Windows 11 24H2 Update Fails on WD SN770 SSDs Despite Firmware Fix

In a perplexing turn of events for PC users and enthusiasts, Windows 11 version 24H2 updates continue to fail on systems equipped with Western Digital’s widely lauded SN770 NVMe solid-state drives, despite the fact that a corrective firmware update has been available for over eight months. While this compatibility issue originally emerged late last year, it has evolved into a case study in the complexities of maintaining compatibility in a rapidly shifting hardware and software ecosystem. Users affected by the update block are left scrambling for solutions, often in the absence of formal acknowledgment or guidance from Microsoft. Here, we take a closer look at what’s gone wrong, how users are navigating the impasse, and what it reveals about ongoing challenges in the Windows update landscape.

The Issue: Windows 11 24H2 Refuses to Install on WD SN770 Drives​

For many, the WD Black SN770 is a go-to option for high-speed, affordable solid-state storage, frequently recommended by reviewers and enthusiast sites alike. Its popularity has transformed what might have been a minor compatibility hiccup into a widespread frustration. Flash forward to today: users who attempt to update to Windows 11 24H2 are greeted with an ambiguous error—Windows politely informs them that their PC contains hardware “not ready for this version of Windows” and promises that the update will arrive “once the issue is resolved.” No further explanation is provided, nor do affected users receive a clear path to remediation.
What makes this situation especially perplexing is that a fix has technically existed since October of the previous year, as corroborated by Neowin and Tom’s Hardware. Western Digital pushed out a firmware revision targeting the conflict, allowing the SN770 to work seamlessly with Windows 11 version 24H2 and beyond. Yet Microsoft’s update mechanism still refuses to allow users through, even if the fix is available and potentially already installed.

Digging Deeper: The Technical Roots of the Conflict​

The heart of the issue appears tied to how the SN770 manages its Host Memory Buffer (HMB)—a core part of how many NVMe SSDs offload metadata caching tasks to your system’s RAM. While HMB has been widely adopted as a performance-enhancing feature in DRAM-less SSDs, certain firmware and driver implementations can lead to compatibility issues when new operating system builds introduce changes to memory management or NVMe command sets.
Though Western Digital did address this with an updated firmware, the transition has been anything but smooth. According to multiple reports, Microsoft’s update block remains in place on all systems with SN770 drives regardless of firmware version, largely because the company has not updated its internal compatibility database to recognize the fix. Worse, the issue goes unmentioned in Microsoft’s own Windows Release Health documentation, a resource typically relied upon for transparency about update blocks and workarounds.

Communication Breakdown: Where’s the Official Guidance?​

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of clear communication in situations like this. Whether the root cause lies with Microsoft, Western Digital, or somewhere between the two, what matters most to end users is actionable information. Instead, many have found themselves sifting through forums and third-party news sites to piece together what’s going on. The official Microsoft documentation remains silent on the issue; there’s no mention of the SN770 or its specific compatibility concerns in relevant knowledge bases or health dashboards.
This communications vacuum has left users at the mercy of anecdotal evidence from forums and publications like Tom’s Hardware. Some users report finding a vague link to a support page when attempting the update, but even this offers little in the way of substantive troubleshooting steps.

Navigating the Roadblock: The Role of the SanDisk Dashboard​

One breakthrough, albeit a poorly publicized one, is that the official tool for managing and updating WD Black SN770 firmware is now the SanDisk Dashboard, not the traditional Western Digital SSD Dashboard. This is largely due to the corporate split earlier in the year, in which Western Digital retained its traditional hard drive business while Sandisk assumed stewardship of NAND-based products and SSDs. The confusion isn’t trivial: even users who intuitively search Western Digital’s website for a fix may be sent down a fruitless path.
The SanDisk Dashboard is available via Sandisk’s official support pages and supports a wide array of SSDs—including the WD Green, Blue, Red, WD_Black, as well as several M.2 and Extreme models under the SanDisk brand. It offers a user-friendly interface for checking the latest firmware revisions and applying critical updates.
Several users have verified that manually updating to the latest firmware with the SanDisk Dashboard allowed the Windows 11 24H2 update to install without issue. However, for most, the path to this solution was anything but obvious. Documentation from both Microsoft and Western Digital provided little guidance on using the SanDisk Dashboard or on which firmware revision would resolve the update block.

Step-by-Step: How to Safely Update Your SN770 Firmware​

For those stuck behind the update block, the following process—derived from independent reports and cross-referenced with official support pages—should resolve the issue in most cases:

1. Confirm Your SSD Model and Firmware​

• Open Device Manager in Windows (search for "Device Manager" from the Start Menu).
• Expand "Disk Drives" and locate your WD Black SN770.
• Right-click, select "Properties," then navigate to the "Details" tab and select "Hardware Ids" to confirm the exact model.
• Under the "Events" or "Details" tab, look for current firmware version information.

2. Download and Install SanDisk Dashboard​

• Go to the SanDisk official support page for downloads.
• Download the latest SanDisk Dashboard utility.
• Install as administrator, then launch the tool.

3. Check for and Apply Firmware Updates​

• With the SN770 selected, look for any available firmware updates within the SanDisk Dashboard.
• The firmware version released in October 2024 or later is required. Double-check release notes on the SanDisk or WD support page for confirmation.
• Apply the update. The system will usually require a reboot.

4. Attempt the Windows 11 24H2 Update Again​

• After rebooting, reinitiate the Windows 11 24H2 upgrade via Windows Update or the official ISO installation tool.
• The block should no longer appear if the correct firmware is installed.

Safety Notes​

• As always, back up your data before performing any firmware updates. Mishaps are rare but catastrophic if they occur.
• If you’re uncertain about the update process, consider seeking help from a local IT professional or via WD’s support channels.

Analysis: Why Does the Update Block Persist?​

The persistence of this issue—months after a fix has become available—raises critical questions about the coordination between hardware, firmware, and OS vendors. Several factors appear to be at play:

• Update Detection: Microsoft’s hardware compatibility or “blocklist” databases are not dynamically updated to reflect individual SSD firmware versions. Thus, even if a user applies the correct fix, the update pipeline will continue to block device models associated with known issues until Microsoft explicitly removes the block.
• Vendor Coordination: Western Digital’s split with Sandisk complicates support workflows, making it less straightforward for users to find the right update tools and documentation.
• Documentation Gaps: Neither company has provided clear, user-accessible documentation outlining the nature of the problem or the required steps to resolve it. Even support staff may be unaware.

In many ways, this sort of issue exemplifies the “gray area” of PC maintenance where responsibility—and communication—can be fragmented. It’s a reminder of the critical role played by rigorous, up-to-date documentation and user education in an era where so many components and vendors must interoperate seamlessly.

Notable Strengths of the Newer Firmware Approach​

• Direct Compatibility Restoration: The firmware update appears to fully resolve the OS-level conflict, restoring access to Windows updates and ensuring long-term compatibility.
• Self-Service Update Pathway: With tools like the SanDisk Dashboard, users can bypass potentially lengthy RMA or support ticket processes and resolve the issue autonomously.
• Broad Device Support: SanDisk Dashboard maintains support for a range of models, making it a one-stop shop for SSD management across both legacy WD and current Sandisk lines.

Potential Risks and Ongoing Concerns​

• User Confusion and Update Fatigue: Lack of direct guidance from either Microsoft or Western Digital means users rely on third-party reporting and trial-and-error, significantly raising the bar for average users.
• Documentation Lag: With little information in official release health dashboards, the risk of users making ill-informed decisions—such as prematurely updating, or, conversely, staying on outdated firmware—remains high.
• Silent Failures and Data Risk: Firmware updates, while generally safe, carry a non-zero risk of drive failure, especially if interrupted. For enterprise or irreplaceable personal data, this remains an important caveat.
• Future-Proofing: It is unclear whether similar issues might reemerge for other NAND-based Western Digital or Sandisk drives, especially as the company realigns its product support infrastructure post-split.

Critical Takeaways for Windows Enthusiasts and IT Admins​

This episode serves as a cautionary tale of how even the best hardware and software can falter due to communication lapses. For IT administrators, it underscores the importance of staying abreast of firmware changes—not just OS or driver updates—when planning for major Windows cycles like 24H2. For enthusiasts and everyday users, it highlights the value of checking third-party news sites such as Tom’s Hardware, which have proven instrumental in surfacing nuanced, actionable information largely absent from formal support channels.
Moreover, it raises important questions about ecosystem stewardship in the wake of corporate splits and reorgs. As Western Digital and Sandisk have learned, ensuring continuity in support tools and documentation is critical—not just for peace of mind, but for actual system operability.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)​

Is my data at risk during a firmware update?
While modern SSD firmware update tools strive for safety and reliability, any flash operation carries minimal risks. Always back up critical data before patching firmware.
Will this issue affect other drives, like the SN850 or non-NAND WD SSDs?
Currently, only the SN770 series is explicitly affected, but updates should be checked for all drives before any major OS upgrade. SSDs under the new Sandisk support umbrella may see better update alignment going forward.
Why can’t Microsoft automate firmware fixes via Windows Update?
While technically feasible, firmware updates often require vendor-supplied utilities and unique procedures, particularly if BIOS or pre-boot environments are involved. Microsoft typically blocks the update until a manual intervention is confirmed safe and widespread.
I’ve updated the firmware but still can’t install Windows 11 version 24H2—what now?
Ensure the correct firmware version is installed, and double-check the SanDisk Dashboard for pending updates. If the block persists, it may be necessary to wait for Microsoft to officially remove their block or to seek assistance via support forums or WD/Sandisk customer service.

Looking Forward: Improving the Update Experience​

It’s rare that an issue affecting only a subset of SSDs can cause such widespread disruption to a major OS upgrade cycle. Yet the SN770 Windows 11 24H2 standoff highlights enduring realities of the Windows ecosystem: the necessity for vendor cooperation, the centrality of timely firmware updates, and the critical cost of communication breakdowns.
For users stuck in this update limbo, a fix is tantalizingly close but requires a proactive approach and a willingness to navigate multiple brands’ support pages. Until Microsoft updates the eligibility list in its update servers, or—better yet—coordinates with hardware vendors to better automate firmware deployment, users will need to rely on tools such as the SanDisk Dashboard and an active community of fellow PC enthusiasts.
In the longer term, refinements in both Windows Update infrastructure and SSD vendor communications could prevent such issues from recurring. For now, the episode stands as a vivid illustration that even in the age of cloud-powered updates and smart PCs, the human factor—documentation, transparency, and responsiveness—remains as vital as ever.

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Source: Tom's Hardware Windows 11 24H2 updates are still failing on Western Digital's SN770, despite the fact that a fix came out 8 months ago — here's what to do if you're stuck