Need to boot windows via removable storage to update my SSD.

I've run into a problem on my system involving my SSD, OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS, causing my system to pause/lock-up. Upon contacting my manufacturer (Origin) about the problem, they told me that it was my SSD firmware most likely. After researching I confirmed this myself. Boatloads of people have had this same issue with the older firmware, which I have.

Updating should solve all my issues. But PROBLEM : My secondary hard drive does not have a compatible partition style for installing Windows (it has a different style because it's a very large HDD) and I can't get remote assistance on the issue due to my ethernet port being broken. I can't send in my system either because I'm currently living as an expat in China and sending things like this back and forth across the border is nearly impossible and not affordable. There are no Origin shops here in China and even if there were I wouldn't exactly trust it. The only place you can send a computer in is Origin HQ in Miami Florida, which I can't do.

So yeah, I'm in a complicated situation. My SSD is freezing up constantly now. I need this fixed or I'm as good as done for.

I have these other storage devices. It's all I've got now :

> 16GB Kingston SD card (SD4/16GB)
> 4GB Flash Drive

Can I install windows to one of the spare drives?

OCZ has a bootable Linux disc on their website that allows you do update the firmware of an SSD that has Windows installed on it.

http://www.ocztechnology.com/ssd_tools/SandForce_Based/

It's called the Linux-based tool near the bottom.

Thank you. I've never used Linux before, but hell I may as well see what all the Linux lovers are about.

Also, I created a new thread by accident (chrome saved my post, I got froze out of a boot pause when writing the first tim time)

You can find it here : Need to boot windows via removable storage to update my SSD.

Any more options would be appreciated if this one fails. Thanks again.

DeaconFrost said:

OCZ has a bootable Linux disc on their website that allows you do update the firmware of an SSD that has Windows installed on it.

OCZ Technology

It's called the Linux-based tool near the bottom.

Actually...

"Updating the firmware from the toolbox is not supported when Windows is running off the drive you are trying to update.

-Toolbox will not update a primary system drive (e.g. drive letter "C:"). You must run Windows from another drive and then update your SSD using Toolbox."

Explain that? Does this warning only apply to the first option?

Alexander Moore said:

DeaconFrost said:

OCZ has a bootable Linux disc on their website that allows you do update the firmware of an SSD that has Windows installed on it.

OCZ Technology

It's called the Linux-based tool near the bottom.

Actually...

"Updating the firmware from the toolbox is not supported when Windows is running off the drive you are trying to update.

-Toolbox will not update a primary system drive (e.g. drive letter "C:"). You must run Windows from another drive and then update your SSD using Toolbox."

Explain that? Does this warning only apply to the first option?

OCZ doesn't permit updating the firmware of the Windows boot drive using their Windows utility. I suppose that you could install WIndows to another drive and do it from there, but I'm not clear on what must be done to have two bootable drives connected to the same PC.

I've used their Linux utility from a USB flash drive. I don't recall which Linux distro I ended up using (it wasn't Ubuntu). It was a little awkward, as I haven't used Unix regularly since 1993, but I eventually succeeded. If they now offer a complete package to make bootable media (USB flash drive or CD), that'd be easier.

For comparison: Corsair makes drives (Force 3, Force GT) that use the same Sandforce controller. Corsair allows their update utility to be launched from Windows from the drive that it being updated. I used it yesterday (6/13). Worked. Maybe OCZ is erring too much on the side of safety.

You don't have to learn Linux to use it. It's a simple bootable disc that loads, allowing you to download the latest firmware and apply it to the drive. Click through the PDF instructions and you will see how simple it is.

I think you are way over-complicating the process. The purpose is so anyone can update the firmware...not just Linux admins. It's customized to do just this one task.

I just went on my own and followed the directions. I successfully updated my SSD firmware, as well as updated the temp sensor (Sandforce, whatever) so it doesn't show as 128C in every monitoring tool I use.

I really hope this fixes my problems with system freezes. If it doesn't, I'm going to rip my own hair out.

Well, while I'm here I might become an active member now. I've been using the PS2 emulator forums for a long time (PCSX2), but I think joining a Win 7 forum would be in my interests as well. Tomorrow though, it's almost midnight here and I'm busy tomorrow.

Thanks for the help, and goodnight!