(Samsung) 840EVO Uh-Oh!!

Comdrpopnfresh

Golden Member
Jul 25, 2006
1,202
2
81
Just got my new 840EVO 500GB SSD today; I ordered it to upgrade from my 120GB Intel SSD (m320), as I need more space. I did cloning using the included software, swapped out the drives, and all seemed well after booting back up. I installed the Magician software to run the performance optimization; it told me there was a new firmware update released- sweet!
Magician installs the new firmware, tells me the system is going to restart, and then the Windows 8 shutdown with the chasing/rotating dots queues up, and then it FREEZES... followed a little later by a BSOD reporting "driver_power_state_failure." LAME!o_O

The system took a few minutes to realize it wasn't able to "collect information" and restarted. Then system BIOS is telling me to insert something bootable! :twisted:
Tried toggling between AHCI and IDE and back again with no luck. Powered down, removed the battery, and held the power button down for a few seconds. Put humpty back together, and the laptop + Windows boot! I enter Magician to check the firmware version, and it reads the latest --BB6Q. Then another of the same BSODs. Restart, get into Windows, and try to run CHKDSK; it loads, and as the progress bar starts going back and forth, the same BSOD.

Samsung phone gets a call from me, and going through the call menu options after a few minutes finally gets me the right extension... they left for the day at just about the time I started troubleshooting! :thumbsdown:
The message suggested their 24/7 online live chat. They apparently support almost everything, and SSDs are included in what they don't.

I really need this drive for academic work, and I guess I will have to call them during a break at work tomorrow. Is there some known issue/work-/incompatibility?

Some laptop specs for reference:

ASUS U43jc-x1
Intel i5 450m
4gb 1066mhz DDR3
 

Charlie98

Diamond Member
Nov 6, 2011
6,292
62
91
They apparently support almost everything, and SSDs are included in what they don't.

Yes, from what I have found they use an outside contractor to handle warranty service for their SSDs. Once you finally get hold of someone, they should take care of you... but they are definitely only doctor's hours.

Sounds like you got a bad FW flash... o_O
 

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
my name Josh


Will the old HD still boot? Why not start over? Wipe the new HD, clone it again and see if it goes? My guess is updating in the middle of install wasn't the best idea.
 

Charlie98

Diamond Member
Nov 6, 2011
6,292
62
91
My name is not Charlie.

Does your system even recognize the drive, still?

When my 840Pro puked, even the BIOS didn't see it.
 

Comdrpopnfresh

Golden Member
Jul 25, 2006
1,202
2
81
I did try wiping the evo, and then performing anther clone; same problem.
After speaking with Samsung, I updated my version if Intel Rapid Storage last night, and then tried cloning again.
When the clone was done, I used revo uninstaller to remove the Intel SSD Toolbox. I didn't get any BSODs, but there were signs that some file directories and functions in Win8 may be a problem; when checking the system restore configuration, there was a hanging reference to my original SSD that said "missing."
I then did a win8 refresh... realized having just my files around, without all my previous sw not installed (though it takes up space in windows.old) is a drag, and just did the built-in reinstall.
Something must have been odd about my original win8 install; it told me I had to restart the PC and do the reinstall from an installation media (I did a DL, and since lost or wrote over the usb stick I used to install, so I was sunk there). I installed win8pro from a family member's install dvd I have, put in a spare/previous key I had, and then put in the media center add-on key that was in place on my install w/ the first ssd.
The fresh install has not given me the same BSOD I received in the first two attempts on the evo... but I rolled the dice and threw an additional 4gb stick of ddr3 that has given me questionable stability in the past, as I wanted to support the new drive with some more memory. I'll see how it goes; it seems like the issue was not hw related, and doesn't speak to anything about the Samsung SSD... just that the clonix sw they decided to bundle for migration has some blindspots that should be better documents, and users warned.
 

sm625

Diamond Member
May 6, 2011
8,172
137
106
Samsung deeply disappointed me that last time I tried to clone. Their software literally refused to work. It made a complete copy of my drive, but the drive refused to boot. I ended up using acronis. I will not ever buy another samsung. Intel's data migration software has worked flawlessly so far.
 

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
I did try wiping the evo, and then performing anther clone; same problem.
After speaking with Samsung, I updated my version if Intel Rapid Storage last night, and then tried cloning again.
When the clone was done, I used revo uninstaller to remove the Intel SSD Toolbox. I didn't get any BSODs, but there were signs that some file directories and functions in Win8 may be a problem; when checking the system restore configuration, there was a hanging reference to my original SSD that said "missing."
I then did a win8 refresh... realized having just my files around, without all my previous sw not installed (though it takes up space in windows.old) is a drag, and just did the built-in reinstall.
Something must have been odd about my original win8 install; it told me I had to restart the PC and do the reinstall from an installation media (I did a DL, and since lost or wrote over the usb stick I used to install, so I was sunk there). I installed win8pro from a family member's install dvd I have, put in a spare/previous key I had, and then put in the media center add-on key that was in place on my install w/ the first ssd.
The fresh install has not given me the same BSOD I received in the first two attempts on the evo... but I rolled the dice and threw an additional 4gb stick of ddr3 that has given me questionable stability in the past, as I wanted to support the new drive with some more memory. I'll see how it goes; it seems like the issue was not hw related, and doesn't speak to anything about the Samsung SSD... just that the clonix sw they decided to bundle for migration has some blindspots that should be better documents, and users warned.
:thumbsup:

Glad its ok.


Upgrading computers is easy. Getting them to boot afterwards is the tricky part :D
 

Cerb

Elite Member
Aug 26, 2000
17,484
33
86
Samsung deeply disappointed me that last time I tried to clone. Their software literally refused to work. It made a complete copy of my drive, but the drive refused to boot.
If it had made a complete copy, it would have booted.
 

Comdrpopnfresh

Golden Member
Jul 25, 2006
1,202
2
81
Had another close-call today: Tried (in vain) to update to win8.1, and received a message that the system reserved partition could not be modified. For some reason, it was only 100mb, so I got a partitioning program to expand it: shrink the main partition, expand the reserved drive into unallocated space, and then re-size the main partition to take back the rest of the space.
First 2/3 completed, but then I got a BSOD, and on reboot was told to repair with an installation disc (I was not at home :O ). Luckily, I had my Intel SSD with me in an enclosure. Swapped drives, booted on the old drive, and expanded the main partition on the EVO. Swapped back, and had no problems booting. Unfortunately, I have decided to accept that my laptop will not be getting win8.1 on it, unless ASUS starts writing BIOS updates after 3-4 years of not doing so. At least, if I get a new laptop in the near future, I can make use of the headroom the EVO has, when set loose on a SATA-III connection (though, when benchmarking using the Samsung Magician program, it measured write speeds of ~500MB/s with SATA-II).
 

flexy

Diamond Member
Sep 28, 2001
8,464
155
106
:thumbsup:

Glad its ok.


Upgrading computers is easy. Getting them to boot afterwards is the tricky part :D

Depending on your particular machine, in particular your BIOS, cloning etc. can SOMETIMES result in "not being able to boot", but the underlying issue may be a minor one which is easy to fix.

When I cloned my old system SSD to my Samsung EVO I was first not able to boot (I used the cloning software by Samsung).....the "issue" however was only that my (very old motherboard's) BIOS did not put the new Samsung as 1st drive, for some reason. (So all I had to do was going into BIOS and set the new Samsung as 1st drive).

In any other cases (and in general) where it MAY be possible that a system after cloning (or restoring etc.) might not boot...Windows startup repair pretty much ALWAYS fixes the problem.

Basically, what this means is that the HD itself, the OS etc. was cloned correctly but there still is an old boot loader or other relative trivial problem why the system cannot boot. 99,99% windows startup repair can fix it.

I found the Samsung cloning software brainlessly simple to use, even with Acronis and Paragon here I didn't see a reason to use them. Also, the drive itself (Samsung 840 EVO 250GB) is flawless and I'd recommend it to anyone.
 
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