AMD confirms GPU driver bug is writing data continuously, promises fix with next update
The problem, which affects only Windows PCs, has been reported by multiple users on social media, online message boards, and official AMD forums for years. Some users have complained that the excessive disk activity was reducing their SSD's lifespan by around 1% every month. One user even claimed that their... Read Entire Article
AMD has confirmed that a bug in its Radeon GPU drivers causes continuous, unnoticed data writing to system drives, regardless of PC activity. This issue accelerates SSD wear and reduces drive lifespan. The problem, impacting only Windows PCs, has been reported for years on various platforms. AMD's External Events Utility service, responsible for the atieclxx.exe process, handles display-related functions, including monitor detection and Radeon software hotkeys.
The faulty process writes data to log files on the system drive at speeds up to 5 MB/s, potentially generating over 12TB of data per month if continuous. Reports surfaced last month after Adrenalin 26.10.1 and 26.10.2 driver updates, gaining more attention after Reddit user darklinkpower shared workarounds, such as disabling the External Events Utility service.
While FreeSync remains functional with the workaround, frame pacing may become erratic. AMD representatives confirmed the bug results from an interaction between External Events Utility and Microsoft's PCIe filter driver, with a fix expected in Adrenalin 26.11.1 by month-end.
Written by urgent.news from TechSpot's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
