SSD Thread (Benchmarks, Brands, News, and Advice)

[ekovalsky]

Noob question: I'm trying to update the firmware on my Samsung 256gb drive with the VBM19D1Q firmware to the VBM1901Q. I used a win98 usb boot disk with the maindiag.exe, mf.bin and if.bin files on it. I also enabled IDE 32 bit compatibility in the bios and when I start the program, it gives me the following error:



So what am I doing wrong?

Exact same problem here, trying to upgrade my Dell 256GB SSD (installed in Dell XPS Studio 16) which came with VBM151DQ firmware. I've tried with SATA option set both to IDE and AHCI in BIOS and also tried the flash from hard start so the drive would not be in locked/frozen state. I booted into DOS using a USB floppy drive.

For what its worth, I tried to run the Samsung flashers from Lenovo which immediately did recognize my drive (on Port 0) unlike maindiag.exe - of course I couldn't do the flash since it is for different models, but seems the problem is with the Samsung maindiag.exe utility not working through the Dell BIOS.

Any solution to this ? Really would like to upgrade my drive to at least the 1901Q since my unit (purchased in Sept) came with very old firmware. In the meantime I am using PD10 & FF Cleaner to maintain it.

Hopefully Samsung will have a better flash utility that won't cause issues in common laptops, along with the latest and greatest FW, I think VBM2401Q is out there on new production.

[sleey0]

Do you have a desktop that you can put your SSD in?

That would be the quickest and easiest solution. Just pop it in the desktop, flash, and put it back into the lappy.

I would just wait another month as Samsung is supposed to be releasing fw very soon. Do we even know what improvements (if any) the newer fw brings?

[5150Joker]

did you some 98 boot disk you made or downloaded? because the instructions are pretty clear sbout using a usb drive, with the HP disk format tool.

I used what Samsung suggests in that document file. I'm going to give the desktop method a try like some suggested.


Edit: It worked! Had to put it as a master drive on the desktop with port 0 and it did it. I only used mf.bin to flash it so I could keep my data; if.bin is only if I wanted to erase the SSD right?

[ekovalsky]

My desktop has an EVA/Nvidia 780i mainboard with one PATA connector (two devices) and six SATA ports. I cannot hook up the SSD to the PATA connector as it uses the wide IDE connector. I can of course connect it to any of the six SATA connectors, but there is no option for "IDE compatibility or ATA mode", just a menu to turn RAID on or off for each individual port. I can turn on just 0, 0+1, or all six; or turn them all off. No other options to individually configure any particular port.

So anyone know if the Samsung flash utility (Maindiag.exe) will even be able to see the SSD on one of the SATA ports ? If I didn't already have two RAID arrays set up and if the nVidia RAID were a bit mroe robust I'd be lot more eager to experiment! I assume the only chance it has of working is to turn RAID off and try the drive on each port to see if one will map to where the flash utility can see it.

I'd be more willing to wait until the official FW update but it has been pushed back repeatedly now for months, and I have zero confidence of Samsung releasing it within any finite period of time. Hopefully I'm wrong and in a couple weeks everyone will have the latest and greatest, bug-free firmware to install without hassle !

Do you have a desktop that you can put your SSD in?

That would be the quickest and easiest solution. Just pop it in the desktop, flash, and put it back into the lappy.

I would just wait another month as Samsung is supposed to be releasing fw very soon. Do we even know what improvements (if any) the newer fw brings?

[sleey0]

I am not familiar with that mobo, so I don't know if it will work in AHCI mode or not.

Are you positive there is no "Legacy" setting or whatnot for the SATA ports?

I would just give it a try and see if it will work.

[5150Joker]

So about the GC mode, will it work if I let the system sit idle at the bios screen or does Windows have to be active?

[sleey0]

That is a darn good question. I would imagine it would work regardless as Windows doesn't really have anything to do with GC (just TRIM, of course).

[tilleroftheearth]

So about the GC mode, will it work if I let the system sit idle at the bios screen or does Windows have to be active?

That is a darn good question. I would imagine it would work regardless as Windows doesn't really have anything to do with GC (just TRIM, of course).

Actually, from what I've read, you either have GC firmware or TRIM enabled firmware, but not both. So, if you're running TRIM enabled firmware - no GC, right?

5150Joker,

Just want to point out that many SSD firmware updates are in two (or more) parts - I don't want to assume that yours is the same, but I would be a little uneasy running your SSD right now. Why?

Because if it is a two part firmware - you are running part new and part old firmware on your SSD. That's what I'm scared of.

Can you post a link to the firmware instructions for me? (Just curious).

[5150Joker]

Actually, from what I've read, you either have GC firmware or TRIM enabled firmware, but not both. So, if you're running TRIM enabled firmware - no GC, right?

5150Joker,

Just want to point out that many SSD firmware updates are in two (or more) parts - I don't want to assume that yours is the same, but I would be a little uneasy running your SSD right now. Why?

Because if it is a two part firmware - you are running part new and part old firmware on your SSD. That's what I'm scared of.

Can you post a link to the firmware instructions for me? (Just curious).

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AT...lzaGJkNQ&hl=en

[sleey0]

Hmm... I might use the Clean All Nand setting.

That may be of some use to me once my system gets here Thanks for the link Joker!