Intel Communities: Message List - Firmware update now available - Addresses Bad Context 13x Error

Re: Firmware update now available - Addresses Bad Context 13x Error

webadmin@intel.com — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:18:50 GMT

Hi all,

I'm not sure if i'm in the right place here, but I have a 320 series 160Gb that is exhibiting the "Bad Content 13x" bug. This drive only 4 months old and is running the current firmware (4PC1LE04), I have tried running the latest Toolbox and of course it will not update (as I have the current version already), does anyone know an alternative way around this problem? I need to save the data, after that Intel can have it back.....

ANY input would be greatly appreciated....

Thanks all...

Re: Firmware update now available - Addresses Bad Context 13x Error

webadmin@intel.com — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:22:37 GMT

I am sitting here with another brand new "Bad Context 13x Error" Drive (320 series, 160 GB).

It was bought with the latest firmware update installed.

The problem is NOT solved and it is not possibel to do anything with the drive.

Intel, please wake up and get serious with another firmware update that will solve the problem once and for all ...

Re: Firmware update now available - Addresses Bad Context 13x Error

webadmin@intel.com — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 22:53:50 GMT

Agreed - problem is NOT resolved. I am on the latest firmware and have experienced this issue. Complete data loss, fixed by secure erase. GParted showed the partition size of 8MB. Intel Firmware Upgrade Utility showed BAD_CTX serial. This is despite having the most current firmware in place from the factory... I didn't even have to upgrade to the latest firmware, it was already installed and STILL failed. Received drive with a new computer just 8 weeks ago, brand new, custom built online. I created a new post in the discussion area to address this problem on the latest firmware.

Tried talking to Intel support, got blown off because my drive came in a Lenovo laptop. Despite the SSD Toolbox being expanded to support this particular drive in Lenovo systems (according to the release notes), tech support still informed me that he couldn't help me with my drive whatsoever. Lenovo confirmed for me that I do in fact have the latest firmware on the drive but that no such bugs have been reported that shrink the drive to 8mb and cause a BAD_CTX error. They'll replace the drive but that is about it.

Re: Firmware update now available - Addresses Bad Context 13x Error

webadmin@intel.com — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 22:04:08 GMT

This issue is NOT resolved. Best advice is to backup your data and trash the drive before it fails. 200 dollars wasted. Never again, Intel.

Re: Firmware update now available - Addresses Bad Context 13x Error

webadmin@intel.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:18:19 GMT

Of course I tried the "mac compatible" version, (the first firmware update was supposed to be compatible, too) but none of them found an intel drive on my 2008 macbook pro.

Now I am happy with an ssd from another vendor, a LOT of time (and money for the support hotline to another country) lost.

So much for mac compatibility.

Re: Firmware update now available - Addresses Bad Context 13x Error

webadmin@intel.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:14:56 GMT

The issue seems not to be fixed, in fact there are people posting in the intel community forums that they experienced the bug AFTER having updated to the new firmware (http://communities.intel.com/m.... German tech sites have acknowledged this, too: http://www.golem.de/1108/85871...

Re: Firmware update now available - Addresses Bad Context 13x Error

webadmin@intel.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:07:13 GMT

The latest version of the update utility has been made specifically to solve the problems to update on certain Macs! Have you tried it?

Have a look at http://www.intel.com/go/ssdfirmware

and see the Release notes for version 1.92. Specifically:

This revision of the Firmware Update Tool:
 Fixes issues associated with correctly detecting Intel SSDs in Apple* systems.
 Updates Intel SSD 320 Series firmware specific to Lenovo* systems to the most current version.
No other firmware changes were made from the previous release.

It has been released on 1 September 2011.

Re: Firmware update now available - Addresses Bad Context 13x Error

webadmin@intel.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:57:32 GMT

the problem IS intel by not supporting the mac platform. I had a several month long painful experience similar to this one - took apart and placed the ssd forth and back between my macbook pro and a PC for updating, secure erasing, ... at least 10 times (!) because neither the update tool nor the secure erasing capable tools were supported on my mac (not even under bootcamp).

It's true, the situation is not much better with other manufacturers, but selling a harddrive that simply canot be updated on macs from, say the last 3 years, is not ready for the market in 2011 (my 320 ssd was not even recognized on 2 other PCs).

Re: Firmware update now available - Addresses Bad Context 13x Error

webadmin@intel.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:24:55 GMT

colonelpanic, I think your problem is not the Mac, but rather the fact that you should secure erase the drive (to recover from the Bad Context situation) before trying to update the firmware. Otherwise RMA your drive to get a replacement. Please have a look to the first post in this thread and note that there other other tools out there to do secure erase without the need to use the SSD Toolbox if you can't.

I tried other SSDs from different brands (OCZ, Corsair) and I must say that the Intel's situation for upgrading the SSD firmware is in any case better...

Re: Firmware update now available - Addresses Bad Context 13x Error

webadmin@intel.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 07:23:37 GMT

After wrestling with this all day I can confirm the recommendation that these Intel 320 SSD drives should NOT be used with a Mac. Ever.

I had the drive suddenly die while waking from sleep this morning, discovered the 8MB bug, called Intel, downloaded the firmware update ISO.

The firmware updater on the ISO only sees drives on the Internal SATA bus, by the way... useless if you're in mid-recovery and have moved your defective Intel SSD to USB or other external interface on a functional computer.

The OSX Lion Disk Utility cannot manipulate this drive at all once it fails. To my knowledge there are NO Mac OSX utilities that can affect this problem.

Furthermore, the DOS-based Firmware Updater cannot actually do anything to the drive on a Mid-2011 MacBook Pro. Sees the drive, lists it as having a "BAD_CTX" serial number, and complains that it cannot complete the drive firmware update because it's password protected, which is of course false.

I'm sorry Intel, I am not about to purchase a copy of Windows, install Bootcamp (on what drive, exactly?) and run some windows-only app to try and recover my drive so that I can then run your DOS utility to upgrade the firmware on your dubiously reliable Solid State Drive.

Ironic, really, considering that reliability, next only to speed, was my major motivator for purchasing a $600 SSD in the first place.

Thanks for nuking my data, Intel!