Update from Intel's NAND Solutions Group - Toolbox issue

[Alan_F_Intel]

To 34nm (G2) Intel® X25-M Solid-State Drive consumers,

• Microsoft* alerted Intel to an issue with the Intel® SSD Optimizer tool and Intel is working on a fix to the issue. After the SSD Optimizer is run, the SSD Optimizer renders all previously set Windows* system restore points unusable. However, user data is not affected . The SSD Optimizer tool is part of the Intel® SSD Toolbox (ver 1.1).

• This applies only to users who meet all four criteria below:

• Use Windows*7 or Vista and

• Use the System Protection feature which sets system restore points (enabled by default in Windows*7 and Vista*) and

• Have installed 02HA firmware and

• Have used Intel SSD Optimizer (which was available from intel.com from 10/26 to 11/4).

• A workaround for this issue and additional details are available http://support.intel.com/support/ssdc/hpssd/sb/CS-031073.htm here . Intel will give regular updates on this issue. Please note this issue is not related to the Intel SSD firmware update process covered in a separate announcement (Intel® Solid-State Drive Firmware Update).

*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

Alan

NAND Solutions Group

Intel Corporation

[idata]

So it means that whenever you run the optimizer, you lose all your restore points. You have to manually recreate a restore point every time after you have ran the SSD Optimizer. Of course this pretty much ruins the idea of restore points, so better not to run the optimizer at all if you care for restore points.

If this is true, I doubt that Intel's instructions deserve to be called a "workaround". It means that it is not possible then to enable scheduled TRIMming and automatic restore point creation at the same time, and there is no way to work around this.

I still believe that Intel's instructions are unclear. They don't write that you have to repeat the steps of deleting all previously created restore points, then creating a new one every time you ran the optimizer. (Yes, you might argue that it was implied.) They also don't advise you to turn off the scheduled optimizer runs if you want to preserve the automatic restore point creation feature.

Instead of creating such a screenshot-bloated manual, they should simply have stated: "Hi folks. Every time you run the Optimizer it will kill all your restore points. So if you already ran the Optimizer and want to have at least one working restore point, delete all former restore points and go create a new one. You have to repeat this after each optimization run until Intel decides to release a new version of the SSD Toolbox. Until then, if you want to take advantage of automatically generated restore points or an archive of restore points, don't use the Optimizer at all."

Dear Intel guys: Is it impossible to release a working firmware, a working manual trim utility and a working (TRIM-enabled) driver (unlike the current version of the IMSM) for our 600+ dollar toys? Because if so, I'd rather spend my money on something that works. The SSD Toolbox screwup is # 3 on the list of serious bugs surrounding the X25-M. I understand the technology is new, but that doesn't justify everything. If you want to make money with "enthusiasts", you need to make sure they remain enthusiastic about your hardware. The hardware is great, but without working software it's not worth more than a brick.

[idata]

This is not relatated with the Toolbox issue, but I would like to know:

Why there is a scheduled of Intel SSD Optimizer running daily in windows 7 ?

Do we need to run Intel SSD Optimizer in windows 7 or we don't need the toolbox in win7 at all ?

[idata]

TRIM does not occur automatically with Win 7. It only works via the Toolbox tool. To prevent TRIM from occurring uninstall Toolbox.

[idata]

redux:

That is also my experience, but TRIM should be an automatic process of win7...

[idata]

If the new f/w was auto enabling trim then Intel would have issued an instruction on how to disable it. Look at the four criteria Intel specifies above. Either they are saying that auto trim does not cause a problem or they are saying trim does not occur without the toolbox. It is the later.