BSOD with Intel SSD Toolbox and Intel 520 240GB SSD on XP Pro SP3

[AC6]

I just installed a new Intel 520 240GB SSD in a Sony VAIO VGN-SZ230P laptop running full retail version of Windows XP Pro Service Pack 3 with all the updates available. Yes, this is an old laptop, but it still works. I have a couple of applications that only work on XP and they require access to the physical PC Card/PCMCIA, something that can't be found on current laptops.

I migrated data from the old spinning disk to the SSD using Acronis True Image 2014. The partitions are aligned (I've used msinfo32 as well as AS-SSD benchmark to confirm the alignment). The Windows OS works fine; not as fast as I would expect, but it works faster than before. I am stumped by one problem.

Whenever I launch Intel Solid-State Drive Toolbox, it launches with all the buttons on the left side grayed out (buttons such as optimizer, system tuner, etc.) and the screen freezes or I get the Blue Screen of Death with error code 0x0000007A. The reason I bought the Intel SSD is because of the periodic TRIM you can schedule on XP with the Intel SSD Toolbox. If the Toolbox doesn't work, the SSD is of no use to me. I need help in getting the Toolbox software to work on my Sony Laptop.

Here are some specifics.

• SSD - Intel 520 240GB
• Laptop - Sony VAIO VGN-SZ230P - specs including chipset can be found here...

https://docs.sony.com/release/specs/VGNSZ230PB_mksp.pdf https://docs.sony.com/release/specs/VGNSZ230PB_mksp.pdf

• Intel SSD Toolbox version 3.2.3 (the latest available on Intel download site)
• OS - Retail (not OEM) version of Windows XP Pro Service Pack 3 with all updates applied

Any ideas anyone? Let me know if you need additional specific information.

Thanks

[AC6]

Here is a lot of additional information in case it helps pinpoint the root cause of Toolbox software launching with grayed out buttons, freezing the screen, and causing BSOD's. Please let me know if anything here looks suspect.

Report from Intel System Identification Utility

Intel System Identification Utility Reference Number: 0275 6996

Date Created: Friday, October 10, 2014 12:05:09 PMADVANCEDSYSTEM INFORMATIONComputer Manufacturer Sony CorporationComputer Model VAIOOperating System (O/S) Microsoft Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3Operating System Build (O/S)(build 2600)Operating System (version) 5.1.2600O/S Language0409System RAM 2.1 GB.NET Framework Version3.5.30729.01CD or DVD Device MATSHITA UJ-842DSystem Hard Drive OverviewSystem Total Storage Size:211.6 GBLocal Disk C:211.6 GBUsed space:32.9 GBFree Space:178.7 GBMemory DetailTotal Physical Memory2.1 GBAvailable Physical Memory1.2 GBTotal Virtual Memory2.0 GBPhysical Drive0MakerModelINTEL SSDSC2CW240A3Bus TypeATASolid State Drive Firmware Version400iInternet Browser [1]Internet ExplorerInternet Browser Version [1]8.0.6001.18702Internet Browser [2]FirefoxInternet Browser Version [2]32.0.3 (x86 en-US)CHIPSET INFORMATION Chipset Software StatusIntel® Chipset Installation File (INF) detectednot detected Detected Chipset INF Versionnot detectedChipset INF Statusnot detectedLatest Version Availablenot detected Detailed Chipset Information<a href="http://www.int...

[AC6]

Based on this other thread ... , I removed Toolbox version 3.2.3 and installed an older version - v 3.1.6. Older versions are not available on Intel download site. I found older versions of the Toolbox here... http://intel-solid-state-drive-toolbox.soft32.com/old-version/432204/3.1.6 Download Intel Solid State Drive Toolbox 3.1.6 Free. I don't know whether this download is free of malware. But I can definitively state that 3.1.6 runs like a charm on my machine. It does everything it's supposed to.

1. Question to Intel - what changed between 3.1.6 and 3.2.3 to make the toolbox unusable on my machine? Perhaps new features but lack of testing on older operating systems? Are there any new features in 3.2.3 that I would miss in 3.1.6? I am willing to provide any information that Intel needs to diagnose the problem and hopefully fix the issue in a future release.
2. Can someone at Intel send me a link to the official 3.1.6 toolbox? I'd prefer to use the one from Intel rather than a copy from another site.
3. Can someone help my understand what I need to do so as to achieve the published specs for the 520 SSD - sustained sequential reads/write of 550 / 520 MB/s and latency of 80-85 micro-seconds? The published specs can be found here ... http://ark.intel.com/products/66250/Intel-SSD-520-Series-240GB-2_5in-SATA-6Gbs-25nm-MLC ARK | Intel® SSD 520 Series (240GB, 2.5in SATA 6Gb/s, 25nm, MLC). The figures reported by AS-SSD and ATTO fall woefully short.
4. Finally, given the system information as reported by Toolbox 3.1.6 (see below), please help me determine whether I can run an AHCI driver instead of the current IDE driver for this SATA controller and drive.

I've gone as far as I could go on my own. Need help from the experts to get better performance from this drive.

Regards

[Kevin_M_Intel]

Thank you for sharing all this information and feedback. It is extremely important for us to know about this.

Here you can see all changes on different versions:

http://downloadmirror.intel.com/18455/eng/Intel_SSD_Toolbox_Release_Notes_Rev3%202%203_325993_018_.p... http://downloadmirror.intel.com/18455/eng/Intel_SSD_Toolbox_Release_Notes_Rev3%202%203_325993_018_.p...

We strongly recommend you using it on AHCI since it's the recommended configuration from our side.

Kevin m

[AC6]

kevin_intel,

Thanks for the pointer to the Toolbox release notes.

My laptop bios has no way to specify AHCI although my Intel SATA controller (Intel 82801GBM/GHM ICH7M family) supports AHCI. I imagine if the bios doesn't support AHCI, I can't use it, right?

Is there an official Intel download site for older versions of the Toolbox? I would like to try out the more recent Toolbox releases (besides the most current one that freezes my screen) but I'd prefer not to download again from a 3rd party website.

Lastly, as you can see on the CrystalDiskInfo screenshot, the Intel 520 SSD fails to report its operating temperature. Why is that so? My old spinning disk used to report operating temperatures.

Regards