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SSD Toolbox can't communicate with Intel SSD nor HDD in SATA RAID

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

I've discovered that having a direct SATA connection to Intel SSD is not enough for the Toolbox to communicate despite what the SSD product FAQ's and other instructions say. It appears that configuring mobo BIOS for RAID is yet another hurdle the application can't get over. I didn't test this w/o BIOS RAID configuration so I don't know if that works or not.

The relevant system components are entirely Intel. My Intel DX79SI mobo with i7-3930 processor is configured with one 300GB Intel 320SSD as system disk and a set of 3 mechanical drives in a RAID5 data set controlled with an Intel C600 SATA controller. It boots and runs fine. However the SSD Toolbox reports that SMART is disabled so it can't display SMART wearout and drive health data. Neither can the Toolbox view SMART data for any of the other SATA HDD in the RAID set. Given this issue I don't trust that it is properly reporting the firmware level, or that it can safely update SSD firmware if it thinks it's warranted.

It doesn't appear that Intel has posted this as a known issue in any literature, but I'm assuming this problem isn't strictly limited to my system. I'd like a response saying this is either a known issue else is known to work. We can proceed from there.

36 REPLIES 36

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

So enabling SMART in your UEFI/BIOS is not an option? Others have said this is the fix for your issue, as long as you are using the Intel X79 chipset. I can't imagine the Toolbox not working with an Intel board and it's chipset and drivers.

DShar11
New Contributor II

I have had smart enabled in the bios from the getgo.

Where I am not using an E driver, who knows what that does to smart data.I am using the 11 series driver from station driver, it has the x64 file that I need to update storage controller driver through the device manager. Only way to load that driver that I know of, the windows installer won't recognize the system.I like you would surely love to get my hands on a couple of those 180 gb 520's. But I am not complaining, I think I have two of the best you can get right now for the money.

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

I see no options in BIOS for SMART. I'll assume it would be buried in the SATA config section. Booting with or w/o UEFI doesn't seem to matter in regards to this.

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

SMART monitoring seems to be turned off on your 520, for whatever reason, and is possible.

I can suggest you try the SMART tools provided by the smartmontools program, which you can download free here:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/smartmontools/?source=directory http://sourceforge.net/projects/smartmontools/?source=directory

I've used them on my 520, and they worked fine. You'll need to study how to use them, I only very recently used them for the first time, so I can't give you a good overview. I've used the command line program, smartctl, which is done from the Windows cmd option. If you're not familiar with using programs and their options from the command line, you'll be spending some time figuring that out too.

You can enable SMART monitoring on your 520 with this tool, and check that is really is disabled, as well as view the SMART attributes it supports. I'm sure there are other free SMART monitoring programs out there too.

idata
Esteemed Contributor III

Sad to say I have exactly the same symptom. BIOS SATA configured as RAID. 1 Intel 520-240GB SSD and 4 500GB hard drives configured as raid10, 1 cd/dvd.

Intel DX79SI BIOS0430

Intel C600 series chipset sata raid controller , installed v 3.0.0.3020 "F6" driver during WIN7pro install

loaded WIN7 pro

loaded chipset drivers 9.2.3.1022

loaded Video drivers nvidia 296.10

loaded Intel management engine 7.1.21.1134

loaded Intel RSTe 3.0.0.3020 software

loaded Intel SSD tooolbox 3.0.2

Launch SSD toolbox No optimizer, Model # not recognized, 240GB capacity shown

Interestingly the RSTe help, about, indicates- v 3.0.0.3011 and device manager shows the same version for the c600 chipset. Not the 3.0.0.3020 that I downloaded and installed

Guess I'm out of luck when it comes to the toolbox and trim.