Can anyone update the firmware on Samsung 830 ssd?

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Level 1

8 points

Can anyone update the firmware on Samsung 830 ssd?

Hi guys,

Recently purchased a Samsung 830 series 256gb SSD, hoping that it would speed up the old mac. In reality it's beachballing quite alot and isn't that fast at all, so I think i need to update the firmware.

I've tried and tried in vain, i've gone through about 4 cd's now just trying to make it work. I burn the ISO image off the Samsung website like I'm supposed to, but then when I try and boot the mac from the cd I get this message on the screen:-

*** is this?? Makes no sense... I've just formatted the drive and will clone my original one onto it again but I dont see how that will help tbh...

MacBook Pro with Retina display, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Oct 15, 2013 5:46 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 15, 2013 5:51 PM in response to Midnight12

Try this.

http://www.apple.com/osx/recovery/

so hold the keys <command> + r after starting the machine

Then you should be able to install mac os x

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Answer 2

Midnight12 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 15, 2013 5:53 PM in response to Wayne Contello

Thanks but how does that help exactly? I want to update the firmware of the SSD, getting OSX on there isn't a problem cos I've got my entire system backed up on an external drive. Do you think installing a fresh copy of lion will help solve my issue?

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Answer 3

Oct 15, 2013 6:02 PM in response to Midnight12

I am not sure why you think that an SSD firmware update will address the problem... even without the firmware the SSD SHOULD have been much faster. So I would, honestly, guess it was sometihing else.

I used Google and the search term "Samsung SSD firmware update mac" and found this:

http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/samsungssd/downloads.html

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Answer 4

Midnight12 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 15, 2013 6:07 PM in response to Wayne Contello

Yeah I know, but normally a firmware update stops the beachball appearing - thus stopping the drive from freezing every few hours which has ****** me off no end. I followed that link too before and burned the disk image it says to burn onto a cd but... no dice... when I hold 'option' as the mac boots 2 things appear, one says 'Macintosh HD' which is my original drive, but the CD is just called 'Windows'... so clearly it's made for a windows OS not mac. Think Samsung messed it up somehow..

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Answer 5

Oct 15, 2013 7:34 PM in response to Midnight12

The Samsung help file indicates there is a version os DOS and an application. Have you select the Windows options? It seems likely they are using a super duper slimmed down version with a free version of DOS.

The PDF help file is here:

http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/samsungssd/downloads/Samsun g_SSD_Firmware_Update_Utility_User_Manual_English_for_Mac_v10.pdf

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Answer 6

Midnight12 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 16, 2013 2:57 AM in response to Wayne Contello

Yeah man, I've already tried that. It's screwed, it comes up as "Windows" on bootup, clearly this product wasn't optimized properly for mac

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Answer 7

Oct 16, 2013 6:25 AM in response to Midnight12

Midnight,

why does it matter if the firmware updater is Windows? storage media are agnostic of platform. I think you are making a problem where none exists.

The help manual show a very DOS-looking window for the firmware updater:

The Macintosh is now, generally, the same hardware as a windows computer is so there is no reason to believe that the firmware updater is not a windows based solution.

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Answer 8

Midnight12 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 16, 2013 11:22 AM in response to Wayne Contello

Nah man, it doesn't work, trust me. I rang Samsung today and the advisor on the phone told me I need to do it via a Windows PC because Samsung 'doesn't really support Macintosh systems fully yet' (his exact words).

Also, a guy on another thread wrote: - "At present, no solution, the solution who gave me by the Samsung Support is to use a Windows PC."

.....

So it's a fault on Samsung's end, not mine!

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Answer 9

Oct 16, 2013 11:29 AM in response to Midnight12

Midnight12

Are you in a position to return the drive? The 830 series doesn't have a Mac-specific firmware updater, I don't believe bt the 840 Pro series does, I know.

In general, it's best to buy SSDs with Marvell controllers over Sandforce controllers when in use in a Mac...

Clinton

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