8/13 Update on "Bad Context 13x Error" for Intel SSD 320 Series

[idata]

Status:

Intel has reproduced, identified root cause, and developed a firmware update which addresses the Bad Context 13x Error being discussed on the Communities site and elsewhere.

Response plan:

The new firmware update is in final validation testing and is targeted for release on Intel® Communities within the next two weeks. Intel takes firmware updates and issues of reliability very seriously and is taking extra steps to support a smooth release. We appreciate your patience.

What should I do if I have not experienced this issue?

To minimize occurrence, if a system requires a shut down, Intel recommends using that system's standard power shut down sequence. As with any storage device, Intel recommends users frequently back up their data. Download and install the new firmware when it is available. As with our previous firmware updates, a secure erase is not required.

What should I do if I have experienced this issue?

If you have already experienced a drive failure or encounter this problem before the firmware update is released, please contact your Intel representative or Intel customer support (via web: http://www.intel.com/ www.intel.com or phone: http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/contact/phone www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/contact/phone) for an SSD replacement. An alternative option is to use the Intel ® SSD Toolbox or similar tools to perform a secure erase in order to restore the SSD to an operational state; all data will be erased. After secure erase, update your SSD with the upcoming firmware. The pending firmware update will not recover user data.

Background:

For users unfamiliar with the issue, an Intel SSD 320 Series drive may exhibit a drive capacity of 8MB and an electronic serial # field containing a message of "BAD_CTX 0000013x" due to an unexpected power loss under specific conditions. Once this error occurs, no data on the SSD can be accessed and the user cannot write to or read from the SSD.

Rgds,

Scott

Intel Corporation

[idata]

Intel, anybody listening? I am not really hoping for an answer, but trying again:

Is there anybody out there running solely Mac OSX who had the 8mb bug hit again AFTER the firmware update? Or are only windows users affected so far?

tia, michael

[idata]

Hello everyone,

I registered here so i could post about my SSD experience.

# The boring part:

I got the SSD (2.5" 320 160GB) on the 9th September and the very first thing i did was leave it in its box. First i read through the information for it on the Intel site and i downloaded the latest firmware update that was available at the time (i'm not sure if it has been updated by the time someone reads this message), read through the guide, burnt it to CD, and downloaded the Intel SSD Toolbox.

After i felt confident that i'd followed all the intructions, i opened the SSD box, read the information provided inside, and finally fitted the SSD in my pc (taking anti-static precautions as described and not touching anything other than the body of the drive).

When i turned the pc on the first thing i did was to go into the BIOS and make the SATA mode to AHCI, and put the Firmware update CD i made earlier into the DVD drive, applied the settings from the BIOS, and restarted.The firmware update tool found the SSD and updated it successfully. Pretty smooth so far.

Next i installed Windows 7 (64bit) (80GB primary partition for the system, and the other half as the second partition for data, etc. (the most sensible thing to do with HDD's)), everything went ok, windows was installed quickly, then i installed antivirus software because im paranoid, then downloaded drivers for my graphics card, and moved the Intel SSD Toolbox file i downloaded earlier from my removable drive onto my desktop and installed that as well. Ran a fast diagnosis and it said everything was OK. Next i installed all the updates for windows 7, and all the software i use and so on and so on.

# Everything was fine...

until i opened up the Resource Monitor from Task Manager (bottom right button on the performance section of Task Manager) and in the Resource Monitor went to the Disk section ('Processes with Disk Activity'). Then the whole system would become unresponsive... then suddenly work for a short period of time.. then become unresponsive again.. until i managed to close the Recource Monitor. I then restarted and things were OK again.

For the few couple of days everything kept working fine, the system was fast and responsive and i kept installing other software that i didnt have time to put on there before, like office, photoshop etc, as well as transfering some of my data over. I ran the Intel SSD Toolbox, checked the trim settings, and ran all the other tools (i cant remember the names) and made all the bits green. In other words the toolbox said everything was ok. SMART data looked ok as well.

So, yesterday i was using my pc and applications started hanging, the system became unresponsive, the responsive for short periods of time, then unresponsive again,, just like before and i barely managed to select restart from the start menu, but it started hanging again and nothing was happening. I had enough and held down the power button, and the system turned off. I waited a few seconds and turned it back on.

"No drive detected." What??? Tried a few more times and the pc kept giving the same message. I tried to see if the Firmware update CD i made days ago could detect the SSD but it couldnt find it either.

So i took out the SSD and put it back in the packaging. Now im using my 3 year old crappy seagate hard drive again. I started using the SSD on the evening of September 9th, and it broke on the evening of September 15th. 6 days, wow.

So im going to contact Intel about a warranty... but the thing is even if i get a new SSD, Im not sure i WANT one anymore. HDD's fail - but most of the time you can still get your data. SSD's just seem to die (http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2011/05/the-hot-crazy-solid-state-drive-scale.html http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2011/05/the-hot-crazy-solid-state-drive-scale.html) you cant get your data back...

By the way my pc is a laptop if that makes any difference, and sorry for writing with such boring style. I just wanted to be as clear as possible. Please let me into any insight you might have about this.Thanks,

[ZStan]

I think most ppl now see are bad hw or sata cables..., duno why ppl think if "Bad Context 13x Error" is fixed there would be no failure at all, every hw can fail due many resons

[idata]

That is BS. Why and how should a bad cable lead to the very (specific!) same error of crippling a drive to exactly 8MB? Sorry, I do not believe that.

Did you read any technical details about this problem? It has/had to do with a capacitor that is responsible for power loss situations..

[ZStan]

Bad cable could corrupt data i sow that problems on classic HDD all the time, and 8MB problem could be just bad HW, so far unsafe power off looks fixed