IMPORTANT NOTES BEFORE BEGINNING YOUR UPDATE

If you are stable and do not have issues, we suggest that you do not flash your firmware.

This update is intended to not be destructive. However, we strongly urge that you back up any important data before beginning this procedure.

Be sure to download the correct update file for your drive. Many complaints we have seen were the result of downloading the wrong file for your drive.

This update has been validated for use with Windows 7. It has not been validated with Windows Vista and Windows XP however it may work with these OS's. Users are encouraged to update the drives with Windows 7 when possible.

This update tool is intended to be run with the drive controller in AHCI mode. If your drive controller is not AHCI enabled and your update fails, you will need to change it to AHCI mode and also enable AHCI in your OS registry. Here is page with a guide for ENABLING AHCI.

If you have issues updating using the Microsoft AHCI driver, you may need to update using the latest driver from your drive controller manufacturer. The reverse is also true. If you have issues updating using the latest drivers from your controller manufacturer, we suggest you try the latest MS AHCI driver.

Our latest testing is only with Intel and AMD drive controllers. The update may not work with 3rd party drive controllers. The update will not work on a controller that is in RAID mode. This applies to SATA2 and SATA3 controllers.

DO NOT at any time power off your system during this procedure. This may “brick” your drive. After your update if you still have issues, we strongly recommend the following steps:
1. Complete clearing of the BIOS. This is a good idea after any firmware flash of any device.
2. Secure erase the SSD. For some users, cloning of the drive works, for others it does not. This may be dependent upon the cloning tool used.
3. A clean installation of the OS if you experience instability after a BIOS clearing and secure erase.

UPDATE YOUR BIOS. As always for users with issues, we recommend that you update your motherboard/notebook to the most recent BIOS before attempting to flash your firmware. This may or may not resolve your issue but it is an excellent first step. Quite a few boards/notebooks have been given SSD specific updates over the past few months.

Ignore any terms in the firmware file name relating to Micron, Intel, etc. This has no bearing on the upgrade. You need only match the SIGNATURE as noted in the .PDF file.

Be sure to download the correct version for your drive. We have had people complaining that our files are wrong only to find that they downloaded the wrong file.

Fixes:
- Formatting a RAID-q Volume takes longer than expected with PMC Sierra BR-8 HBA.
- Some platforms capable of supporting 6Gb SATA Drives from the chipset, but designed for use with 3Gb SATA Drives have poor signal integrity whish can lead to occasional issues such as failure to wake from sleep, failure to negotiate at 6Gb speeds, and dropped links

Please do not forget to check with our site as often as possible in order to stay updated on the latest drivers, software and games.

Note: Try to set a system restore point before installing a device driver. It will help you restore system if installed driver not complete.