Confirm drive and vendor compatibility before a Windows firmware update

Source facts

Windows-native firmware updating requires drives that implement the relevant supported commands; Microsoft describes hardware testing requirements for SAS, SATA, and NVMe devices. Microsoft recommends applying the firmware recommended by the hardware vendor or OEM before a server enters production. The documented ability to update a production drive without downtime is conditional on support for the Windows firmware-update mechanism. Microsoft documentation.

Applicability

Use this review when preparing a drive firmware change. Identify the complete supported storage solution, not just a drive model. Review the vendor instructions and the source’s production-update precautions for the actual deployment.

DSE recommendation

Create a drive-specific plan naming the current firmware, proposed image, hardware identity, and vendor support reference. Have the storage owner approve the update sequence and workload acceptance test. Confirm the available recovery arrangements and monitoring coverage before execution. Pilot the approved image on an appropriate representative device and retain the original inventory for comparison.

Verification

After the approved update, query the actual firmware revision and compare it with the intended image. Examine storage and application health through the agreed workload test. Record any interruption observed instead of assuming none occurred. Preserve the result for each drive and pause the remaining sequence if the image or health evidence differs from the plan.

Official references

Microsoft Learn: Updating drive firmware. Source reviewed September 8, 2026.