Firmware update now available - Addresses Bad Context 13x Error

[Alan_F_Intel]

Status:

Intel has posted a firmware update for the Intel® SSD 320 Series (firmware 4PC10362) which addresses the Bad Context 13x Error being discussed on the Communities site and elsewhere. You can download the new firmware here:

http://www.intel.com/go/ssdfirmware www.intel.com/go/ssdfirmware

Also posted at this link are Read Me, Release Notes, and SSD Firmware Update Tool Guidelines which provide detailed firmware update instructions and other relevant information such as the most current firmware revision available.

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

In order to provide the best user experience, Intel always recommends users download and install the latest firmware. As with any storage device, Intel recommends users frequently back up their data and periodically check for firmware updates. The http://www.intel.com/go/ssdtoolbox Intel® SSD Toolbox provides a host of utilities to monitor your SSD, including displaying detailed information such as the currently installed firmware revision.

What should I do if I have already experienced this issue?

If you have already experienced a drive failure or encounter this problem before the firmware update was 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 new firmware. The 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" caused by 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,

Alan

NVM Solutions Group

[idata]

I did the Firmware update (MacBook pro) --> installed w7 on bootcamp -> SSD has 8mb now! Well Done Intel

[idata]

This is the second confirmation of the update not fixing the bug at hand and the drive becoming unusable well after the update was applied. Intel hasnt issued a statement yet.

[idata]

How can I do a secure erase to restore the operational state? The SSD isn't shown in the intel toolbox software

edit: did a secure erase, still 8mb.. bricked?

edit2: back at 120gb now.

[idata]

Can anyone help me here? My SSD is Intel 320 300 GB with latest firmware. Yes, I updated the firmware following Intel's recommendation to avoid bad context issue. But apparently the issue is still there. Here's my story : my laptop got blue screen, and laptop wouldn't go to booting. So, I must turned off the laptop, hoping it would go to booting. But it was not the case. Error message appeared : SMART Hard Disk Error. Hard Disk 1 (301). Checking the SSD ON another laptop, I found that the capacity is only 8 MB. Trying to detect it using intel toolbox, SSD isn't shown. How to manage back to 300 GB ? I've tried several softwares that provide secure erase, but it didn't help 😞 . Thank's in advance.

Edit : Finally, I've managed to get 300 GB again. Did it by using Intel SSD toolbox and a desktop PC (apparently Intel SSD toolbox can only read SSD which is attached to motherboard. Previously I just used laptop and connecting SSD on USB port). Once it was detected, I just run "secure erase" after power-cycled SSD while Intel SSD toolbox was running (to disable "ATA password on SSD 'though I didn't set it) since message "ATA password is enabled" appeared.

Edit2 : Don't forget to restart desktop PC to make changes into effect. Without restarting desktop PC after doing "secure erase", no changes would be seen.

[idata]

Thanks for that hint I will try it with my SSD 320 300GB.

It's the second now which schowed the saem buf after I had to Power doen my Dell Latitude E6400 running Winows 7 Pro x64.

The first time I waited until the Firmware of 18.8. was out an dupdated ok, But two days later I had to power down and thedrive was not detected any more neither on the Laptop nor on otehr PCs. Then I got a replacement, restored an old backup and everythin seemd ok for a day- even sever limes taking out the battery and powering down by pressing the power button for a long time. I tried this servel tiome sunder differnet conditions without negative gesults. then afte rthe Laptop was running for half an hour I had Hard rweset again and this time the Drive could not be detected again.

This is very frustrating especially when the adds always sell us how the 320 was optimized against data loss in power down situations... - maybe I shoudl try to get it replaced to a SSD 510 - I will miss the extra 50GB but maybe that one is more stable...

Rainer