How to do a firmware upgrade for Samsung series 830 SSDs ???

[FabFour]

I got a Samsung series 830, 128GB SSD for my new PC build. There is a recent firmware update for it, and I need help understanding the best install steps, as I don't want to screw this up. Perhaps someone here is familiar with this?


The Samsung release notes mention two methods:

1. A Windows-based method. Under this method, it appears I must first load Windows 7 onto the computer's hard drive, then run their Windows-based firmware update tool to do the flash, then re-load Windows onto the SSD. (From some other forums, I get the impression the other method is more reliable).
2. A method using a special DOS boot disk. Under this method, I must first load Windows 7 onto the computer's hard drive, then load the Samsung "Magician" software onto my computer, then use that software to create a bootable USB drive or CD containing the DOS-based firmware update tool. Then boot using the newly made DOS-bootable tool to do the flash. Then re-load Windows onto the SSD. (I get the impression the Magician software can also be used later to monitor the SSD, read its serial number, and install later firmware updates. So apparently, the Magician software is worth keeping around even after the install. ??)

Which method is better, cleaner, more straightforward, harder to screw-up? Does anyone here have any thoughts, experience, or rumors concerning these matters.

Thanks for your help.

[The SSD Guy]

Did you not get the Samsung disk with the drive? It will have the Samsung Toolbox on it for that and, if not, you will find the Toolbox with a quick Google Search!

[FabFour]

Did you not get the Samsung disk with the drive? ....

I was hoping for a bit more insight. There are TWO methods for upgrading the firmware -- a Windows-based method, and a DOS-boot method -- and I was wondering which is better, (harder to screw up), more reliable, etc. Any insight on that?

Thanks for any help you may give.

[FabFour]

UPDATE:

Success! I slogged through the firmware update process, and it worked. I chose the DOS-boot method, because I was concerned about updating the SSD firmware via software (i.e., Windows) that is already previously loaded onto the SSD -- kind of like a dog chasing its tail. (Note: That has been a problem with some brands of SSD.) I believed (correctly or incorrectly) that upgrading the firmware onto a clean virgin SSD via the DOS-boot method -- followed by a single clean install of Windows 7 -- would be inherently more secure.

The key step is the creation of a DOS-boot USB stick. I didn't have DOS-bootable USB stick, and didn't know where I would get one. That was a key concern for me, and why I originally posted my question here. Fortunately (and here was the key step) a tool for creating one comes with the Samsung SSD. The tool is called the Samsung "Magician" software.

On a separate (older) computer, I installed the "Magician" software off the Samsung CD that comes in the SSD package. Upon running that software, it checked for an update, and found one on the Samsung site. So I installed the update. In other words, you may as well just install the Magician software directly from the Samsung site, and bypass their CD.

The rest of the process went smoothly, by following their directions. That is, you download the firmware/burner update and the Magician software from the Samsung website. Then run the Magician software to create a DOS-bootable USB stick with the firmware/burner on it. Then power-on the target computer with the DOS-bootable USB stick plugged-in (and a USB boot-up "enabled" in the target computer BIOS).

All went smoothly and straightforward. It worked.

[Bendrix]

I'm currently in the process of adding one of these SSDs. You said you made the bootable USB on a separate computer using the Magician software. Did you have your SSD connected to that other computer? When I try to use the Magician software, I get a message that it's not detecting a Samsung SSD.

[SmogHog]

How is the SSD connected to the computer?

Sometimes a drive is not detected in SSD Toolboxes if it's on an add in controller card or a brand new drive wasn't initialized and quick formated in Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Computer Management>Disk Management.

[Bendrix]

I think the poster above maybe had a laptop and connected their drive with a SATA to USB cable? I thought maybe he/she had somehow downloaded the firmware update without connecting their SSD to the computer. I have a desktop and I will be connecting to a SATA III port once I get started doing this.

Another question: Once I update my firmware, I plan on putting the OS on my SSD with recovery discs (total: 2), which I made using the Dell utility in my XPS 8500. Will this work? I do not have the OS on standard install disks, so I'm hoping it will work with the recovery disks.

Also, one thing I just found out about this model of Dell is that it has only SATA III port, so I will have to plug my SSD into that and move the stock HDD over to one of the SATA II ports. That shouldn't cause any problems, other than slower performance on the HDD, should it?

Thanks for any info.