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]

Hello, when can we expect with the new firmware update? Thanks,G.M.

[idata]

That's the question we all want to know!

Some people seem to think that since Intel is a big company, that precludes the possibility of giving progress updates. I think that is a load of b*******, but in anycase, we are left hanging in the wind. Might have to start buying from small companys who still have the ability to write in forums.

Lloyd

[idata]

thats the thing bothering me most: feeling left alone with this problem. I can understand that such a bug can appear, but not hearing any response or official statement for days from INTEL just sucks.

Worst support possible, not what I expect from a premium manufacturer (and 'premium' is/was the reason why a lot of customers went for a 5year warranty intel hd in the first place).

[idata]

magr01ino schrieb:

thats the thing bothering me most: feeling left alone with this problem. I can understand that such a bug can appear, but not hearing any response or official statement for days from INTEL just sucks.

Worst support possible, not what I expect from a premium manufacturer (and 'premium' is/was the reason why a lot of customers went for a 5year warranty intel hd in the first place).

I think Intel had an entirely different course of action planned.

Think about the date when the warranty for the 320 line was extended.

It happened only shortly before the first rumors of a firmware problem appeared in a forum thread here, and this rumor was started by information from an internal Intel source.

Think about why the consumer 320 line has gotten an extended warranty, but not the enterprise 510 line.

I remember being somewhat puzzled as I read about this online (before being bit by this bug).

This must be the first time that an enterprise product from Intel has a worse warranty than a consumer product.

Think about why Intel admitted to problems only after some tech sites got wind of the rumors about a firmware bug.

I personally have brought notice of this problem to theregister.co.uk, which promptly made a news story out of the information from the forum threads here:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/11/intel_320_ssd_bug_reports/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/11/intel_320_ssd_bug_reports/

I think Intel intended to quietly collect faulty 320 drives in the coming years, something that will still happen, because not everybody will be aware they have a problem at hand. They hoped to never have to admit to this problem, customer data loss be damned, because it ruins their marketing campaign focused on reliability.

That is what I think is the case, and that is what I think is the real outrageousness in this.

I'm not American, and I only have a faint idea what a class action suite is, but I think we have a real stinker at hand here.

[idata]

The 510-series isn't enterprise class, it's high-end consumer class. The X25-E and the upcoming 710-series are enterprise drives.

As for the difference in warranty, the 320-series is built for reliability, whereas the 510-series focuses on speed. I think that explains it.