some social media users, both Microsoft and Phison's investigations indicate that the update is unlikely to cause damage to your hard drive. Therefore, users can breathe a sigh of relief and continue using their devices without undue concern.
