F8M is unstable

[Eung Ho Kim]

Re: F8M is unstable

Nice to hear this is sorted out for you now!

Go ahead and test that 256GB one if you can, just to be sure. Maybe it is firmware, but I dunno cause my initial tests were all on 0002.

Maybe if he is on 0001, then maybe that could be an issue, but I think 0002 and 0006 are fine and something else had to be causing this for you guys.

My C300 has 100MB hidden partition, as you mentioned. And my C300 was already on 0006, I don't know why this is happened to me.

Crucial will release next version firmware in late April. So I will retest if next firmware release.

Thanks for a job well done, guys.

[Pablo]

Re: F8M is unstable

Ok, booted pc today and back to detecting drives,, grrrrrr.

I discovered this though

if you go to bios and change to optimised defaults, then save reboot back to bios, it then finds drive, then you have to go back to bios again to set it as first boot again, then works

but it seems to have to be kept being saved.

Try that, also.

im gonna keep playing till i sort this, prob end up back on F4 for my ud9 by looks of things.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: F8M is unstable

Pablo, sounds like you might need to RMA you drive, I've seen several have issues at the Crucial forums with drives not being found at bootup - which a new drive will fix.

Eung Ho Kim - Try without the hidden partition. Do you know how to do a clean install, or repair the BCDStore?

It's not a firmware issue at all or I would see it on 0002 or 0006, but yes a new firmware will be out shortly.

[Eung Ho Kim]

Re: F8M is unstable

Lsd, thanks for your advice.

I want to remove hidden partition, but I can't now. Windows installed now, so I will try to later.
But is it possible remove hidden partition without format?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: F8M is unstable

You can do a clean install, if you want to do it that way.

Without a clean install is more involved, you would have to first delete the hidden partition from within another OS disk, then move the main SSD partition over (which may be very hard to do and keep aligned), then you would have to run startup repair to reuild the BCDStore or that can also be manually done.

A clean install would be much easier for you to do. If you decide to do that, run the install DVD and then do the following, once done reboot to the DVD again and install windows to this new partition. Do not change anything on the disk selection screen during the install, simply select / click on the already created partition and click next. This can also be done from within windows at a command prompt, on another computer with the SSD connected as a spare drive.


Boot to CD, choose repair, then advanced, then command prompt:

Diskpart commands to align and create a partition

Diskpart >List Disk

(Here note the Disk # you want to align and create on based on size of drive, if only one drive then you are fine disk 0 will be the one you
need)

Diskpart > Select Disk 0
(Or other disk number if need be)

Diskpart > List Partition
(Just to ensure you have the correct disk listed and no partitions are found)

Diskpart > Clean
(Removes any previous partition table information, and or MBR's)

Diskpart > Create Partition Primary Align=1024
(To create and align your partition)

Diskpart> Format Quick FS=NTFS
(To Quick format-NTFS)

Diskpart > List Partition
(To check partition was created properly and aligned)

Diskpart > Active
(To set partition Active for OS Install)

Diskpart > Exit

Done!

Clean and simple for those who have only one disk connected and need no explanations

Diskpart > Select Disk 0
Diskpart > Clean
Diskpart > Create Partition Primary Align=1024
Diskpart > Format Quick FS=NTFS
Diskpart > List Partition
Diskpart > Active
Diskpart > Exit

[Pablo]

Re: F8M is unstable

Ok LSD,

Thing is was working fine on f4, then only other day, drive stopped being recognised all the time,

Im back on F4 now, but still had issues getting to recognise.

If i power off and leave a few hours, all boots up ok,

However when i leave pc off all day whilst im at work, then drives are lost again.

If i go into advanced settings, F7 to defaultes, drive recognised again.

May end up using sata2 ports, which dont cause any issue atal.

Then seeing this thread

http://forums.tweaktown.com/gigabyte/44087-ga-p67a-ud7-b3-vertex-3-bios-problem.html

isnt giving me much confidence in Gigabyte at the moment.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: F8M is unstable

As I mentioned, I've seen this before and often the disk may be going bad.

You can try to add a HDD Disk detection delay in the BIOS to see if that helps.

Also, as I mentioned previously, you will get better performance on the Intel ports anyway, so I'd highly recommend you use them since this issue is affecting you on the 6Gb/s ports anyway.

See my C300 review linked in my signature for performance comparisons of the 6Gb/s ports and the 3Gb/s ports, you'll see what I mean.

That users likely needs to RMA his drive for sure, those 6Gb/s port and the ones you are using are not the same at all, his 6Gb/s ports are Intel ones and are problem free so it's very likely he needs to RMA the drive

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: F8M is unstable

OK, guys, I am able to reproduce this error now! I was doing some TRIM testing for some users at Crucial, and immediately ran into this issue mid-way through my testing process.

The error affects Marvell SATA 6Gb/s port 6 (against PCB), when the BIOS is set to Firmware mode Bypass and a C300 is connected to port 6 the POST will hang at IDE detection. This may also affect any other disk or SSD, I did not test.

Port 7 is fine, and either port is fine if firmware mode is set to firmware instead of bypass.

I will let my contacts know as soon as I hear back from them, hopefully this week!

[Eung Ho Kim]

Re: F8M is unstable

Good job, Lsd.

I hope it will be fixed as soon as posssible.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: F8M is unstable

Thanks, I wondered why you guys were having problems and I didn't have any, I thought about it for a few days and even tested different OS and firmwares :)

For now, you can set the BIOS to firmware mode instead of bypass, which is better for performance now anyway. Then your disks should be OK in either port

Do either of you have a ticket with GGTS? Also, which F8 beta BIOS have you used that did not have this issue? Thanks!

[Pablo]

Re: F8M is unstable

Excellent news, i can tell you i had hard time concentrating at work today, with pc not working.

Even though im on F4 again now, sometimes wprked, then turn pc on in morning and failed,

sometimes detected port 6 and 7
but usually port 7 fail, and with F4 bios also,

I even tried plugging in a standard dvd drive and port 7 never saw it, so many combinations i tried.

hotplugging worked also, wasnt seen in bios, but os saw it,
etc etc etc

Glad you had issues aswell, was not happy, that you hadnt found it, now i am.

At the moment, im actually running both ports again, 6 and 7, but drive detection has gone to port 6 slave and master, so prob why its working.

Probably in morning will fail again.

Gonna look for that bypass thing now, see if i can resolve it that way.

So looks like mobo ok afterall,

Really want a fixed bios now,

F4 used to work, but dont now, F5p not working, ide hang etc.

thing is i prob wore out connector on ssd, so many plugs/unplugs.

hope it can be sorted.

What do i set in my bios on ud9?, hdd menu/sata3 firmware selection, its on auto at the moment, what should i change it too?

Thanks LSD, and others who are helping with this issue

i noticed also, mines back to ide, gonna change back to ahci, hope it works again on that.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: F8M is unstable

I'll let you guys know once I hear back from Taiwan, as soon as they can test and reproduce the issue I'm sure they'll be able to correct it.

The setting I mention that causes this for me is the Marvell Firmware Bypass mode setting, it is not in some older BIOS so you may not see it in the earlier ones, anyway when this is set to bypass mode is the only time I can reproduce the issue with Port 6

It's not the firmware selection setting, that is to update the firmware, which you should do each time you update the BIOS by selecting force and then save/apply.

If you need an image showing you which exact setting I mean that I was able to reproduce the issue with let me know and I can post some images.

[Eung Ho Kim]

Re: F8M is unstable

Thanks, Lsd.

I reported your test results to GGTS, they said "Could you please offer us the screenshot of where to set to Firmware mode in BIOS?"
So, would you like to post a screenshot?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: F8M is unstable

Haha, GGTS should not need screenshots of BIOS settings!!

Anyway, I will get you one in once second.

My contact there just replied with some of the BIOS team's testing results, they have not figured it out yet, so this is just to let you know they are looking into it and trying to narrow down the cause.

If the GSATA port 6/7 set to AHCI mode and the GSATA 6/7 RAID set to Bypass or AUTO mode in BIOS, then the system hangs at the POST HDD detection screen.

This problem only happens if the HDD connected on the GSATA port 6, no problem on the GSATA port 7.

X58A-UD7 + F8a/F8i/F8j/F8m/F8n BIOS ---------------- Fail
X58A-UD7 + F7 BIOS --------------------- No issue
X58A-UD9 + F5P BIOS ---------------- Fail
X58A-UD5 + F7k BIOS ----------------- Fail
X58A-UD5 + F6 BIOS ------------------ No issue

I'll send you a pic of this setting in once second

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: F8M is unstable

Here is the setting mentioned

Right Click/View image if too small