cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Update on "Bad Context 13x Error"

Alan_F_Intel
New Contributor III
New Contributor III

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

115 REPLIES 115

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

Try to put your PC into sleep mode and return back to windows, before trying Secure Erase.

The best way is to read more before doing something.

https://ata.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/ATA_Secure_Erase https://ata.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/ATA_Secure_Erase

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

The Momentus SSD series from Seagate took care of all my Intel headaches and gave an end to this 8M farse forever.

The 500G SSD's sell at a great price and have been working like a charm for about a week now.

Do yourself a favor and stop clinging on to labels and brand names, there are other fish in the sea.

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

Gillware now has the ability to recover data from Intel solid-state drives, including the 320 series SSD, after the 8 MB bug or bad context (BAD_CTX) errors.

This is a breakthrough for the data recovery industry, and we have a bit more info about if available on http://gillware.com/blog/data-recovery-case/solid-state-data-recovery-possible-with-intel-ssd-320-se... our blog.

Please contact us if you would like to learn more about recovering data from an Intel SSD after a firmware failure.

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

Hello all,

i want to share my HP elitebook 8460p with SSD 320 series problems.

Hard drive Specifications :

1. Model Number : INTEL SSDSA2BW160G3H

2. Model SERIES : INTEL SSD 320 SERIES 160 GB (show as 8 MB in intel SSD toolbox)

3. Serial Number : BAD_CTX 0000013F (shown in intel SSD toolbox)

4. Firmware : 4PC10365

PROBLEMS :

1. Bluescreen error in windows vista enterprise 32 bit after automatic update in my company.

2. After restarting the notebook i got the following message in the startup "REBOOT AND SELECT PROPER BOOT DEVICE". My windows wouldn't even start.

3. I connect my SSD into another computer as secondary drive and boot to the windows. Check in the disk management, i found my harddrive is only 8 MB. Many of the forum called this "8 MB BUG". Note : my SSD harddrive is not shown in my computer.

SOLUTIONS TRIED :

1. HP software & driver : I downloaded "Intel Solid State Drive (SSD) Firmware Update" on website "[URL="http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=5056943&... http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=5056943&..."]http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=5056943&... http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=5056943&..." and trying to do install SP52887 directly from windows and it says "setup status : this harddrive model is not supported : ST380013AS" which is my first harddrive (not the SD). The most updated firmware, i try to install SP5508 and it says "update status : This harddisk model is not supported". SP52887 installer is also comes with disk images to update firmware from boot process, i also do this and it says "your harddrive is having the latest firmware, no upgrade is needed". So, i think i have no luck with HP software & driver.

2. Intel SSD toolbox : I downloaded Intel SSD toolbox from website "[URL="http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18455&lang=eng%20 http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18455&lang=eng%20"]http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18455&lang=eng%20[/URL] http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18455&lang=eng%20[/URL]" and i cannot update to the latest firmware because of i have the latest firmware already. The only thing left is "SECURE ERASE" and it's the last thing i want to do because it will delete all the data in the SSD hard drive.

QUESTIONS :

Anybody know how to fix SSD 320 series harddrive without secure erase it ?

RT4
New Contributor

Dear Intel,

SSDs continue to die. Problem lives on. If a third-party has identified ways to recover data, I'm sure that you guys can help too. Awaiting response.