Windows 10 May 2019 Update has issues with external storage

Microsoft announced it's blocking the installation of Windows 10 May 2019 Update on systems with external storage solutions like USB devices or attached SD cards. On a support page, the software giant explains incorrect drive reassignment can occur on these systems.

A future Windows 10 build will contain a bug fix. At the moment, there's a simple workaround: disconnect all USB and SD storage devices before installing the update.

Inappropriate drive reassignment can occur on eligible computers that have an external USB device or SD memory card attached during the installation of the May 2019 update. For this reason, these computers are currently blocked from receiving the May 2019 Update. This generates the error message that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section if the upgrade is tried again on an affected computer.

Example: An upgrade to the May 2019 Update is tried on a computer that has the October 2018 update installed and also has a thumb drive inserted into a USB port. Before the upgrade, the device would have been mounted in the system as drive G based on the existing drive configuration. However, after the upgrade, the device is reassigned a different drive letter. For example, the drive is reassigned as drive H.

Note The drive reassignment is not limited to removable drives. Internal hard drives can also be affected.

The public release of Windows 10 May 2019 Update is expected to start towards the end of May.