After reports of Windows 11 24H2 crashing with certain SSDs made the rounds, Microsoft has since paused the rollout of the update to affected systems. SSD manufacturers SanDisk and Western Digital have released firmware updates to fix the crashing issue.
The issue in Windows 11’s big 2024 update is causing system failures and Blue Screens of Death for some users, with the main cause being SSDs by specific manufacturers. Computers running on certain models of SSDs by Western Digital and SanDisk have started crashing after installing Windows 11 24H2.
Users have shared their experiences in a Western Digital forum thread, with SSD models like SanDisk Extreme M.2, WD Black SN770, WD Black SN770M, WD Blue SN580, and WD Blue SN5000 known to be affected. The crashes occur after updating to Windows 11 24H2, showing a “Critical Process Has Died” error message.
It is believed that the crashes are related to faulty memory drivers that cannot handle the 200 HMBs of these SSD models. Reinstalling Windows 11 or repositioning the SSDs has not solved the issue, but there is a workaround available.
If your Western Digital SSD is causing Windows 11 24H2 crashes, you can disable HMB in the Windows Registry as a temporary solution. Disabling HMB may impact performance but will prevent Blue Screen crashes until a permanent fix is provided by Microsoft.
Both Microsoft and Western Digital are aware of the crashing issue and are working on a solution. Users can download the latest firmware patches from their SSD manufacturer’s download tool or support page to address the problem. It is essential to stay updated with any official communications from Microsoft and Western Digital regarding this issue.
In the meantime, users are advised to follow the steps to disable HMB in the Registry if they are experiencing crashes with Windows 11 24H2. By taking these precautions, users can avoid system failures and Blue Screens of Death until a permanent solution is implemented.
