- Microsoft acknowledges a Windows 11 encryption bug that causes data loss.
- The bug affects devices with Vector Advanced Encryption Standard (VAES) support.
- The problem is already fixed on the June 2022 update and higher releases.
- If you have an outdated system, install the latest updates of Windows 11.
If you have a device with fairly new hardware, you better install the latest update of Windows 11 to prevent data loss and performance issues. Microsoft recently acknowledged (via Ars Technica) that Windows Server 2022 and Windows 11 have an acceleration encryption bug that can result in data corruption.
The company also says you should install the June 2022 or higher update release on your computer or server to prevent further damage. However, it’s not offering any solution for anyone who has already lost data because of the bug.
The problem only affects modern hardware that supports the Vector Advanced Encryption Standard (VAES) feature, which accelerates encryption operations.
On Intel, the VAES feature is supported on the Ice Lake, Tiger Lake, Rocket Lake, and Alder Lake architectures that power the 10th, 11th, and 12th generation processors. On AMD, only the Zen 4 architecture supports the Vector Advanced Encryption Standard. However, since these processors won’t be available for a few months, there’s still time to mitigate the bug.
According to Microsoft, the bug comes as a result of the added “new code paths” to the Windows 11 cryptographic function library to support the new encryption instructions in SymCrypt. So, Windows 10 and older versions are not affected by this encryption bug.
The company’s first attempt to resolve the problem was with the rollout of the June 2022 update, but the patch also caused a slowdown in system performance. However, the July 2022 update should restore the performance level.
Since updates are cumulative, meaning that they include the fixes and enhancements as well as the previously available patches, you only need to download and install the latest update of Windows 11.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].