Windows 7: samsung ssd: will firmware update harm anything? magician no use.

zapp22 · 24 Aug 2013

friends I'm installing a fresh samsung 840 120gb. i thought i could put the ssd on sata 1 [not zero] and get firmware via magician on my windows 8 lab mule. no dice. apparently magician ONLY wants to see the ssd on sata zero. it can pull up the drive, but none of the controls work.
soooo... I'm thinking I'm going to have to go with the drive 'as is' to install 7 on a notebook, then as first order of business go pickup the firmware update and execute it.

will this result in sub-par arrangement? best I can tell the fw update is non-destructive.
is there another way?

zapp22 · 24 Aug 2013

friends i have a new samsung 840 to replace a failing drive in a hp notebook.
i wanted to update the samsung firmware first, then do the install of windows 7 x64 but using the samsung so-called Magician, trying the drive on sata 1 [instead of 0] it still cannot properly register the drive. all I get is the SMART info - everything else is neutered. illogical... how does samsung want to update firmware? AFTER the os is installed?
a little guidance would sure be appreciated.

fireberd · 24 Aug 2013

I don't know if this is relevant but I have an OCZ Vertex 4 SSD and the firmware updates for that warn that it will delete all data on the SSD - and it does as I did a firmware update and all data was lost.

I would suggest doing a full drive backup before doing any firmware updates on any SSD.

Dinesh · 24 Aug 2013

Quote: Originally Posted by zapp22

friends i have a new samsung 840 to replace a failing drive in a hp notebook.
i wanted to update the samsung firmware first, then do the install of windows 7 x64 but using the samsung so-called Magician, trying the drive on sata 1 [instead of 0] it still cannot properly register the drive. all I get is the SMART info - everything else is neutered. illogical... how does samsung want to update firmware? AFTER the os is installed?
a little guidance would sure be appreciated.

I think it should be after the OS is installed.

bobafetthotmail · 24 Aug 2013

what about moving the windows 8 main drive to a non-0 drive just to do this and then switch back when you are done? (all movements must be applied while the PC is turned off, of course)

Just make sure it's booting from the right device, but most BIOS are smart enough to not notice these things. (i.e. identify devices by ID, not by port used)

linnemeyerhere · 24 Aug 2013

I've firmware updated my Crucial's many times and as they only held my OS and software I through caution to the wind and updated with Crucial's update tool. But the best thing to do is image the drive and then as mentioned unplug all other drives so it is the only target drive in the fastest port and go for it.

pbcopter · 24 Aug 2013

@Fireberd

Firmware updates of the Vertex 4 to version 1.5 from versions prior to 1.4 will delete all data, but updates from 1.4 do not.

essenbe · 24 Aug 2013

I have several Samsung drives and have done a couple of firmware updates on them. None have been destructive at all. All manufacturers give that warning just to CYA, but a few are destructive. But, I'm not sure what the problem is, but Samsung does not care whether it is on port 1 or 0, so that isn't the problem. Is your sata controller in AHCI mode? Use the bootable update tool, put the DVD in the drive, go to bios and change from AHCI to IDE, then change the boot order to DVD as 1st boot device and boot into it and try updating it. Then straight back to bios and change back to AHCI or you probably won't be able to boot into windows. The last Samsung update I did, it wouldn't work until I changed to IDE, then it worked perfect.

Lady Fitzgerald · 24 Aug 2013

It's always a good idea to make an image before making any changes to a computer, such as fooling with settings, trying out a new program, installing updates (no matter who they are from), adding or removing hardware, etc. It doesn't take long (it takes all of a whopping 9 minutes to image the 56GB on my boot drive to a folder on my #1 internal data drive; that's about how long it takes me to skip to my loo or snag and nuke a snack) and can protect you from a lot of grief later. It has saved my ample asset more than once.