HP FW Update for Intel SSD 320 160GB Doesn't Work

[DAbaw]

So I just recovered from my 8mb Reported capacity on an HP (Intel made) SSD 320 160GB

I lost all data, and I had to use Part Magic to secure erase the drive.

To avoid this in the future I tried to update the Firmware. I initially use the HP utility for my Elitebook 8440p. That didn't detect the drive in the bay. I pulled the drive and added it to my Z400 and Z420, and still their utility couldn't detect the drive and asked that I contact http://www.intel.com/go/ssdsupport .. here I am!

I downloaded the firmware update ISO for the drive from Intel, and it's reporting that I have the latest revision. If I had the latest revision, how could I have lost my data and got the 8mb capacity issue?

Somehow I need to either force the intel to update my FW or make the HP utility detect my drive.

My current FW is 4PC1HPG0

Thank you

[idata]

Hi Dabawi2,

There is indeed a firmware update for the Intel® SSD 320 that fixes the "8MB capacity" issue, however this firmware update cannot be done in OEM drives, and that's what your SSD is.An OEM SSD is a special SSD version re-branded by a different OEM company (HP in this case) with a special firmware version developed by the OEM that meets specific requirements of the OEM equipment. Therefore, it's not possible to use the Intel® tools like the Intel® SSD Firmware Update Tool to update the firmware of such SSDs. That's the reason why the tool reports that you are using the latest firmware version because indeed, you have the latest OEM firmware version for the SSD.Having said that, the fix available cannot be applied to the version of your SSD because of the fact that it's an OEM SSD.You can still using your SSD, but as you mentioned, the "8MB capacity" issue may be recurrent and you may lose the data again. I highly recommend you to backup you data frequently if you decide to keep using the SSD, or if you prefer, you can replace your SSD with a newer version as the Intel® SSD 320 Series is no longer manufactured and it's very probable that the warranty from the OEM has already expired.I hope I have clarified your concern. If there is anything else you would like to know, feel free to ask.Have a nice day.Regards,Diego V.

[DAbaw]

Thank you for the information.

After several hours of troubleshooting, I discovered that the HP utilities can't find the drive because of the model number. The utilities are looking for model number SSDSA2BW160G3H (for my 160 GB) and can't find it, because the model number of my drive is VO0160ECHPL. For some reason, HP changed the model number on some of these drives, but the utility is looking for a different model number. The utility actually finds the VO0160CHPL, but says it's not supported because it can't tell that they're the same as the SSDSA2B...

Question is: I can't get HP to create a new tool, naturally. Is there a way to update the drive's model number to match what the utility is looking for? or, are there utilities out there that can update the firmware agnostic of model - i.e., I tell it to update firmware using a file I provide?

thanks

[idata]

Hi Dabawi2,

The only way to change the model registered in the SSD would be through a firmware update, but that leads us to the same point as before. As your SSD is an OEM drive, the Intel® tools are not able to update the firmware of your drive. Besides, there is no option in the Intel® tools to change the model of an SSD because the model is supposed to be always the same.

Considering your explanation about the HP utilities, I would contact HP directly and explain this particular situation to them. As they are the ones that developed such utilities, they may be able to provide you a solution or an explanation of why the model number doesn't match with the actual model number the SSD is registered with. They won't create a new tool probably, but they may explain why your SSD is not properly detected in the current tool.

I tried to find something related to this SSD in the HP forum, but I didn't find anything relevant. You can however, post this concern in their forum so that you can receive an answer from them about this. You can access the HP forum through this link: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/ Home - HP Support Forum

Regarding to your question about a third party tool that could update the firmware, honestly I'm not aware of any that could help you. Besides, you would need the firmware binary file so that the utility can read it and flash the SSD with it, which means that you would have to contact HP anyways to get that file, and I'm not sure if such a file is even available. And if so, the utility will probably compare the SSD model number because different firmware versions are usually developed for specific SSDs models (or specific hardware equipment in general), so all this "alternative" process may end in our original issue which is the difference in the model number.

If I were you, I would contact HP as it's the easiest way to know what's happening with their utilities. Please keep in mind that this SSD is no longer manufactured, so chances are that the reason why the SSD is not properly recognized could be because current HP utilities are fully compatible only with the newest drives, but that's only something I'm thinking of, we're not sure if that's indeed the reason.

You can also ask in their forum if there is a newer firmware for this SSD before dealing with the utilities issue. If I'm following you correctly, your final goal is to fix the "8MB capacity" issue with a firmware update from the OEM, so first ask if there is in fact a newer firmware for the SSD. If there is not, then there wouldn't be any reason of trying to get the utilities recognize the SSD because there wouldn't be any new firmware to flash it with.

As I recommended you before, if you want to keep using your SSD, make sure to back up your data frequently. Another option if you prefer, would be to replace your SSD with a newer version so you don't have to deal with possibility of facing the "8MB capacity" issue anymore.

I hope you find this information useful. If there is anything else I can help you with, just let me know. I'll try to help you in any way I can.

Have a nice day. Regards,Diego V.

[DAbaw]

Thank you Diego, I'll contact HP