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]

This issue is NOT resolved. Best advice is to backup your data and trash the drive before it fails. 200 dollars wasted. Never again, Intel.

[idata]

Agreed - problem is NOT resolved. I am on the latest firmware and have experienced this issue. Complete data loss, fixed by secure erase. GParted showed the partition size of 8MB. Intel Firmware Upgrade Utility showed BAD_CTX serial. This is despite having the most current firmware in place from the factory... I didn't even have to upgrade to the latest firmware, it was already installed and STILL failed. Received drive with a new computer just 8 weeks ago, brand new, custom built online. I created a new post in the discussion area to address this problem on the latest firmware.

Tried talking to Intel support, got blown off because my drive came in a Lenovo laptop. Despite the SSD Toolbox being expanded to support this particular drive in Lenovo systems (according to the release notes), tech support still informed me that he couldn't help me with my drive whatsoever. Lenovo confirmed for me that I do in fact have the latest firmware on the drive but that no such bugs have been reported that shrink the drive to 8mb and cause a BAD_CTX error. They'll replace the drive but that is about it.

[idata]

I am sitting here with another brand new "Bad Context 13x Error" Drive (320 series, 160 GB).

It was bought with the latest firmware update installed.

The problem is NOT solved and it is not possibel to do anything with the drive.

Intel, please wake up and get serious with another firmware update that will solve the problem once and for all ...

[idata]

Hi all,

I'm not sure if i'm in the right place here, but I have a 320 series 160Gb that is exhibiting the "Bad Content 13x" bug. This drive only 4 months old and is running the current firmware (4PC1LE04), I have tried running the latest Toolbox and of course it will not update (as I have the current version already), does anyone know an alternative way around this problem? I need to save the data, after that Intel can have it back.....

ANY input would be greatly appreciated....

Thanks all...

[RT4]

2014, same old story. If a secure erase can get the drive back, I'm sure there must be a software solution to get the data back too. Intel, something, anything?