Anyone else had a repeat 8mb brick on 320 ssd AFTER firmware update.

[idata]

Had my 320 ssd for a month, all going well till a usb device BSOD my win7, rebooted to find my disk at 8mb. Waited for firmware update last wednesday as lots of forum discussion. Did Secure erase and firmware update to v1.9 and restored partition on friday. Today usb BSOD again (visual studio blow up, im a software developer) and rebooted to find the drive again 8mb. Anyone else had this problem, looks to me like the firmware update did not fix this type of issue.

Greg.

[idata]

I posted this elsewhere on the forum, but thought I'd add my voice to the collective outcry here.

I suffered the same fate. Original SSD failed, and returned for a new 160 GB Intel 320 SSD with updated firmware. This one just 8mb bricked on me. Initial symptoms: Computer froze when accessing files, mouse was still working but explorer was not responsive, ctrl-alt-delete did not work, the suddenly the mouse froze as well. Forced to hard reset. System recovered but simple access of files would cause the freeze again. Upon multiple resets (due to computer freeze during the Intel SSD toolbox SSD health diagnostic), the hard drive bricked into 8mb. This is a faulty product. I want a different model if I should have to return this drive. Intel shouldn't keep giving us the same model with the same problem again and again.

[idata]

I just had my second repeat brick after the recent firmwareupdate. Win bluescreened (random error), after the reboot no disk was found.

As I have gone through all of this before, I was back to restoring an full disk image within 10 minutes, restore is on its way as I'm writing this. But this time, the most recent full disk backup I have was more than 6 weeks old. Thats more than a month of (noncritical, as those files are backed up redundantly) dataloss.

For those who don't already know how to "revive" the intel 320 after the 8mb error, get a "Parted Magic" bootdisk. Follow this tutorial ( http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-20115106-285/how-to-securely-erase-an-ssd-drive/ How to securely erase an SSD drive | How To - CNET ) to secure erease the disk. Two modes will be supported (last query) use both, one after the other. Reboot the machine with Parted Magic, check if the disk is recognized as a "full size of your drive" disk.

Turn off your system, reboot with the bootdisk of whatever fulldisk backup software you used and restore the saved image.

-

My last crash with the same error and also full data loss was on the 21.09.2011 (you can find the full report here: /message/140827 http://communities.intel.com/message/140827 ), so almost exactly nine months ago. Again, last time I also already had the newest firmwareupdate applied.

I'm confirming a repeat full data loss after the supposed "fix" of the problem. How Intel was able to negotiate this into anything else than a full blown media scandal, I don't know. That there is no fix up to this date, I do.

Don't buy Intel - they never addressed this error properly, never fixed the problem, but had articles in all media outlets that stated the opposite. Then closed down the old support threads, so that the whole thing could be forgotten.

[idata]

Well...I have the issue solved, at least for me! The solution: I replaced my 320 series 300 GB SSD with a Samsung 830 series 256 GB SATA III drive. Performance is better...Magician software far more advanced than Intel toolbox and the drive doesn't have a history of failure!!! My Intel 320 series sits in a box, doing nothing. Total waste of $$$, but my data and reliability is far more important. For SSD...Intel won't see another penny of my hard earned cash.

Look around...great deals on Crucial and Samsung drives all over the place. Don't sit and wait for your drive to brick again...

[idata]

I already did so, two days after I've posted the last reply, I also replaced the 320 for a Samsung 830 series. Happy ever after. Intel contacted me via PM a few days after my posting to get a few details on the setup I used (nothing special, business line laptop), but never followed up on the reply I gave them - so I have to assume that this was just another case of applied "make believe" to keep you occupied with the thought, that they would care.

They did so in the past, proactively managing expectations of other sufferers of their product, which then went nowhere, you can look it up in this very thread.

So yes the SSD branch for Intel is just a cash in scheme on a "reliability play" regarding their brand. Their products always were subpar, overpriced, and now in the second generation - faulty. Don't buy them.

They have succeeded in spinning the press, that the problem had been solved, and thats about all they put any worthwhile effort in. Oh yes, and btw. it still remains a lie.

There is nothing else to say.

[idata]

Actually there is! As a 320 series owner and frequent purchaser at Newegg, Amazon and a few other etailer sites...I write reviews. I will, over the next few days, write reviews telling purchasers to avoid all Intel SSD's. The 520 series is also problematic. Intel did NOT fix the issues with the Sandforce controller...they are masking that as well...read the forums. I think it high time that we consumers tell the story and keep others from giving up their hard earned cash to faulty products. Shame on Intel