timmy2 Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I have a p/n CSSD-V60GB2. I've skimmed the firmware related stickies about this drive but I'm left wondering the following: 1. Assuming that this drive is like other SSD brands, the Hardware ID in Device Mgr is " _1.0" and this is its firmware rev. If I'm wrong, how do I determine the current firmware rev? 2. Some statements in the forum imply that a Nova 2 might have a Sandforce controller or some other brand controller. How do I know if mine has the requisite Sandforce controller? 3. In the sticky "Latest firmware version for every SSD" the Nova 2 has a link to a page for 5.05a, which of course doesn't mention the Nova 2. Is that the right page for my particular Nova 2? 4. Now there's the SSD Toolbox, which refers to the "Nova2 (SF Based only)". Just to confirm: provided mine is actually rev 1.0 am I correct in assuming that I should first use the SF 5.05a updater and then use the Toolbox to arrive at the latest rev? Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowbeard Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Scan it with the Toolbox. If there is an update for your specific drive, it will be updated. If there is not, then your drive does not need an update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmy2 Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 Thank you for replying, Yellowbeard. I had considered trying Toolbox first but in your sticky about Toolbox it says: "Please note that we currently do not support upgrading old 1.3.x FW to 5.0x FW on Sandforce based drives. Users of 1.3.x firmwares will still need to update to 5.xx firmwares using the Sandforce based FW update process found in the SSD Firmware Update section. " I therefore figured that Toolbox might not recognize my drive because it's (apparently) at rev 1.0 and therefore not eligible for upgrade until it's first been updated by the Sandforce firmware. Are Nova2 owners supposed to ignore the statement I quoted from your post? Thank you again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowbeard Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 You can scan any of our drives and determine the firmware version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmy2 Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 Yes, and I just ran Toolbox. My drive is indeed ver 1.0. So is my drive eligible for the Sandforce 5.05a update? I saw no indication that your Toolbox could update it except for a non-working "play" button next "Firmware Update". http://imageshack.com/a/img42/4969/79xs.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowbeard Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Scan it with the Toolbox. If there is an update for your specific drive, it will be updated. If there is not, then your drive does not need an update. As I already noted above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Are you experiencing any issues with the SSD? If no, i'd highly suggest you don't update the firmware as it may create issues in the future. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmy2 Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 Thank you for replying, Toasted. Having used many SSDs over the past several years, encountering firmware bugs like Crucial's "drive disappears at 5219 hours" (I'm making up the number because I don't recall it exactly, but it was literally a specific number in the mid-thousands), and OCZ's numerous failures and subsequent warnings to keep the firmware updated I have a hard time accepting that rev 1.0 firmware on a drive of the NOVA2's generation doesn't need a firmware update. While I understand the IIABDFI rule, that would imply that sometimes the rev 1.0 firmware is bug-free and sometimes it's not, which also seems impossible. In my opinion no firmware is bug free, especially in the first few years of consumer SSD availability. In this case the drive appears to be working fine. I'm just accustomed to keeping an SSD's firmware current, thus my questions. Since I can't seem to get answers to my specific questions I'll give up. BTW, I long ago started underprovisioning SSDs (I think it was an OCZ mgr that once implied this is one major difference between enterprise SSDs and consumer models), so maybe that's helped this one survive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmy2 Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 Scan it with the Toolbox. If there is an update for your specific drive, it will be updated. If there is not, then your drive does not need an update. So do you mean that Toolbox will display text saying there's an update or will immediately start an update or what? In my case there were the words "Firmware update" with a "play" button to the left, but it was non-functioning. I realize text is costly, but couldn't you at least tell me why the 5.05a SF update is NOT applicable to my drive? You guys go to the trouble of posting stickies with detailed instructions, warnings, exceptions, etc. -- if any of that is obsolete how about redacting, changing, or removing them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowbeard Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 In this case the drive appears to be working fine. I'm just accustomed to keeping an SSD's firmware current, thus my questions. Since I can't seem to get answers to my specific questions I'll give up. What specific question do you want answered :confused: You've discovered your firmware version and verified that no update is needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmy2 Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 Thank you for offering to answer specific questions. 1. Why is the Sandforce 5.05a firmware update not appropriate for my Nova2? 2. When you write that I've verified no update is needed, I'm curious what one will see if an update IS needed. Will Toolbox display text saying there's an update or will immediately start an update or what? In my case there were the words "Firmware update" with a "play" button to the left -- which might be interpreted as suggesting the offer of an upgrade, but it was non-functioning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowbeard Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Some Nova 2 drives were not made with SF controllers. Your was not based on the firmware number of 1.0. These drives have no update available and will not be updated as they are EOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmy2 Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 Well, I hope the firmware was good! Thank you for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowbeard Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 In this case the drive appears to be working fine. ::pirate:: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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