Update on "Bad Context 13x Error"

[Alan_F_Intel]

Intel has been investigating the 'Bad Context 13x Error' as seen on select Intel® SSD 320 Series drives. This was previously noted in the Intel community post as "SSD Power Loss". To summarize the error: In certain circumstances, after an unexpected power loss, a small percentage of SSDs may experience this error on the next attempt to boot the system. In this situation, the system's BIOS reports an SSD as an 8MB capacity drive.

Intel has reproduced 'Bad Context 13x Error' utilizing strenuous testing methods. This 'Bad Context 13x Error' can be addressed via a firmware update and Intel is in the process of validating the firmware update. A future update will define the schedule to deliver the firmware fix.

The Intel SSD 320 Series continues to be shipped and is available for purchase. If you experience this error with your Intel SSD, 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 those with Intel SSD 320 series SSDs who are concerned but currently unaffected, Intel advises the following actions:

• As with any storage device, backup your data regularly
• When shutting down your system, follow your system's standard shutdown process
• Minimize unplugging the SSD while your system is powered

Intel takes these issues seriously. Please watch for further updates on this site.

Rgds,

Alan

Intel's NVM Solutions Group

[idata]

Nothing to say. Thats why 8mb bug exists may be

Intel tries to boost sales of x25-e SLC series.

And your data-center don't use backup power supplies also, because it's too expensive for customers? 😕

[Vegan]

I am updating my SSD page on my gaming site, I am seeking exact model numbers of affected drives

http://www.hardcore-games.tk/wp/ssd.html http://www.hardcore-games.tk/wp/ssd.html

So far I have been able to google up 2 models, I am wondering if there are others?

This is starting to look a lot like the Seagate 7200.11 problem where disks started dying fast.

[idata]

so... any update on a release date? I just bought an 80GB 320 to replace my system drive, without knowing about this problem beforehand. I'd like to have a fix handy before I install it.

[idata]

For what it's worth for the Intel engineers, there was no power loss in my case. My computer was on, we had no power outages, I walked away, came back an hour later to find my computer rebooted to my old disk drive. The Intel did not show up in My Computer. It did show up in BIOS as 8Mb and in Computer Management -but just the drive, no partitions and no capacity data. The computer is on a battery backup with power conditioning and I shut down and unplug the whole kit and kaboodle during storms.

My extra bit of fun is a Win 7 64 bug that does not recognize USB drives (or more accurately, recognizes them only when it feels like it, which is rarely). When it does recognize them, it will hang Explorer if I try to copy anything to the external drive. Needless to say, auto backups can't work and manual backups have been a huge and constant challenge. I lost everything but what I'd laboriously backed up two weeks ago on a series of CD ROMs.

It would be really nice to know tthree things:

1. An estimated date for the firmware fix
2. Whether that's for functional drives only or for busted ones too
3. If it's for busted ones, will I be able to retrieve data or not?

[Vegan]

Looks like you have more than a few issues.

Look for surge arrestors if you are in an area prone to lightning.