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New x256 SSD drive disappears


spacecadet610

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I just received the new x256 SSD drive.

 

I have a Mac Mini, latest version with the nVidia graphics chipset.

 

Yesterday I installed the new Mac OS 10.6 on it first without any issues.

 

Last night while installing Windows 7 using boot camp, everything freezes and when I reboot the SSD drive is no longer visible when I boot the computer.

 

Frustrated, I turn it off and go to sleep.

 

This morning, the SSD drive is now visible. I plan with Windows 7 for 10 minutes or so then everything freezes. When I reboot, the drive is gone again!!

 

Does anyone have any clue what could be going on? This is my first SSD drive..

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Just an update..

 

Doesn't matter if i'm using Windows 7 or Mac OS X.

 

It seems to work fine as long as i'm not doing anything disk intensive.

 

If i do anything disk intensive such as installing a large program, then everything freezes and when I reboot the drive is gone.

 

If i wait for a bit before restarting, then the drive reappears.

 

This has happened 4 times today.

 

I'm thinking that the drive is defective, possibly heat related is all i can think of.

 

This is completely frustrating and i want to return the drive.

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I also have two X256 and installed in two Mid2009 Macbook Pros (15" & 17") and expierencing the same issues:

 

One drive died, I cant see it in the harddisk utility. Now I returned the drive to get a new one

 

The second drive is very unstable. When I try to copy large files (Double Layer DVD images) or doing disk intensive tasks the system freezes an I have to hard reset the machine.

 

So I actually dont know if its a EFI 1.7 Firmware Problem or Corsair is producing crappy drives. I dont know what I should believe.

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RAM Guy: how long does it take the RMA process? I submitted the online form last night but haven't heard anything yet.

 

It's interested that steve1199 is having a similar problem.

 

I have acquired another Mac Mini for testing the SSD drive on. My Mac Mini (Mini A) with SSD issues is the new nVidia version. The testing Mini is the older chipset Mac Mini (Mini B) using intel graphics GMA950.

 

I just finished installing Mac OS 10.6 & Vista 7 onto the SSD using Mini B and have yet to duplicate the issues I had on Mini A.

 

I will do further testing.

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NP Please keep us informed and it will take 24-48 hours to get the process finished depending on how backed up we are. What was your case number I will look into it?

 

And two people out of several thousand having the same type of problem may or may not mean anything so please let's not jump to conclusions just yet.

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in Mac OS X you have the opportunity to quick format, do an erase with overwriting with zeros, or the OS Installer will do it for you... tried all... no success... it doesnt matter which OS Leopard 10.5 or Snow 10.6 always same issues

 

for me its an hardware issue either macbook (nvidia) sata controller or maybe the indillinx controller of the X256... how is it possible to determine??

 

another test in a macbook early2008 where the sata port is limited to 1.5Mbit the drive also freezes when doing disk intensive tasks... so I think the indilinx controller is overcharged????

 

which function has the jumper at the X256 case?

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I never got a case number. I just submitted the form online and never got a response.

 

steve1199, are there specific things you do that consistently cause the problem? I'm trying to reproduce the problem on this older mac mini but in my brief testing haven't been able to. i tried installing vmware and running Win7 virtually and it worked no problem.

 

If it works fine, then maybe it's a problem with the SATA controller (both the mac mini and macbook share the same motherboard, i believe).

 

My next step would be to swap the SSD back into the nVidia Mac Mini to see if the problem comes back.

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@spacecadet610

I can reproduce the issue when copying or duplication very large files like DVD Images.... try to make an image from a DVD it should be 3 or 4GB and then simply duplicate (also multiple instances to really load the drive) the file in Finder on the same drive... at me both Macbooks freezes after a while... the disk activity stops, you can monitor in activity monitor

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Just opened my RMA case for a problem that seems common in the forums. New x256 (CMFSSD-256D1) drive installed into an older MacBook Pro (MacBookPro3,1:Boot ROM MBP31.0070.B07:SMC Version 1.16f11) to replace my 160G drive.

 

It was installed where the previous hard drive was located (not on the SuperDrive ribbon). My controller is the Intel ICH8-M AHCI, 1.5 Gb, AHCI 1.10 supported. My OS is Mac OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard).

 

I installed the drive two nights ago and installed the OS clean from the DVD. After a few application installations, my system froze. I could move the mouse, but nothing else worked. I had to hard reset the system. When it came back up, several applications would fail to launch, and my Entourage database was corrupt. After a few minutes, it would lock up again. This occurred several times until eventually the disk wasn't recognized at all. I boot from the installation media, ran Disk Utility, and the only drive seen is my SuperDrive.

 

Last night I gave up trying to troubleshoot it (and didn't want to lose any more data) and put my old drive back in (with the same applications and same OS). Everything works fine. I'm very hesitant to try again with the same drive given the other forum posts and my experience.

 

The lot number of my drive is 09320108. My case number with Corsair is 1103721 (sent in about 30 minutes ago).

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And two people out of several thousand having the same type of problem may or may not mean anything so please let's not jump to conclusions just yet.

 

I dont know if a thousand of users are buying this drives since it is a fresh release of Corsair and the drives are "very" expensive. But the threads with problematic (dying and freezing) drives are increasing. So for me thats a sign thats something wrong with the drives or firmware.

 

I bought two drives which are not cheap and one drive died suddenly and the other is problematic. For me thats a poor Support from Corsair no matter if its only one customer or thousands having this problem. And if Corsair says they have tested the drives I am sure they have a scenario to detect problematic drives, or not?

 

So today I installed the problemativ drive in my Macbook Pro Early 2008 which has only a SATA I (1.5MBit/s) ICH8 Intel Controller. After doing a fresh install of Leopard and later Snow Leopard I experienced the same issues regarding an installation of the drive in the Macbook Pro Mid2009 (Nvidia SATA II Controller). Always when I do disk intensive tasks the drive freezes. Tasks I done were installing Adobe CS3 Suite and/or simultaneously copying large files.

 

Additionaly I tested the Macbooks with a Intel X25-M 80GB Postville drive and all went fine Installation OS, Installation of CS3 and copying large files. The drive is performing very well, no freezes or pauses.

 

I will return the Corsair X256 drive and hoping I can get from the retailer an Intel drive. I give up hoping to get support from Corsair here....

 

@spacecadet610

you should change the threads topic to freezing and dying drives, so others can quickly find information

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I changed the name of the thread (EDIT: actually the thread title didn't change, don't know how to do it)

 

The x256 actually worked fine with the older Mac Mini version. With the new nVidia Mac Mini, it is extremely unstable and I can't even get through an OS install without some kind of data corruption.

 

2 other hard drives (non-SSD) work fine with the nVidia Mac Mini.

 

I've given up on the x256. I am pursuing a possible refund from Dell, though that might not be possible since I already removed the UPC label for the rebate. If that fails, I'll RMA with COrsair and hope somehow the problem gets fixed.

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It worked ok with the MB138LL/A model.

 

It does not work with the MB463LL/A model.

 

So to clarify, the X256 worked fine with the Mini B? By that do you mean one of the models below?

 

Mac mini (original) - Technical Specifications - M9686LL/B | M9687LL/B | M9971LL/B

 

Also, what's the model number of the Mac Mini that it doesn't work with?

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