Updated, 5/10/2018, 12:30pm PT: Microsoft has updated its post outlining the bug and listed the impacted Intel SSDs.
Updated, 5/9/2018, 7:00am PT:Intel responded to our queries, and to the company's knowledge, these errors only apply to the Intel SSD 600p Series and SSD Pro 6000p models. We've also pinged Microsoft for more detail and await a response.
Original article, 5/8/2018, 11:20am PT:
Microsoft has announced that it's blocking some systems with Intel SSDs from receiving the Windows 10 April 2018 update. Microsoft's April 2018 update began rolling out to Windows 10 systems on April 30, but the update has caused some systems with Intel SSDs to enter a UEFI screen reboot or crash repeatedly. For now, users with unspecified Intel SSDs will not receive the April update automatically, and they also cannot install the update manually.
Microsoft has pushed updates to many systems with Intel SSDs already, but it advises impacted users to roll back to Windows 10 version 1709, which you can do by hitting F8 during the boot process and restoring the previous version of the operating system.
But who are the impacted users? Microsoft hasn't shared the specific Intel SSD models that are impacted by the errors. We also aren't sure if the error applies to Intel's beastly Optane SSDs. Microsoft also cites performance and stability issues as key components of the errors, so it's possible that users with the April update can unknowingly suffer from reduced performance if they have an Intel SSD installed in their system. As such, until Microsoft or Intel provides a list of specific models, it might be wise to roll back your operating system to 1709 if you have an Intel SSD.
The company also hasn't shared any technical details about the errors. The errors are surprising given that Intel's SSDs use industry-standard protocols, such as SATA and NVMe, that ensure broad compatibility. We also don't know if these issues pertain only to SSDs that use a certain protocol. Intel does deliver its own custom drivers for some products, so there is a chance that the fix may require a combination of a new Intel driver along with changes from Microsoft.
Windows 10 will receive a "future" update to address the issue, at which point users with Intel SSDs can migrate to the April 2018 update. However, Microsoft has not released a firm arrival date for the fix. We've reached out to Intel and Microsoft for a list of the impacted SSDs. We will follow up as we uncover more information.
