Intel Confirms Bug in 320 Series SSD

Brink · 14 Jul 2011

Imagine if you saved your hard earned pennies, stopped eating out for awhile, and made certain sacrifices in your latest build all so you could splurge on Intel's 600GB SSD 320 Series. It'd be worth it, right up until the drive goes haywire and insists it's an 8MB drive. Not cool, yet the so-called '8MB bug' has managed to infest Intel's entire line of 320 SSDs. On the bright side, Intel recently acknowledged the flaw, which is a step in the right direction....

Read more at: Maximum PC | Intel Confirms Bug in 320 Series SSD

Beta · 14 Jul 2011

That Intel for you. They just rush things out without proper testing and let us pay the bill. First the Sandy Brige now this.... Intel need to slow down and spend more money on testing.

profdlp · 14 Jul 2011

Being an optimist, I see it as "the glass is 8/600 full", not as "the glass is 592/600 empty".

Besides, just plug it into one of the original Sandy Bridge MBs and it goes away completely...

carwiz · 14 Jul 2011

Is this the power cycling problem? It's hard to make anything idiot proof much less test for it.

Hopalong X · 14 Jul 2011

carwiz said:

Is this the power cycling problem? It's hard to make anything idiot proof much less test for it.

Thanks Brink.
It is good that Intel is going to check into the problem.

Well my 320 is doing well.
I have a UPS so no damaging shut downs from that.
If it happens I have images and my backup spinner is ready.

essenbe · 14 Jul 2011

Here's another one for you. Intel Communitites.

whs · 14 Jul 2011

This is good to know. Thank you Shawn for bringing it to our attention. Intel really seems to be in deep yogurt lately.

Dave76 · 17 Jul 2011

Thanks for the info Shawn, will have to keep an eye on these developments.

garuda · 31 Jul 2011

This post is intended merely as an interim update on the Intel 320 Series issue cited by Brink. Thanks Shawn for the heads-up. I found this following post by an Intel rep on the Intel Community forum. Hopefully the forthcoming f/w update will fix the problem.

http://communities.intel.com/message/133478#133478

Jul 24, 2011 2:57 PM
Update on "Bad Context 13x Error"
Intel has been investigating the ‘Bad Context 13x Error’ as seen on select Intel® SSD 320 Series drives. This was previously noted in the Intel community post as “SSD Power Loss”. To summarize the error: In certain circumstances, after an unexpected power loss, a small percentage of SSDs may experience this error on the next attempt to boot the system. In this situation, the system’s BIOS reports an SSD as an 8MB capacity drive.

Intel has reproduced ‘Bad Context 13x Error’ utilizing strenuous testing methods. This ‘Bad Context 13x Error’ can be addressed via a firmware update and Intel is in the process of validating the firmware update. A future update will define the schedule to deliver the firmware fix.

The Intel SSD 320 Series continues to be shipped and is available for purchase. If you experience this error with your Intel SSD, please contact your Intel representative or Intel customer support (via web: www.intel.com or phone: www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/contact/phone) .

For those with Intel SSD 320 series SSDs who are concerned but currently unaffected, Intel advises the following actions:

As with any storage device, backup your data regularly
When shutting down your system, follow your system’s standard shutdown process
Minimize unplugging the SSD while your system is powered

Intel takes these issues seriously. Please watch for further updates on this site.

Rgds,
Alan
Intel’s NVM Solutions Group

Dave76 · 31 Jul 2011

Thanks for the update, glad to see they are responding, even though it took a while.