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]

Weird, I read all of you posts, and others. My Toolbox throws the message "Error- Failed to create optimizer file in Intel SSD Toolbox on drive". or something close to that. After reading you don't need the toolbox if you are running AHCI in win7, I enabled AHCI . The system would not boot with AHCI enabled. Windows went into restore, then system restore etc. I went back to bios and changed back to IDE and it booted no problem.

[idata]

Well I'm not saying that we need to run SSD optimizer, looks like many users dont need it, but intel says we need to run it, maybe they should change their information.

1. ssd optimizer runs daily by default in win7 after we intall intel ssd tool.

2. intel instructions says intel ssd optimizer it runs automaticaly in win7.

3. Their support line say we need to run it in win7.

It looks like intel wants it to run on win7.

Personaly I need to run it (schedule or manual) in my configuration to get top speed.

[idata]

Boomer

Did you solve your problem which is similar to mine?

I have a Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R vesion 2 motherboard FA BIOS

2 x Intel SSDSA2M080G2GC one as System drive C: and one as a working drive 😧 both on the Intel ICH10R SATA ports 0 and 1 respectively

Drivers shown are Microsoft 6.1.7600.16385 of 21/06/2006

IDE/ATA/ATAPI Controllers listed include Intel(R) ICH10 Family 2-port Serial ATA Storage Controller 2-3A26 and similar 4-port 1-3A20 both have drivers Intel 9.1.1.1013 of 04/06/2009

Windows 7 Professional 64 bit OS

I selected AHCI in BIOS before selecting "Optimised defaults" which I assumed optimised CPU and memory settings. In fact it does nothing of the sort but changed my AHCI back to IDE. Unfortunately I didn't realise until after I had loaded the OS and all my applications. Like you I find if I simply change IDE to AHCI in the BIOS Windows won't start. Presumably it can't find AHCI drivers or something.

So, my quetions are:

1. Is there anyway of converting to AHCI once set up as IDE without a complete reinstall?

2. Would saving a disk image, then just reinstalling windows with AHCI selected before restoring the image work - problem I can see there is the image won't have the right drivers?

3. My BIOS also has a setting SATA Port 0-3 Native Mode (Intel ICH10R South Bridge). I have this disabled - allows the SATA controllers to operate in Legacy IDE Mode. Should this be Enabled - allow the SATA controllers to operate in Native IDE Mode?

4. How do I check if TRIM is working

5. If TRIM isn't working and I can't switch to AHCI will the Intel Toolbox/optimser do the job?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

jkint

[idata]

Further to my post above - have solved the problem.

There is a very simple registry hack at http://www.ithinkdiff.com/how-to-enable-ahci-in-windows-7-rc-after-installation/

This didn't work for me but my motherboard has another HDD controller (Channels 6 and 7) that I wasn't using. After doing the above hack, I set this to AHCI which it accepted without problem.

I then switched my ICH10 controller to AHCI and Windows started, installed the drivers, called for a reboot and is still working fine.

IDE ATA ATAPI controllers now lists 2 x Satndard AHCI 1.0 Serial ATA Contrlollers.

The 2 x SSD drives are still showing the same Microsoft controllers as before - not sure if this is good news or not.

Hope this helps someone.

jkint