Intel SSD 520 240 GB BSOD STOP 0xF4 after resuming from sleep

[idata]

I just upgraded to an Intel SSD 520 240 GB and I am experiencing a problem which never occurred with my previous HDD: a BSOD STOP 0xF4 after resuming from sleep

My system specifications are as follows:

• Asus U20A Notebook
• Intel Dual-Core ULV SU7300 1.3 GHz
• Mobile Intel GS45 Express Chipset + ICH9M
• 4 GB DDR2-800 RAM
• Intel GMA X4500MHD Graphics

I have disabled Device Initiated Power Management (DIPM), Host Initiated Link Power Management (HIPM) and Link Power Management (LMP). The problem occurs sometimes with Microsoft's AHCI drivers, and everytime with Intel's Rapid Storage Technology 10.8.0.1003 drivers. No minidumps are created.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[SS_5]

SSD Intel520 ==> "BLUESCREEN of DEATH" on wakeup from sleep

on my 2*computers: "HP DM1Z" + "HP EliteBook 8540w" industrial/business grade machine.

STOP IGNORING PROBLEM, Intel - a PowerManagement problem & a critical one!

[SS_5]

SSD Intel520 ==> "BLUESCREEN of DEATH" on wakeup from sleep

on my 2*computers: "HP DM1Z" + "HP EliteBook 8540w" industrial/business grade machine.

STOP IGNORING PROBLEM, Intel - a PowerManagement problem & a critical one!

[Jose_H_Intel1]

In case the issue persists in spite of the recommendations above you may contact your local Intel® support team for further assistance.

http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/contactsupport http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/contactsupport

http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support

[SS_5]

I am not 100% sure would bother with 3*new SSD's at $750 to speak with Intel Support people - what would they do? Refund me so I could go get a less reliable brand (admit Intel is reliable otherwise, as of sleep/wakeup malfunction - less important than data integrity in awake state)? In general my personality is against asking for support (being myself an engineer), believe SSD's will take years to fix bugs over the future years (as did magnetic storage) currently reported by ALL brands. BTW: Intel is one of the best [conservative with traditions akin to HP/Agilent], specs are measured properly; whereas OCZ, G.Skill & a variety of other recently-hyped brands may sleep well & claim various speed records impressing gullible consumers, but on the day you lose data you can't live w/o, speed & "consumer"-grade i.e. inflated datasheets won't matter). Remember early magnetic Harddrives crashing read/write heads, requiring specific orientation (certain side up), being "finicky", today largest capacity magnetics (several TB as of Spring2013) low reliability aren't an indicator - those are for people who don't value their data i.e. gamers, multimedia, etc. wordprocessing, basics) , but under 750MB are quite reliable & predictable esp. RE-edition (enterprise/RAID), so I expect SSD to go thru a similar pain/exotic-->commodity item "learning" curve.

But until then we're having Sleep-->WakeUp random corruptions.

I NEED to SLEEP computers for multiple hours (too long to explain why), don't tell SSD boots in "seconds" - sleep is NOT about just energy saving, more often I leave WORK (numerous windows & applications) open b/c exhausted & just need to run home, but don't want to reopen the whole shebang of dozens of applications in the morning, I just Lock with a password & put to sleep, and when SSD wakes up - you're rolling a dice. With all my computers before SSD, sleep was 200% perfect, besides electro-mech engineering I am a computer adddict & get to the bottom of its electro-software.

My software is meticulously aligned & managed, people come to ask questions b/c I've answers.

But I don't have a fix for SSD wakeup b/c besides OS or ATAcommands level, it appears (?) some corruption is on Firmware or SSD's internal circuit level?

So, goal is not to complain & return SSD's for me personally, I got 3 new Intel520's, much hassle.

But for: Intel to be AWARE & WORK on AVOIDING SUCH CORRUPTION when waking up from Sleep in future models + meanwhile if possible for current model, reduce probability of this fault by modifying Firmware &/or hardware revision. If canbe blamed on Windows or Intel Storage drivers, then Intel could at least determine/narrow down to rootcause (but note: other SSD models wakeup fine everytime in same Windows, so doen't appear to be OS, etc., more like SSD itself or its ware)

A certain test set condition is causing chaotic power state on wakeup, not on all computers or software conditions, what's worse it's difficult to replicate (irregular, intermittent):

PROBLEM IS:

Typically Sleep works fine, I wake up after a few minutes OK. What crashed it many times, and even 3 crashes is enough to worry about data loss (my life depends on) was when a large number of windows open & you put to sleep for several hours or best yet overnight - you may wakeup into BSOD death. IT MEANS the amount of used RAM &/or sleeping time is what befuddles SSD, if the amount of code or sleep time is small it wakes up OK, if large - maynot wakeup. Or it maybe several coincidences, maybe corruption has nothing todo with amount of code running in RAM or sleep time, I can't tell, but I can tell for at least a decade I've slept perfectly with harddrives, SSD has given me the first BSOD - and BSOD for ANY reason, not just sleep, in years if not a decade of history, etc.

Did make an annoying reference to my technical background?

Only to assure you it's likely NOT "my computer", but it is "YOUR SSD" Intel.

So to conclude:

I still prefer Intel in MLC type of SSD's, to any other, despite pain with sleep which (sleep) I ABSOLUTELY need for work (now I am forced to shutdown, avoid sleep & waste time reopening aps next morning).

Just study sleep/wakeup process & try to minimize probability of corruption/BSOD.

Study which Power state S1, 2, 3, etc. causes problem, ATA commands involved, and so on.

And why some people say Hibernation works for them, while others strongly advise against w/large RAM (16GB+) dumping excess write cycles imto SSD before deep-sleep (hibernation), etc.

I don't want to hibernate due to higher dataloss chances, in digital domain 1 bit can ruin rest of it, if enough RAM cells receive some cosmic ray jolt, forget several bits no ECC will help you - you're dead.

P.S. I can't afford (no normal people can) Enterprise-grade SSD's, & low capacity per space occupied + sometimes slower latency is not optimal for regular computers anyway.

Stan Starinski

[GMann1]

The issue is not related to Intel 520 drive itself. The problems were observed mainly on Lenovo, HP and Dell laptops, and it has been CONFIRMED that after updating IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers drivers, the problem is gone. I have just fixed this issue myself by updating my Dell 17R SE laptop's SATA driver.

This is why Intel is not doing anything to fix their issue with the drive, because there is no issue with it.