SSD manufacturers haven't had the smoothest of rides as far as firmware updates are concerned.
The latest company to fall foul of a firmware hitch, Crucial, has moved to reassure its customers by re-launching a firmware update for the mighty-impressive range of RealSSD C300 drives.
Firmware version 0002 was first made available earlier this month but was quickly pulled amid reports that it was rendering drives unusable. Crucial now appears to have identified the problem and the same update - coupled with a new update tool - is once again available to download.
According to Micron, manufacturer of the C300's NAND Flash memory, the previous problems were caused by "compatibility issue between the update tool and certain motherboards". For the re-release, both Crucial and Micron now state that they've collectively "performed extensive testing of the new update tool functionality", adding that they have this time "confirmed it works properly across multiple platforms".
Makes you wonder why extensive testing didn't take place first time around, but if you're willing to find out if the new update tool is able to play nice with your particular brand of motherboard, firmware 0002 is available to download at Crucial.com.
The associated release notes state that the update will offer a bevy of all-round improvements, including better power consumption and improved TRIM performance.
Before you dive in head first, however, here's a list of Crucial-provided considerations to take into account:
- The upgrade requires a Low Level Format to the SSD which will erase any data on the drive. Please ensure that your data is backed up prior to performing the Firmware Update. We are hopeful that future Firmware revisions/updates will not be destructive.
- The upgrade needs to be implemented using a native 3.0Gb/s SATA port. It will not work in a 6.0Gb/s SATA port. However, once the upgrade is complete, the SSD will run as a 6.0Gb/s drive in a 6.0Gb/s port.
- The upgrade needs to be done directly in the motherboard, not via HBA. Again, once the upgrade has been completed, the C300 drive can be utilized in an HBA.
