Trying to update FW on P256 with VBM15D1Q

The FW download guide in the sticky states on the first page that it's not meant for updating FW of this version.

I've backed up the drive and am waiting to take a swing at putting Win7x64 and openSUSE on there until I can update the firmware to support TRIM.

Last I recall, there were issues with Dell placing a custom FW on their drives that they basically refused to release an update for. Has there been a solution to this? If not, what's the work around?

I do not take such a lack support for top of the line hardware lightly and suspect the same of those that profit from such business, based on market laws. I'm hoping that I just haven't found the simple solution on my own.

Thanks, and have a great day!

Siress

ive snooped around the web for the past half hour about this and i can see he is not alone. there are several angry/dissatisfied dell customers with the same unresolved issue. from what i gather, dell is waiting on samsung to deliver an update (sound familiar?) and does not even respond to posts in their own forum about this.

my only suggestion obviously would be to purchase a Corsair TRIM activated drive and use his OEM for a mirror backup.

Also, the problem in this case is that users cannot use a Corsair firmware on a non-Corsair drive. The Samsung provided firmware updater that we have will not update a non-Corsair drive. You may be able to find a work around at Samsung as I do know they provide firmware updates. However, if this is a proprietary firmware for Dell, the Dell drives may be limited in the same way.

Clarification: By "non-Corsair" drive, I mean the firmware identity of the drive, in this case a proprietary Dell firmware.

It boggles my mind how this can still be the case. Does no one at Corsair view hundreds (thousands, maybe?) of their early adopters worth the trouble of finding a solution to this? I appreciate the fast response, and having a forum like this...it's quite awesome, but that is moot if the purpose it serves doesn't lead to a solution.

Guys and gals, imagine for a moment that you paid top dollar for a Corsair P256 drive shortly after their release, and sometime down the road you're told that your only option to keep it from performing like a $40 HDD is to, 'buy another one.' I will not, to put it politely. This business of pushing blame between Dell and Samsung was getting old back in Q4 '09; it's Corsair's name being ruined, with Dell getting a close second. Samsung had nothing to do with the agreement between Dell and Corsair. I realize that Dell is a massive entity in the market, but this is your brand, your image, your hardware that is at stake. At the very least, there should be redundant ways of bypassing anything that can effectively ruin your hardware, I would think.

Beyond all of that, why is the current FW vital to the version to be flashed? Why can I not have the controller physically replaced by an updated version?

It boggles my mind how this can still be the case. Does no one at Corsair view hundreds (thousands, maybe?) of their early adopters worth the trouble of finding a solution to this? I appreciate the fast response, and having a forum like this...it's quite awesome, but that is moot if the purpose it serves doesn't lead to a solution.

 

Guys and gals, imagine for a moment that you paid top dollar for a Corsair P256 drive shortly after their release, and sometime down the road you're told that your only option to keep it from performing like a $40 HDD is to, 'buy another one.' I will not, to put it politely. This business of pushing blame between Dell and Samsung was getting old back in Q4 '09; it's Corsair's name being ruined, with Dell getting a close second. Samsung had nothing to do with the agreement between Dell and Corsair. I realize that Dell is a massive entity in the market, but this is your brand, your image, your hardware that is at stake. At the very least, there should be redundant ways of bypassing anything that can effectively ruin your hardware, I would think.

 

Beyond all of that, why is the current FW vital to the version to be flashed? Why can I not have the controller physically replaced by an updated version?

Please send us the lot code of the SSD, and a photo if possible. We will track down what it is. If it is a Corsair drive, we will make sure he get your firmware updated. Also, we still need the Crystaldisk info. To my knowledge, we never sold any Samsung based drives with VBM15 firmwares. It should be VBM18*** or later.

I really do love this forum if you guys can get such things done and communicate that quickly; truly impressive.

I'll see if I can pop the drive out when I get home. It's the Dell OEM 256GB SSD for the SXPS 1640, which I was told by the sales rep to be a Corsair P256. CrystalDiskInfo screen shot before I pop it out, as you guys will probably have insight between then and when I get it out of the computer, at this rate. :p:

In the mean time, if you could please comment on my previous question:

"...why is the current FW vital to the version to be flashed? Why can I not have the controller physically replaced by an updated version?"

http://i50.tinypic.com/2zp61sl.jpg

Do tell me that the Samsung PM800 isn't a different drive entirely... Google searches lead me to believe it to be the same drive, but it could still be a bureaucratic difference.

EDIT: Looks like a I beat you all to the photo.

http://i49.tinypic.com/wryx4x.jpg

The other side is just brushed metal. Seems to me that I've had a case of mistaken identity since before I even owned this thing, unless, of course, I wasn't....? I can hope, since knocking on Samsung's door will likely result in silence; again, based on market laws...scratch that, current market trends [they're too big to fail, so why should they care].

damn dude, thats not a Corsair drive, perhaps Dell or Samsung can help you.

im sure there are proprietary differences hardware wise from a drive specifically made for Corsair.

unless Dell or Samsung offer TRIM enabled firmware i think you are stuck maintaining your drive the hard way.

Hah, you posted while I was editing, well done.

At any rate, I think I'll have better luck making this thing turn inside out before I get a FW update from Dell or Samsung; they've had 9 months to do so at this point.

The hardware exists to support TRIM, as does the firmware (from what I understand, same chip as the current ones). It's just that Samsung cannot flash over the Dell firmware, XXX##D#X, so they supplied Dell with the firmware so that they could provide the update utility...and they never did.

I don't know what to do at this point. I've spoken with Dell XPS Support who said they would take 24hrs to review the problem and call me back; and couldn't supply me a call back number. That phone call took about an hour. It has been 48hrs since, and I have no way of getting in touch with someone unless I start from square one.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/444979-alienware-owners-samsung-pm800-ssd-trim-now-available.html

its alot of pages to scan through but maybe there is something in there to help?

Thanks, Synthohol, but I was there before I was here. :p

Here's an interesting development, they're claiming that the drives hardware cannot support TRIM now. I guess because it's Dell, and not any of the duplicate drives from all of the other distributors.

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/t/19332633.aspx

Something that might interest you, based on your avatar and location, I had a idea/concept for a truly 3D display that has led to a research group at GaTech in order to provide a proof-of-concept and further development. You might live to be found in the holodeck yet! :cool: