Windows 11 24H2 Update: BSoD Issues with Western Digital NVMe SSDs

Riding the waves of Windows updates, the recent 24H2 iteration for Windows 11 has emerged alongside an unwelcome guest—a series of distressing Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) incidents for owners of specific Western Digital NVMe SSDs. This unsettling scenario has transformed a routine update into a perplexing puzzle for users relying on some models of Western Digital’s storage solutions, notably the WD Black SN770 and the WD Blue SN580.

The Trouble with 24H2​

From its arrival, Windows 11 24H2 was poised to deliver smoother performance and new features. However, a dark cloud has settled over users of certain NVMe drives. Reports flooding in from the WD community indicate a nightmare situation where users are grappling with random BSoD crashes and, worst of all, boot loops—a tech user's equivalent of a bad horror movie ending.

What's Causing the Carnage?​

The root of the problem is tangled in the Host Memory Buffer (HMB) feature—a memory management system that leverages the main system RAM as a cache for SSDs lacking dedicated DRAM. This approach is beneficial when working effectively, but the latest update seems to have misconfigured how much memory is allocated, setting it at a hefty 200MB instead of a more manageable size.
As the news swept through technology forums, a workaround emerged, masking itself as a potential lifesaver. A simple journey into your Registry settings could yield a solution. Users reported success by either disabling the HMB feature entirely or adjusting the allocation policy. Specifically, switching the HMBAllocationPolicy to 0 disables the feature, while setting it to 2 limits the buffer to 64MB—an elegant fix that retains some performance boosts while keeping your machine operational.

Registry or Rollback: The User's Crossroad​

For those less inclined to play registry tinkerer, there's an alternative: rolling back to the previous Windows version, 23H2. This is a straightforward remedy that many users have found effective, allowing them to escape the chaotic aftermath of 24H2 while waiting for either a Microsoft patch or a firmware fix from Western Digital. Unfortunately, even updating the SSD firmware has not been a reliable fix so far, complicating matters further.

The Bigger Picture​

With the phased rollout of Windows 11 24H2, it's critical for Microsoft to address this growing concern before it snowballs. Users of Western Digital NVMe SSDs are numerous, and the probability of this bug affecting a larger audience as the update gains traction is significant. Experts anticipate Microsoft implementing a compatibility hold for affected machines to preemptively shield those systems from this BSoD barrage.

Conclusion: Stay Tuned​

As it stands, Western Digital SSD users—especially those wielding the SN770 and SN580—should remain vigilant. While tinkering with the Registry might be the quick fix you're looking for, pressing pause on the update may be the safest route until more information is available.
For those eager to discuss and share their experiences, our forum is open for debate, innovation, and troubleshooting assistance regarding these SSD issues and the wider implications of Windows updates. Stay safe, and happy computing!
Source: TweakTown Own a Western Digital SSD? Windows 11 24H2 could be a BSoD nightmare - but there's a fudged fix