OCZ Sandforce SSD Firmware 1.23 Update and Toolbox release!!

[Airbot]

Sandforce OCZ ssds firmware update 1.23. And the first toolbox also.

(Vertex2, Agility2, Vertex-LE, Vertex2 Pro, Vertex2-EX, Vertex2-E, Agility2-E)



Suggest reading the threads and any other user experiences first entirely to see what to expect about/any bugs, which seems to have some.
Sounds like it might be an interim update, meaning another one may come along a little later on. But who knows when that will be.

   Warning

If using Intel RST drivers later than 9.6.0.1014, (like the 10 version), you need to roll back to that 9 version for the ssdupdate to see the drive successfully to flash firmware. Then can re-install 10 version if you wish after the update and reboot.

They say toolbox won't work with higher (10 version Intel RST drivers) though.

   Information

Changes/additions since version 1.11

• Added support for a new capacity point: usable size (raw capacity) 360GB (392GB)

Issues resolved since version 1.11

• Improved latency behavior. This change does not impact average latency but rather reduces worst case latency
• Modified IDENTIFY data to indicate that the SANITIZE feature set is supported.
• Modified temperature read data functionality.
• Added extra handling of parity errors for improved Soft Error handling
• Added threshold value for SMART attribute 177 (B1h)
• Fixed the output of the IDENTIFY DEVICE request to properly indicate if the SMART Feature Set is enabled or disabled.
• Enabled flash write protection whenever core voltage is turned off.
• Corrected rare case where SATA link could be dropped during a write operation
• Improved handling of aborted NCQ commands
• Fixed corner case hang condition by properly handling a host issued COMRESET during the last DWORD of an NCQ data commend.
• Modified command handling to give precedence to COMRESET in the case of COMRESET during another SATA error
• Fixed a panic condition by correctly cleaning up after an internal DMA transfer.
• Modified SSD Life Left calculations that were sometimes reading low on new drives
• Fixed an issue that occurred when two commands are waiting for each other to complete.
• Fixed FW to handle a RAISE RAM parity error without panic

Changes/additions since version 1.21

• None.

Issues resolved since version 1.21

• Mitigated the possibility of data loss to last 10 minutes of real time maximum when drive is used with Windows 7 OS, drive indexing, and very slow rate of writing and drive experiences an unsafe shutdown.
• Fixed a rare condition in which a drive could hang on a SLEEP command.

Known open issues:

• SMART command B0 occasionally returns incorrect status.
• Trim command response times are longer than desired.
• Can't write-same the whole drive.
• Resetting SMART PHY event counters has no effect.
• Whitmore Lake (Intel 3100) Chipset Compatibility.
• Drive may fail during power cycling test with rapid and short cycles.
• Compatibility issue during Red Hat 5.4 Linux boot on nVidia MCP55 chipset
• Sleep followed by non-data commands can sometimes cause the drive to fail to respond to the nondata command.

1.23 Firmware
Toolbox
Original thread

 

[Brink]

I wonder when they will update the official download page with the above?

OCZ Technology

 

[Airbot]

Not sure, but they just posted today so probably in the next day or two maybe?

Here's the page it's on as of now.

Firmware and Other Downloads (Read Only)

 

[Brink]

Well, it doesn't recognize my SSD's since they are in RAID 0, even rolled back to the older 9 series Intel chipset drivers.

I sure do not want to have to undo the the RAID and start over yet. I'll just wait.

 

[Airbot]

Probably not going to be able to do it with a raid setup, yeah. Having to put it in AHCI mode in Bios. Have to run it as admin as well, but I'm sure you did that.

 

[Airbot]

I may just skip these all together and wait for the next one, after reading up on them.

Doesn't seem like it's going to be worth it for me, personally.

 

[Brink]

Yeah, it would nice to see release notes on it to see if it's worth going through the trouble to update.

 

[Airbot]

They pretty much say it was mostly for recognizing some newer drives, and just a couple bug fixes. Probably for the sleep bug some have, etc.

 

[Brink]

Ah, ok. Thank you. Not worth updating yet for me then.

 

[Airbot]

Changelog:

Sandforce Firmware update 1.23

It sounds like you can do it with having a raid setup. Just have to temporarily break the raid and set it to AHCi mode, do the update, then enable the raid again. But make a backup. Have to read a couple of the threads there. Some on it posted.

 

[Brink]

Changelog seems like it may be worth updating after all. I've created a system image backup, and shall give it a go later tonight.

 

[Airbot]

When and if I do it, I'm going to roll back to the 9 RST drivers then make a backup. Just in case I have to apply the backup and it goes funny with a backup having the 10 RST drivers on it. But from reading, looks like the 10 version drivers are fine to have on it after it's all done, except be able to use the toolbox. But don't think that will be a problem for me, I could just roll back to 9 version if I needed to use the toolbox.

 

[Airbot]

Updated to 1.23 from within Windows with the 1.23 zip file. No problems at all, no BSOD, nothing. Perfect. Went back to the Intel RST 9 version drivers before doing it. Reinstalled 10 version after all done. Good so far.

 

[Brink]

That's good to hear that you didn't have to do it at boot.

 

[Brink]

Ok. Updated to 1.23 now. It wasn't to painful.

 

[Airbot]

 

[Seven Eleven]

wow i couldn't find Toolbox anywhere... not Google not OCZ site... only firmware update (which btw is 98MB in size?! what's up with that?! it's like whole OS is in there...) :shock:

anyway after some research i'm planning on getting OCZ Vertex 2 120GB. it has SandForce SF-1222 controller and reviews show it's pretty fast and good all around drive.

in one review it said, that to flash it, i need to put jumper on back of the drive, but in OCZ Sandforce v1.23 Firmware Update Guide there is nothing about it :huh:

 

[Brink]

Hello Seven Eleven,

There's not a jumper on the OCZ Vertex 2 SSD series. You would just run the firmware update software as instructed at the OCZ site for this series instead.

 

[Seven Eleven]

Hello Seven Eleven,

There's not a jumper on the OCZ Vertex 2 SSD series. You would just run the firmware update software as instructed at the OCZ site for this series instead.

i see. thanks for fast reply!

 

[Brink]

You're welcome mate.