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

[DZand]

Zorlac schrieb:

So I avoided installing the Intel MSM, but I did install the Chipset Installation Utility because I thought that was okay. In the process this obviously installed Intel's own storage driver (which IMSM must include as well) and over wrote the Microsoft storage driver.

My question now is ....is it safe to install the Microsoft storage driver and over write the Intel storage driver? How would I go about doing this?

You are not able to overwrite any storage driver by running the installer of the Intel Chipset Device Software ("INF Update Utility"), because the Intel INF "drivers" do not contain any real driver (=file with the extension .SYS). The generic MS storage drivers are the files PCIIDE.SYS (in IDE Mode) and MSAHCI.SYS (in AHCI Mode). They stay absolutely untouched after the installation of the Intel INF Update Utility.

[idata]

There is no need for you to run optimizer, and that is the bottom line. Don't worry; the automated TRIM will take care of everything. Now, if you didn't have msahci driver, BIOS set to AHCI, and Windows 7, then you would need to run optimizer.

[MJohn29]

Okay, then just so we are all clear, what exactly do we look for in device manager and what should the driver vendor/revision/date say to verify we indeed are using the Microsoft Windows 7 AHCI storage driver?

Im at work, but from what I remember, when I look in device manager under SATA controllers, I have one listing for AHCI and when I look in the properties it says it is an Intel driver. Should this say Microsoft? Where would I find reference to "MSAHCI.SYS"? The only Intel driver I installed was the Chipset Installation Utility. I did not install the Intel MSM.

[idata]

In Device Manager under IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers expand that and look under Standard AHCI 1.0 Serial ATA Controller and then double-click and look under Driver, which should say Microsoft and under Details you will find msachi.sys driver.

[DZand]

@ Zorlac:

Don't worry about that.

You will find the SATA Controller entries within the "IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers" section of the Device Manager.

The usual name of the device, which is using the generic MS AHCI driner MSAHCI.SYS, is the "Standard AHCI 1.0 Serial ATA Controller".

Once you have installed the Intel chipset "drivers", the name of the device will be changed to a special Intel one (depending on your Southbridge specification), but this device is still using the same driver MSAHCI.SYS as before.

You can easily verify it by doing a right-click onto the Controller > "Properties" > "Driver" > "Driver Details". There you will not find any Intel driver.

By the way: There is only 1 single Intel storage driver and its name is IASTOR.SYS (32bit and 64bit).

EDIT: I am sorry, but Ambizytl was quicker than me.