"The Intel SSD Toolbox cannot communicate with the selected Intel SSD"

[idata]

Hi!

When I try to use the Intel SSD Optimizer I get the following message:

"The Intel SSD Toolbox cannot communicate with the selected Intel SSD.  

Consider changing to another storage driver compatible with your system and try the tool again."

I'm using: Intel SSD 320 Series 80gb, and I have the latest firmware installed according to the Toolbox.

Anyone knows if I really do have the wrong drivers, and if so, where do I get proper drivers?

[idata]

OK. To go back to the native MS driver, I would first uninstall the C600 Intel sata driver from add/remove programs first, and then reboot. (But my limited understanding is that this does not completely remove the RST enterprise driver.) Then go to device manager to your SSD drive and update the driver there per this post: http://communities.intel.co.jp/message/78453 http://communities.intel.co.jp/message/78453 Look at Polo127's post. That will help you. It is a different hardware configuration, but the principle for rolling to a different driver is the same. You will be prompted to reboot.

But as I alluded to above, I don't think the RST driver is completely uninstalled. I would really just reinstall windows (I am using Windows 7 64) and do not install the RST driver if you don't have a RAID configuration. That is what I did for my machine. I have an Asus Rampage IV Exteme board. I just noticed today that Asus has removed this Intel SATA driver from the SATA driver section in the downloads for this motherboard. They know there's an issue here. You may want to look at the threads at the Asus website on this. It did help me and I hope this helps you. I don't know what the status is on resolving the issue with this driver.

[idata]

So it clearly IRSTe will not work on a solo 510...will it work with 510s in RAID 0?

[idata]

That's what the IRSTe driver is for. It is for a RAID configuration from what I am understang from the guys at Asus' website on this issue. As for RAID 0, etc, specifically, I don't know as I don't have a RAID array with my machine. I don't think the trim command is passed to the drive in RAID mode, so you may wish to do more research on this before you proceed. I understand this may change in the future. I just reinstalled windows 7 64 without using this driver for my single ssd, and the toolbox works fine without it. But I was planning on doing this anyway. Hope this helps.

[idata]

That's what the IRSTe driver is for. It is for a RAID configuration from what I am understang from the guys at Asus' website on this issue. As for RAID 0, etc, specifically, I don't know as I don't have a RAID array with my machine. I don't think the trim command is passed to the drive in RAID mode, so you may wish to do more research on this before you proceed. I understand this may change in the future. I just reinstalled windows 7 64 without using this driver for my single ssd, and the toolbox works fine without it. But I was planning on doing this anyway. Hope this helps.

Aha! You are correct. I see now that is what the 'enterprise' in the name indicates.

Based on forum comments here and pretty much all over various web/internet forums it looks like a lot of people new to SSDs are installing the IRSTe because it comes with their driver set and trying to make it work with single SSDs.

I have been looking at the wrong documentation (IRST not IRSTe) that came up in searches which reinforced/perpetuated the issue. This makes a whole lot more sense now.

As to RAID 0, on these newer SSDs it looks like garbage collection has supposedly is greatly improved relative to the previous iterations and depending on the implementation used may be or may not be better with or without its implementation of TRIM enabled so that is something I will have to look at.

--- Addendum

I will add that it looks like there is not much reason to go to RAID0 for real world gains.

[idata]

Yes but not every drive to be detected by this is necessarily going to be part of the RAID array so it should NOT have issues with non raid drives. I notice a new IRSTe version has been posted so I will give it a look at least (with careful use of restore points).