topic Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L in Solid State Drives (NAND)

Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

JLind13 — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 01:33:13 GMT

I have spent the whole day struggling with my new NAS build before I found this thread.

The SSD shows up as it should when I cold boot the server, trying to install OS from a UEFI USB key and poff, the drive is gone. I don't know how it would behave with a OS installed as it's impossible for me to install Windows Server 2012 R2 on it.

Cold Boot:

In the Boot Menu I choose to boot from "UEFI: My USB key" where the Win Server 2012 R2 install is located. At this point the SSD is listed as "P0: INTEL SSDSC2BW180A4". It doesn't show up twice as a UEFI drive. (Don't know if it should.)

Installation starts but when I get to the point where I should choose where to install WS, I get the message that no drives where found.

If I then exit the installer (server will reboot), the SSD is gone from the Boot Menu and the Bios can't find it either.

If I however boot into the UEFI Console or to the empty SSD, I can Ctrl+Alt+Del the machine and the SSD will still be there in the Boot Menu and in the Bios.

I have tried everything I can think of!

Load drivers in Windows Server installer
Disable Fast Boot
Disable Hot Plug
Tried another SATA port.
Set SATA speed to Gen 2 (force sata 2 on the sata 3 port)
Disable SATA Aggressive Link Power Mgmt
Tried all different combinations of Legacy / UEFI CSM settings I can think of.

From the original Bios settings, this is what I changed only for my liking:

Enabled Hard Disk S.M.A.R.T
Set Bootable Marvell 9230 SATAIII mode to None

Here's my hardware spec:

ASRock C2750D4I motherboard (BIOS/UEFI v1.80, BMC v0.14.0)

Intel 530 180GB SSD v.DC32, plugged in to first sata 3 port on intel controller (tried the second port as well with same problems)

2 x 2GB PC10600 DDR3 ECC

The SSD had DC12 firmware when I got it, but the first thing I did after I found this thread was to update it to DC32 but that didn't solve my problems.

I have reported this to ASRock as well with a link to this post and I would be more than happy to help ASRock and Intel to sort this out.

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

JLind13 — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 23:05:45 GMT

I'm actually surprised that almost a week has gone by and not a single answer in this thread.

Anyway, I've been in contact with ASRock support and they tested with a Kingston SSD without a problem and I tested myself with a WD Red 4 TB drive without any problems, leading to believe that it is in fact the 530 180GB SSD that is faulty.

I really hope that Intel is taking this seriously and tries to recreate my problem, as well as others.

I read the other thread about the DisplayPort bug and I'm hapy to see that Intel was able to reproduce the conditions. But if these drives really is super sensitive to power, maybe I should post some more info.

I'm using the Silverstone SFX ST45SF-G 450W PSU, live in Sweden so it's on 230v.

The 530 drive is connected directly to the PSU with the supplied cable and I'm also using one of the two 90 degrees SATA cables that comes with the ASRock card connected to the first SATA 3 port on the Intel controller of the motherboard.

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

KenF_Intel — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 23:32:56 GMT

Hi Jensl,

Sorry for the delay in acknowledging your report.

I think I need to move this report to a new thread since it's not solved by the DC32 update and is not restricted to problems coming out of sleep.

I'm attempting to acquire an C2750D4I for testing.

I'm sure your drive is new, but it might help if you try doing a Secure Erase on your SSD and then retry the install.

You can find instructions for doing a Secure Erase using Linux here:

http://www.thomas-krenn.com/en/wiki/SSD_Secure_Erase SSD Secure Erase - Thomas Krenn Wiki

I'll update this thread when I can get my hands on a C2750D4l.

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

PCner — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 23:49:12 GMT

Hi Ken. Is any news about problem with detecting SSD after sleep?

Petr

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

RFlor7 — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 20:02:33 GMT

Hi, I am new in this comunity.. I have just bought an intel 530 240 gb even though I read that it has this problem with restarting... if you resolve this problem I would be gratefull to get a replay through e-mail... Thanks intel

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

JLind13 — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 11:50:08 GMT

Hi Ken,

I put the drive in another machine and did the SSD Toolbox Full Diagnostics and it Passed.

But I couldn't do a Secure Erase because I'm on Win 8. I tried to boot Linux from a USB-drive but neither the mouse nor keyboard was working, so I couldn't do a Secure Erase.

I will try again in some different way...

While I was investigating the machine I tried to boot it with just the motherboard plugged in, but it failed. When I pressed the power button on the case, the fans spun up for a second then it turned off again. I suspect some sort of No Load Protection on the PSU being cause. So I plugged in 4 WD Red drives to the backplane of the case to give it some load, but it still wouldn't start.

The PSU, a Silverstone SFX ST45SF-G 450W is completely modular and specified to be able to run with 0 amps load. It have 2 x 6-pin connectors for SATA and Molex cables. The Molex one is connected to the backplane, feeding power to the storage drives, the SATA one is connected to the Intel SSD. It was impossible to get the system to power up without anything plugged in to the SATA power cable, wich doesn't make the PSU very modular! I have emailed Silverstone to ask them if this is expected behavior or if I should RMA the PSU.

Will keep you updated.

EDIT: Just got words back from Silverstone Support. They think I got a faulty PSU and they want me to RMA it. Will get back when I get the new PSU.

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

KenF_Intel — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 23:27:51 GMT

Hi Radu668,

The problem with the drive not being seen with a restart is solved with the FW update from December. You can download that from here:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/SearchResult.aspx?lang=eng&ProductFamily=Solid-State+Drives+and+Caching&ProductLine=Intel%c2%ae+High+Performance+Solid-State+Drives&ProductProduct=Intel%c2%ae+SSD+530+Series&ProdId=3767&LineId=3014&FamilyId=3124 Download Center

Let me know if that does not resolve your problem.

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

JLind13 — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 19:55:39 GMT

Hi ken-Intel,

So I got a new PSU today. First I tested to start the server without any drives, just to make sure this PSU was working as expected, and it did. No Minimum Load Protection going in and overall voltage output from the PSU is just a notch higher than the faulty one.

So I proceeded by plugging in the 530 SSD and tried to install WS 2012 again, but I had no luck with it. Exactly the same behavior as before. The SSD isn't showing up in the WS installer and after exiting the installer the drive is gone from the system and Bios can't see it anymore.

Have you got your hands on a C2750D4I yet?

Help me Intel, you're my only hope!

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

KenF_Intel — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 02:13:26 GMT

Hi JensL,

As you can see, I've branched this off to a new discussion.

Do me a favor and try a secure erase using Linux if you can. You will need to download a bootable Linux image and then follow the instructions here:

http://www.thomas-krenn.com/en/wiki/SSD_Secure_Erase SSD Secure Erase - Thomas Krenn Wiki

Let me know if you can't do this and I'll try something else.

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

JLind13 — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 15:49:19 GMT

Hi ken-Intel,

I finally got a Linux build that worked and I have now made a Secure Erase.

The drive was frozen when I started the procedure so I had to unplug the drive and plug it back in while the computer was running to make it "not frozen". After that everything went smooth.

However, I still got the same problem and the disk is still not showing up in WS 2012 R2 installer. It also disappears from Bios as before.

What to do next?

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

KenF_Intel — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 18:59:23 GMT

Hi Jensl,

Let me see if I get any traction on obtaining a C2750D4I. I'll update you on my progress no later than Tuesday of next week.

Ken

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

KenF_Intel — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 18:48:14 GMT

Hi Jensl,

I have a C2750D4l board on it's way to me. I'll let you know what I find once I receive it (should be this week).

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

JLind13 — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 20:57:01 GMT

Great news ken-Intel,

I just want to give you some more clues so you can hopefully reproduce the problem faster. The SSD worked when I booted to Ubuntu to make the secure erase. So it is something in the Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials installer that makes the drive disappear from the system. If you don't have access to the install DVD, you can download the trial here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/dn205288.aspx http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/dn205288.aspx

Then I just copied the DVD over to a USB thumb drive as described here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn293258.aspx http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn293258.aspx

And then I booted from USB in UEFI mode.

Good luck!

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

KenF_Intel — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 17:41:41 GMT

Hi Jensl,

That's great news.

I received the C2750D4L yesterday. I didn't have Server 2012 so I tested with Win 8.1 with no problems.

Thanks for the links to get Server 2012. I'll see if I can recreate the problem with a brand new 530.

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

JLind13 — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 20:17:54 GMT

Hi ken-Intel,

I just tested with Win 8.1 and I get the same problem as before. I also tried the SATA II ports on the Intel controller and still the same problem. I really don't know what to do next as I have tried everything I can think of.

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

JLind13 — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 21:22:00 GMT

One more thing ken-Intel,

Make sure you have the 1.80 Bios version on the C2750D4I board, and the 0.14.0 BMC firmware.

That was the versions my board shipped with, which are the latest as well.

The reason I'm pointing that out is that there was a lot of changes in that bios version that can affect SATA:

1. Improve "CSM" policy.

2. Update Intel SATA initialize code.

3. Add customize Fan function.

4. Add "Restore BMC Mac from backup" function.

5. Support DDR3 16GB.

6. Improve system boot up time.

7. Add "ECC support" item to control ECC function.

I have also continued my testing and I just tried to plug in the drive to the Marvel controller instead, and WS 2012 installer is able to find it then. It's not a workaround for me as I need the SSD to be on the Intel controller.

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

KenF_Intel — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 00:56:42 GMT

Hi Jensl,

I was able to have the drive seen when installing Server 2012.

It appears that the Server 2012 install disk/iso does not have the necessary files to support the Intel SATA ports on this board when they are set to AHCI mode. If you change them to IDE mode you can install the OS.

To change the Intel ports to IDE do the following:

- access the BIOS

- Select Intel RC Setup

- Select Southbridge Chipset Configuration

- Select SATA Configuration

- Assuming you are on the SATA_0 or SATA _1 port, scroll down to the SATA 3 Controller section and change the mode to IDE (if you on SATA_2-5, change the SATA 2 Controller mode).

I've scoured the ASROCK site and the Intel site looking for AHCI drivers for the Atom C2750 SoC that is on this board but I haven't had any luck yet. I'll keep looking. You might try contacting ASRock if you have a chance.

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

JLind13 — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 13:31:24 GMT

Hi ken-Intel,

Running the SSD in IDE mode is out of the question.

The drivers found on the ASRock site is for WS 2012 R2 as well. The ASRock driver package lacks complete release notes, but the exact same drivers are available from Supermicro as well and there I found the release notes stating that the drivers support 2012 R2. I put them in my dropbox for you to check out: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/14057285/ReleaseNotes_9.4.3.1011.htm https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/14057285/ReleaseNotes_9.4.3.1011.htm

As far as I understand it, the drivers for C2000 Avaton series is not available from Intel, only through the two makers of the cards: ASRock and Supermicro.

If you want to load the drivers from ASRock, just put them in a separate folder on the same USB drive as WS. The drivers are located in the "All" folder of the ASRock package.

I have tried to Load drivers in the WS installer and that works, but the SSD is gone from the system so it doesn't help me.

Here's a test you can do:

When you get to the point in WS installer where you should see the Hard Drives in the system: Don't load any drivers. Just exit the installer with the standard red X in the installer and the system should reboot. At that point, enter the Bios again and see if the SSD is still listed. For me it's gone from the system at that point.

So even if you Load drivers in the WS installer, it wont find the drive because the system has dropped it. Only a complete shutdown of the system makes the drive come back again.

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

JLind13 — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 17:27:58 GMT

Hi ken-Intel,

Just came home from work and tested with a WD Red 4TB drive on the Intel controller in AHCI mode. It showed up directly in the WS 2012 R2 installer. No need for me to load the drivers or anything. And if I quit the installer as I described before and enter the Bios, the WD Red drive is still there connected to the SATA_0 slot. If I do the exact same thing with the SSD, it doesn't show up in the installer and it's gone from Bios.

Re: Intel SSD 530 not seen on OS install screen - ASRock C2750D4L

KenF_Intel — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 17:48:57 GMT

Hi Jensl,

I also tested with other SSD's and HDD's this morning and found that they work.

Here's what we know:

When installing Windows Server 2012

- SSD 530 on Intel ports in AHCI mode is NOT seen

- note: SSD 530 is seen on a different model of motherboard in AHCI mode

- SSD 530 on Intel ports in IDE mode is seen

- SSD 530 on Marvell ports in AHCI mode is seen

- other drives (SSD's and HDD's) on Intel ports in AHCI mode are seen

When installing Windows 8

- SSD 530 on Intel ports in AHCI mode is seen

Honestly, this is a real puzzler. Let me talk to engineering and I'll get back to you.