Blue screen nightmare over? Firmware update available for SSDs

After massive problems with the Windows 11 24H2 update and SSDs, there is now hope: Western Digital and SanDisk are offering a firmware update for affected NVMe SSDs. The fix is intended to resolve the dreaded blue screens.

Rescue for “stranded” SSD users

For many Western Digital and SanDisk SSD users, upgrading to Windows 11 24H2 has been a nightmare. Blue screens and system crashes made the latest Windows update unusable for them. But now there is light at the end of the tunnel: a new firmware update promises to fix the problems and pave the way for a trouble-free upgrade.

The error lay in the interaction between the Host Memory Buffer (HMB) of certain NVMe SSDs and the new Windows update. This led to the infamous Blue Screens of Death (BSOD), which drove many users to despair. Several 2TB models from the WD Black, WD Blue and SanDisk Extreme series were affected.

How Western Digital and SanDisk are now communicating a firmware update is available that should resolve this issue. The update can be installed via the Western Digital Dashboard, a software that not only updates the firmware but also provides useful features for monitoring drive health, temperature and speed.

Precautions

Before users carry out the update, it is strongly recommended that they create a backup of all important data. Even though firmware updates are usually safe, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Microsoft has already reacted and is proactively preventing the update to Windows 11 24H2 for systems with the affected SSD models.

List of affected models

This protection measure, known as “Safeguard hold”, remains active until the firmware has been updated. The following NVMe SSDs are affected by the issue and should receive the firmware update:

WD Black SN770 NVMe SSD 2TB
WD Black SN770M NVMe SSD 2TB
WD Blue SN580 NVMe SSD 2TB
WD Blue SN5000 NVMe SSD 2TB
SanDisk Extreme M.2 NVMe SSD 2TB

For owners of these drives, the update is essential to ensure a smooth upgrade to Windows 11 24H2. After installing the new firmware, users who have previously made changes to the Windows registry to work around the issue should review and, if necessary, revert those changes.