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Intel SSD Drive Toolbox does not recognize my Intel SSD

MSied
Beginner
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Using this article https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000006011/memory-and-storage.html Three Ways To Run Low-Level Format Using Intel® Software Tools i tried to create a bootable usb stick to be able to Secure Erase a dozen PCs in the fastest way possible.

Unfortunately the software does not recognize my ssd (INTEL SSDSCKKF 256GB) and it just thows an error in DOS and stops working.

 

If i install it in our enviroment on Windows the same problem occurs and it installs a inferior version.

The SSDs are internal and not used in external cases with some sort of usb connector so i don't see any cause for this.

PS: I tried to message the support directly but Intel seems to hate costumers and makes them give up and try it in the community forum. /rant

Thanks for your support.

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9 Replies
idata
Employee
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Hi dellprobsat,

 

 

Thank you for posting in the Intel® communities.

 

 

I understand that you are not able to detect the drive using the Intel® SSD Toolbox. Could you please share the error message that you see in DOS?

 

 

I got confused about how many drives are showing the issue, is it one or more than one?

 

 

Additionally, could you please check if the drive is visible at BIOS level and let me know if you are using it as the primary drive or as a secondary drive?

 

 

I'll be waiting for your response.

 

 

Have a nice day.

 

 

Regards,

 

Diego V.
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MSied
Beginner
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Hello Diego,

thank you for your response.

Here is a screenshot from the programm after i installed it on my client with an intel ssd.

 

Before a re-login i got this error message:

Now i can open it and start the process of making a rescue media but in Option 3, Point 6 i can choose which sub software - i am not able to do that, it just creates a boot media with everything (or nothing) i think. Maybe it's just a because the guide is older but just fyi.

Additionally i get the following permanent message at the bottom of the Intel Data Migration Software: Upgrade auf die Vollversion, um alle derzeit nicht verfügbaren Funktionen freizuschalten. [Upgrade Button]

I will now restart the client and see what options i do get.

EDIT

I have successfully booted from the stick and started the Acronis DriveCleanser. Unfortunately i have noticed that with Option 3 i have no explicit option for SSDs to secure erase them. All the options are just classic overwrite procedures,

 

Looking at the guide it seems that the only way to use the secure erase command is to use Option 1 which means i have to start into windows to execute the Secure Erase Command. Is this true or do i miss something here?
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MSied
Beginner
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idata
Employee
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Hi dellprobsat,

 

 

I'm not sure why you are not able to select the components to put on the bootable media. Could you please let me know how you are connecting the drive to the computer? Is it through an USB port?

 

 

Regarding to the upgrade message that you see, that's because the Intel® Data Migration Software is a version of the Acronis* software created specifically for Intel® SSDs, but it doesn't have the same features as the full Acronis* software, therefore you always see that message.

 

 

On the other hand, there is in fact an alternative way to perform the secure erase which is through the command prompt in Windows*, but let's clarify first how you are interfacing the drive to your computer to see if there is something we should pay attention to.

 

 

I'll be waiting for your response.

 

 

Have a nice day.

 

 

Regards,

 

Diego V.
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MSied
Beginner
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Good morning,

through an USB port, but as i wrote, it worked without having to choose something. I am just a bit confused that i can't issue the secure erase command from the bootable enviroment but only start the procedures for HDDs. There's no option for SSDs.

 

I would like to avoid starting windows for the cleaning procedure because i have quite many to wipe.
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idata
Employee
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Hi dellprobsat,

 

 

Thank you for your response.

 

 

The Intel® Data Migration Software is working fine, however due to the fact that it is not the full version of the Acronis* software, it has some limitations and one of those is that the drives are not recognized properly if they are connected through the USB port. That would be the reason of why you are not able to secure erase the drive and probably the reason why you can't select the components when creating the bootable media.

 

 

I'm not sure about the details of why the drive is not properly recognized through a USB connection, but it's related to the USB ID not read by the software.

 

 

Having said this, the only way to secure erase the drive would be through the Windows* command prompt. However, by searching through the community, I found a couple of threads that discuss some alternatives that you may find useful:
  1. Third party softwares: This thread mentions third party software alternatives that you could try for data migration and cloning: https://communities.intel.com/message/257074# 257074 https://communities.intel.com/message/257074# 257074
  2. External USB enclosures: This thread has a list of external USB enclosures that are compatible with the Intel® Data Migration Software: https://communities.intel.com/message/102361# 102361 https://communities.intel.com/message/102361# 102361
Please keep in mind that we have not tested or validated those suggestions so they may or may not work. I'm suggesting you to check them because they may work for you and would avoid you to do the process manually from the Windows* command prompt.

 

 

I hope you find this information useful.

 

 

Regards,

 

Diego V.
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MSied
Beginner
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Hello Diego,

unfortunately i misread your post. The harddrives are internal, so it should work without issue but it doesn't.

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idata
Employee
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Hi dellprobsat,

 

 

In that case, I'm not sure why you are not able to Secure Erase the drive. I'd say that there might be some limitation as the software is not the full version.

 

 

Anyhow, did you check the first alternative from my previous post? The third party softwares listed here: https://communities.intel.com/message/257074# 257074 https://communities.intel.com/message/257074# 257074, even though they are not validated, they are well known to accomplish the tasks the users want. Considering the fact that you have to perform the process several times for all the computers, this may be a good option for you.

 

 

Have a nice day.

 

 

Regards,

 

Diego V.
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MSied
Beginner
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Hello Diego,

so Intel has no solution for it's own SSDs to be secure erased outside of the OS. Check.

I payed the 11$ for PartedMagic and as of now it does it's job.

Thanks for your help.

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