Recent developments have emerged regarding the Windows 11 security update issue causing SSD crashes. After investigation, the problem primarily occurred on SSD engineering samples (pre-production firmware) used by reviewers, while retail SSDs were unaffected. Initially suspected to be related to Phison controller SSDs, Phison Electronics was unable to reproduce the issue after thousands of hours of self-testing, and Microsoft also stated that such crashes are unrelated to the Windows 11 security update.
Further investigation by Taiwanese media PCDIY found that crashes often occurred in early batch SSDs used for reviews that employed engineering sample firmware, rather than officially released stable firmware. These firmware versions contained compatibility bugs or incomplete features, which could easily lead to device failure under intensive operations. Retail market products now use mature, stable firmware, so users need not worry about being “bricked” by Windows updates.
Regarding the phenomenon of some users experiencing slower SSD speeds, the investigation indicates this is normal behavior after the write cache (SLC cache) and over-provisioning (OP) are exhausted. Performance can be restored to initial levels using the Secure Erase tool provided by SSD manufacturers or the reset function built into the motherboard, and this does not indicate hardware damage.
Currently, there is no evidence that regular users or retail SSDs are at risk of being “bricked” by Windows updates. Related manufacturers recommend performing a secure erase operation when experiencing performance degradation, and warranty services are available for unexpected situations.
