Unable to update my Samsung 850 Pro Firmware

I bought a Samsung 850 PRO 1TB that came with firmware EXM02B6Q from the factory but I noticed that my Samsung 850 PRO 256GB is running the older firmware EXM01B6Q


I checked for firmware updates using Magician 4.5 but it says the firmware is the latest.

I then downloaded the firmware manually but it is just 2 *.eNC files which I don't know how to use to manually update using Magician

I also downloaded the ISO and burned it to a disc but it wasn't bootable. I also tried burning it to a flash disk using Rufus but again, it wasn't bootable! *** why can't Samsung make it simpler to update a stupid firmware!

Please help

 

Is that 256GB 850 Pro an OEM version? You're pretty much stuck if it is.

 

No bro, retail box and sealed, bought from Amazon

I don't understand why isn't Magician seeing the update but my 1TB 850 PRO already came updated!

 

The model number is MZ-7KE256, correct?

Could be they found issues with the later firmware then?

 

Does me having the IRST driver installed instead of the MSAHCI drive have anything to do with the fact that Magician isn't seeing the update? I doubt it but I had to mention this

Also, the main point is, the manually downloaded firmware doesn't actually end up creating a bootable flash disc or cd, it doesn't boot off it

 

Obviously, with OEM restricted firmware they don't want us to have a bootable and easily flash-able firmware on their SSD's. Even if they are retail.

You could try uninstalling the IRST driver, it may allow the update to proceed within magician.

 

yup that's the model number, it could be what you said, also could be that the firmware or tech support team did a crappy job as usual with the updater since even at this point, their manually downloaded firmware when burned to a CD doesn't actually make it bootable.

 

Hmmm... can't even get a download link from Samsung USA for any SSD firmware.

How did you find it?

 

1) http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/minisite/SSD/global/html/support/downloads.html

2) Scroll down a bit

3)


BTW, I just uninstalled the IRST driver and rebooted and ensured I'm running on the MSAHCI driver but Magician still finds no updates

help me please

 

In your first post you mention you burned the ISO to disk. How?

Can you use a known/bootable USB drive and simply copy the downloaded ISO contents to it?

It may not auto start, but you should be able to manually initiate the firmware update.

 

burned the ISO using UltraISO

I also tried using RUFUS to create a bootable USB Disk

let me try again using diff. options in RUFUS

 

Are you using Windows 8/8.1?

Just try right-clicking and selecting 'burn disc image'.

 

I am using 8.1 Pro FTW as per your recommendation, when I right click there is no burn disc image bro

 

the thing is, if you actually open the ISO file using WinRAR, all you will see is a folder that says ISOLINUX which doesn't make sense, where are all the boot files......can you try please

 

Right clicking on the ISO file, right?

I just checked and that option works here. But can't test - no CD/DVD's to play with.

 

Solved the issue, I had to disable Secure boot and enable legacy ROM in order for the CD to be bootable

then I had to do a freakin' power cycle while the laptop was on so had to turn it back and remove all the screws, what a damn hassle!

finally it's done! Samsung just couldn't make it more complicated to update a firmware for an OS drive heh!

 

In all fairness, the Secure Boot and Legacy ROM options would be needed regardless of the Samsung specific update.

Glad you solved it in the end.

Oh! Any differences between the firmware versions on your 256GB 850 Pro?

 

not a thing and I cannot even benchmark because the previous benchmarks I did on this Samsung 850 PRO were on Windows 7 and now I'm on Windows 8.1 Pro so the Win 7 scores are 15% higher, wouldn't be a fair comparison

Previous firmware on Win 7:



Updated firmware on Windows 8.1:

 

The offset changed going to Win8.1?

Any reason that you're not running IRST 13.x with Win8?

 

the offset is always like this in Windows 8.1, be it an SSD benchmark or 3DMark, always lower in 8.1

as for the IRST driver, the later ones give me worse speeds particularly on the 4K random reads/writes so I stick to Intel Rapid Storage Technology 12.8.0.1016

I'll do another test now to confirm, please standby

 

Here it is, not MUCH slower, just a few points, but not an improvement:

 

Do the scores correspond to your seat of the pants impressions when using the different drivers?

Using one version for a few days to a week and then switching to another is the easiest way for me to 'feel/see' any differences - and not in bm scores, but just using the system normally.

Almost without fail, the latest drivers 'feel' the fastest to me in my various workflows. Especially where 'snappiness' is concerned.

 

Have you tried seeing the consistency of bm scores? Do they vary as much as the different driver versions you test?

 

they vary in a margin of 1 to 5% only, probably due to TRIM may have not completed properly but I try to ensure the environment is as similar as possible to what I benchmarked before. Like these 2 benchmarks were done with all my currently installed software and my antivirus disabled after a fresh boot and waiting for about 2 minutes till everything was loaded completely

 

The 1% is not an issue, but when it gets to 5%... that is the difference between Win7 and Win8 scores.

When I do bm runs, I do a reboot, wait 5 minutes and leave A/V running (that is how the system is used, after all). Then, I force an Automatic Maintenance run and when that completes is when I run the bm.

But even with all the above, I still don't put scores above what I see in actual use over the course of a week or so (and comparing to what I was running previously).


Thanks for the conversation today!

 

And yet another test I've done this time with IRST 13.1.0.1058 (win 8.1 pro)

 

All my knowledge about OPing by 30%, installing Windows 8.1 PRO, SSD tweaks, come from you, you taught me everything since my first SSD thank you so much

now, I will stick to driver IRST 13.1.0.1058 as it also comes from Alienware's driver download page and is faster than 13.2.....

My system feels snappier with it and that's all that matters

 

You'll also have to thank everyone who taught me too.

Maybe not specifically for SSD's, but for the method of teaching me to look for the simplest changes with the biggest positive, real world results.

Wish I could remember all their names here, but there are too many and from too far back in time to properly recount them all.

But, as they once said to me; glad I am able to pass it on to others. That is the biggest thanks I can give them.

 

True, it is the combined tips and knowledge from everyone that makes us who we are today. thanks for the good convo man

 

Amen!

 

This is from Samsung page, it says "Zipped files must be used with Samsung Magician Software"
but I don't know how one can use the zip file to update the F/W using Magician software

 

same here, ****ty support from a company that lies about its international warranty. you have to create a boot disk using the downloaded ISO, disable secure boot and enable legacy rom (sometimes called CMS on some motherboards) to do the update, then revert back the BIOS settings to what they were

 

Thanks for that

 

Here is an As ssd result with 850Pro and Win 8.1. Have had higher scores(1156) earlier with the same win 8.1. Sees that Magician 4.5 says that there is a firmware update ready .. Does anyone know why it comes and with which improvement or is it a standard update?

 

Here my AS SSD result after firmware update...

 

That is not your SSD pal your are benchmarking your RAM. Stop lying to yourself

That is the stupid RAPID mode on which I call CRAPID!!

If you turn on CRAPID mode, you are not benchmarking your SSD anymore, you are benchmarking your RAM.

Translate that intro real world performance and it means absolutely nothing.

For example, test this.....

Copy a huge 10GB + video file or whatever large file you want from your C: partition to another partition on another disk......

you will notice that the Windows file copy progress finishes insanely fast.....the moment it finishes the copy, I want you to restart your system

then check that file you copied, it would be corrupt, reason is, yes the file copy progress finished fast, but it didn't finish really, all it was doing is copying the file from your SSD to the RAM Cache and not the actual 2nd SSD or HDD you were intending to copy to, then after it goes to your RAM Cache using CRAPID, it is supposed to copy from the RAM Cache onto the actual disk in the background which didn't happen in this test I did since I restart immediately after the fake file transfer progress was finished.

so it's just cheating + placebo effect

And after you read this, you will never enable RAPID again.....it will actually make your performance worse not better

A Closer look at the crappy CRAPID


PS: I never enable RAPID on any of my 3 Samsung SSDs

 

First dude, You need chili out a bit ok? Didnt turn on any f... RAPID on my samsumg, after update this option was turned on, dont ask me why i have no idea. Thought is smth wrong with my ssd after update so i uploaded screenshot from AS SSD. After turn rapid off everything seems ok.

 

not an issue, just thought you were one of those people who likes to turn on RAPID to brag about fake benchmarks since they are benchmarks of the RAM and not the SSD.

All good

 

It is much better to make a big Ram disk of excess memory .. than this garbage Rapid Crapid ...

 

No such thing as excess memory (except for very specific workflows).

Better to simply let Windows use it as it sees fit. Still the best way to utilize RAM and nobody or nothing needs to second guess what the O/S actually wants/needs for the most fluid workflow possible.

 

What should I do with 32gb memory ?

 

Enjoy!

 

If the new F/W update going to change my settings, I would leave it as it is for the time being.

 

Show Off.. Troll .. I'm dying here with 12GB

 

I also have a license for PrimoCache, used it, deleted that crap! Caching software is just a gimmick, it makes things seem like they finished fast as it copies them to /from RAM but then it continues to copy them on to the real disk in the background! another form of cheating no thanks! when I restart, unplug an external HDD, etc. I wanna do it without having to wonder if anything is still copying in the background or not. it's just lying to one's self and lying to benchmarks. RAM disks are a different thing but I can't be bothered really an SSD is faster than I could ever want

 

Look at this. Samsung sucks .. http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/after-samsung-840-evo-issues-now-the-850-pro-has-issues-too.html

 

It sucks monkey balls

 

All new software and hardware sucks now .. Bios with secure boot / windows sucks (rotten windows patch / nvidia cuts out overclocking in vbios on new mobile graphics / Nvidia cuts out overclocking in drivers / Samsung firmware and repair tool does not work / New generation soldered processor and graphics card. Intel mob processors only with better igpu not the real perfomance on the core's ... the list could be much longer. Everything is worse now in 2015.

 

I think the firmware bug is targeting EU and ASIA user only, per the fb group.

 

yeah you forgot everything is now touch ****ty screen. gone are the days of real man physical keyboards. That's why I hang on to my BlackBerry Classic, I can never stand typing in a touch screen, I feel like I'm disabled if I do and type so slow