[German]Besides the lsass.exe crash problem (see Windows 10 2004/20H2 lsass.exe crash issue (Oct. 2020) confirmed), Microsoft has confirmed another problem with Windows 10. After upgrading to Windows 10 version 2004 or version 20H2, plugging in a Thunderbolt NVMe SSD may trigger a BlueScreen.
What is NVMe?
The e in the abbreviation NVMe stands for Express. NVM Express (short NVMe) is a software interface (protocol) first released in 2011 to connect SSDs, i.e. nonvolatile memory (NVM), via PCI Express without the need for manufacturer-specific drivers. It is intended to increase the speed, especially during parallel accesses, which are common in multithreading, by reducing the latency and overhead caused by the commands. Thunderbolt NVMe is a way to connect an external NVMe SSD to a system via a Thunderbolt connector.
Thunderbolt NVMe SSD causes BlueScreens
As of November 6, 2020, Microsoft has published the support article After updating to Windows 10, version 20H2 or Windows 10, version 2004, you might receive a stop error when plugging in a Thunderbolt NVMe SSD. Within the article Microsoft confirms an issue with Thunderbolt-attached NVMe SSDs. Intel and Microsoft have found compatibility issues when using Windows 10 version 2004 or Windows 10 version 20H2 with a Thunderbolt NVMe Solid State Disk (SSD).
Connecting such NVMe SSDs via Thunderbolt to a Windows 10 system that has been upgraded to Windows 10 version 2004 or Windows 10 version 20H2 may trigger a BlueScreen On affected devices, the stop error "DRIVER_VERIFIER_DMA_VIOLATION (e6) An illegal DMA operation was attempted by a driver being verified" is displayed. Due to the BlueScreen (BSOD) the machine must be restarted or restarts itself.
Upgrade hold set for Windows 10 2004/20H2
To safeguard users from upgrade issues, Microsoft has introduced an upgrade blocker for Windows 10 devices with affected drivers or firmware from Windows 10 version 2004 or Windows 10 version 20H2. If a user attempts to upgrade their system to Windows 10 version 2004 or Windows 10 version 20H2, the following message may be displayed:
Your PC has hardware that is not ready for this version of Windows 10. Windows Update will automatically offer you this version of Windows 10 once the problem is resolved.
Upgrade blocker Windows 10 2004/20H2, source: Microsoft.com
The above screnshot shows the English version of the upgrade wizard error message. Microsoft and Intel are working on a solution for this error and plan to provide an update for one of the upcoming patchdays. Microsoft also advises against attempting an upgrade manually using the Update Now button or the Media Creation Tool as long as Microsoft is blocking the upgrade.
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