Intel firmware fix is in! Finally!

AnandTech - Intel SSD 320 Firmware Posted, Addresses Bad Context 13x Error

Go get it

disclaimer: I have not tried it yet.

 

The tone and wording used by Anand is very interesting(click the first link which point to a previous one of his, two days before this).

it reaffirm my view about these 'reviewers'.

 

Good to see intel reacting and solving the issues, hope everything is good with the 320s.

 

Why am I not surprised that this firmware update is only provided as a Windows blob?
So everybody who doesn't have an OS from Redmont is still stuck with the gamble of having a very expensive 8MB drive one day.

Why are all those companies too stupid to simply offer an OS independent ISO image?

 

Does anyone know after which date 320 series SSDs had the firmware update?

 

debguy, if I'm not mistaken, you download the ISO, burn it to CD/DVD and boot from it. Don't think this requires Windows?

Tsunade, the firmware is dated August 17, 2011 - so, isn't it safe to assume that anything manufactured after this date will include the new firmware?

 

You're right! My bad.
I only read this

and missed the part that they are actually providing an ISO.

@Intel:
Sorry for the false accusation, but please stop giving contradicting info on your websites! Thanks

 

Since the firmware just came out today...

 

I am going to try it when I get back from my weekend trip. After backing up to at least 2 external drives!

 

Cape, I will be updating my systems too early next week - with the exact same BU to 2 devices prior to the update.

Very, very wise move to BU and then, BU again before updating the firmware.

 

I was all excited for my 2nd Gen SSD when I read that it is for that drive and then I read the release notes and it says it does not change anything.

 

Agreed. Plus, waiting a few days to do it gives some time for any early bugs (I hope there are none) to be discovered.

Yep, backup is the way to go. I use Active Disk Image among others.

 

What do you mean ? The first item in the release note


17 August 2011
4PC10362
This firmware revision addresses the “BAD_CTX 13x Error” (8MB capacity, electronic serial number “BAD_CTX 0000013x”) associated with unexpected power-loss under specific conditions.

 

Made public today != already flashed firmware from the factory. Intel may have already been putting the firmware on the 320 being sold, but "officially" releasing to public can be a different story.

 

I find it funny how Intel mentions reworking their validation process, only after 3 generations of SSD. This bug already appeared in the engineering sample of X25-E (back when Intel was getting into the SSD market) that I managed to get my hands on, as well as every other Intel SSD I tried. Maybe they should hire me to work on their validation procedure

 

anyone tried updating firmware via usb flash drives?

 

Yes, works perfectly fine. You simply need a DOS bootable USB drive.

 

In the release notes it states that it makes no changes on the 2nd gen drive.

This FW release was to correct a problem that the 2nd gen does not have. Please correct me if I'm wrong?

 

Apparently the firmware didnt fix it

Users report Intel SSD 320 firmware fix is ineffective

 

And I can't even get mine to update. Ran the disc utility 4 times yesterday, and each time it says it failed...

 

I would stay with the G2(or may be Samsung 470) for a while if I need my next SSD.

 

Good that I didn't have a blank CD for the update. Looks like the updated firmware made things even worse...

I will think twice (may be thrice) before purchasing an intel SSD in the future. This couldn't have been handled worse...


--

 

Intel's only major problems in the SSD line have been firmware related, and we haven't had heard of a problem for a good deal of time.

Looks like Intel has not entirely learned from their mistakes the last time. Great...so what are we supposed to do now, just not buy SSDs?

I never really felt that SSDs were ready for primetime, and stuff like this proves it.

 

It applies to all vendors except may be OCZ's PCI-E boards which according to some owners have seen patch wires and QC fail labels

We saw this in C3, M4 and to some extend Seagate XT as well. HDD's firmware in general are very solid(again due to time test) but they have inherit pontential issues of delicate structure.

SSD's construction is not an issue but firmware is a big challenge as they are still young with much less real world testing for situations to be thrown at them. Added to the fact that to achieve the performance, more risky code is needed(things like multitask/multithread etc.)

G2 and also 310(basically the same firmware) is still a very reliable choice(it also has this 8MB bug but being hit much rarer).

 

The main reason for intel's failure is power cycling. How could this be missed? Don't they have a few drives powered on/off for thousands of times?

After the so-called fixed firmware people claim that Intel's SSD test tool causes the drive to fail. How could this be skipped again? Don't they run their tool on their drives???


--

 

Most SF problems are also related to power. Power cycling on some specific machine is only a way to increase the chance of hitting the problem(transient error in typical software term) again sleep/resume on selected model would trigger SF bugs. Same for the toolkit.

It is very difficult to debug and test a real time OS(which is basically what the firmware is) and SSD is only a side business of Intel. Even their bread and butter CPU has errata(and I am sure they have much better validation process there than SSD firmware).

 

I'm not putting too much stock into one or two random claims of Intel making it worse. They spent a month or more on this fix. Could they have missed something? Sure. It is impossible to catch it all. And even this bug to begin with was rare and occurred only under some rather extreme conditions (hard power cycling, not just a reboot power cycle as I understood it. I.e. computer suddenly loses power due to electrical grid fail).

 

@madmattd

I don't think it is 'extreme condition' but 'random' where the repeated power cycle just increase the chance of hitting these randomness. In a sense, the SSD is kind of in the middle of booting up then being power cycle again.

Intel later then found a way to repeat this error in a 'sure' way then device a fix. So it is rare but not as rare as it was in G2.

 

THats what im doing till PM830

 

I turn my computer off at night and may boot it 3-5 times during the day for updates or whatever. I really carefully chose a reliable SSD over a speed demon. I am now wondering if I should have gone SSD at all. I am hooked on the speed and the way they make things better, like faster boot, but even thought I backup alot, I could still lose the time to rebuild and a few days of work.

This is a bit upsetting as we cannot force Intel to do anything. Just not buy anymore until fixed..

I am scared to do the update.

Even if I wanted to go back to a spinner, I would A. Not know which one to get and B. Hate the slowness and ridiculous boot times! Ah, what to do? For now, nothing, I guess. Just enjoy my 2 drives.

 

I made an image over the weekend and applied the fix to my 320 300GB drive...today I get the dreaded 8MB crash. I should have never flashed the thing. Heated right now.

 

Yeah, that has gotta suck pretty bad.

 

SMH..Indeed

 

Is there no way to revert back or is the SSD completely bricked when you get the 8 MB error?

 

There are ways (destructive) ways to regain the space back

Is 320 firmware buggy?

 

I think the best spinner out there seems to be the Hitachi 7K750.


--

 

Thanks. I also was looking at the Seagate Momentus XT. Seems it has good reviews. I was so sure that SSD's were going to totally catch on and make spinners disappear quickly.

But... I'll take safe data over speed.

 

Not all SSD's are having problems. Research the Samsung 470 for example, it is a very reliable drive. They are also releasing a bigger drive in a month or two.
I think I will leave my G2 well alone. I've never had an issue with it or my E-series.

 

Wow, that sucks. At least you did a full backup over the weekend, so you only lose a couple of days worth of data.

 

I'm hoping the Intel 320 firmware bug does not follow up onto the upcoming Intel Paint Creek mSATA series which uses the same controller (I think?) and possibly the same 25nm MLC chips?

Kinda scary just thinking about it but I'm cheap and was the latest so I'm willing to take a chance since Intel has been the most reliable by far for SSD's. If they screw up....

 

same firmware, same design and if there is a problem, it is very likely to be propagated. mSATA is just a form factor change(well in a sense).