Step-by-step How-to Update Firmware Samsung HD321KJ (or HD501LJ) hard disk drive

HOW TO Update Firmware for Samsung  HD321KJ  320GB SATA2 Hard disk drive (HDD)

Step-by-Step instructions

 

Note: I followed these steps to successfully update the firmware on the above Samsung HDD in my Dell Inspiron 530s from version CP100-12 … to version CP100-13.  These instructions MAY also work for the Samsung HD501LJ 500GB HDD, but other users who have that model would have to confirm this.

 

Remarks:

Running the executable file DL080229.exe from my HDD did not work, as was advised by Dell Tech Support.  My intuition that it would not be possible to update the firmware for my HDD after having booted from the same HDD proved to be true in my case.  In short, I had to boot from another drive (for me this was my DVD/CD-ROM drive).

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

 

Precautions (advisable anytime that firmware or drivers are updated on critical components such as a main hard disk or the BIOS on the motherboard) ==>

 

First, BACKUP whatever Data you have on your hard disk to an external hard drive or to removable media, such as DVD discs.

Backup: your Internet “Favorites” folder, your Outlook Contacts, Outlook archive files, custom User Dictionaries and similar files that would represent a time-consuming or irrecoverable loss to you.

Make sure your computer is plugged into a reliable source of power, as any blip or interruption during this process could prove disastrous.  I have an APC Back-UPS that I've trusted for years.

 

1.  Download the self-extracting archive file  Samsung_multi-device_A00_R180581.exe  from the Dell Drivers and Downloads webpage, and save it to your Desktop.

 

2.  Check the current Firmware Version of your Hard Disk as follows:

 

Select Start > then “Computer”

Right-click the icon for your Hard Disk … for me it was OS (C: )

Select “Properties” from the pop-up menu

Click to select the “Hardware” tab

Under All disk drives: you should see “SAMSUNG HD321KJ ATA Device”… make sure it is selected (highlighted)

Click the “Properties” button at the lower right

In the Device Properties dialog that appears, click the “Details” tab

In the Property pull-down, select “Hardware Ids”

In the Value window, you should see several lines for your Hard Disk…

… which contain “SAMSUNG_HD321KJ_____________________ CP100-12”

(The info at the end is your current Firmware Version, in my case it was CP100-12)

Click Cancel or close all the dialog boxes that you had opened

   

3.  Double-click the file you downloaded to your Desktop in Step #1 and it should create the following subdirectories and files:

 

C:\DELL\Drivers\R180581\CD Image\Samsung Firmware Update.ISO

C:\DELL\Drivers\R180581\Executable\DL080229.EXE

 

4.  Navigate to and Open the file:  Samsung Firmware Update.ISO  (either double-click it, or right-click and select Open from the pop-up menu).

 

On my Inspiron 530s this automatically launched Roxio Creator DE 10.1 and it was ready to “Burn Disc Image to Disc” … Alternatively, you can launch this program from the Start menu and select “Burn Image” from the list under the ‘Most Frequent Tasks’ shown at the right side of the program window.  OR, you could use whatever CD burning program came with your Dell computer.

 

5.  Insert a blank CD disc, as instructed, and Proceed with the “Burn Disc Image to Disc” and this should create the following two files on your CD-ROM disc:

 

BOOTCAT.BIN    2KB                        2/29/2008   12:55PM

BOOTIMG.BIN   1,440KB                2/29/2008    6:54PM

   

6.  Quit Roxio Creator DE 10.1 (or whatever disc burning program you were using).

 

7.   Leave the CD-ROM in the drive.

 

Note: the remaining instructions are similar to Dell Technical Support Journal ID: 08196PW6CX (Article ID 343675 ) last Revised 6/17/2008.

 

8.  Restart your computer …

 

9.  When you see the DELL logo screen, press the key at the top of your keyboard…

 

10.  You should next see a “Select a Boot First device” menu…

 

11.  Using the down arrow key, select “CDROM” and then press Enter

 

12.  Your computer will then boot from the CD-ROM and you should see a Black screen with white characters.  The last line on your screen should say, “New code has been successfully download.A:\>”

 

13.  Eject the CD-ROM… (e.g., press the eject button on the DVD/CD-ROM drive) and then close the drive door.

 

14.  VERY IMPORTANT! ==> Press the “Power” On button on your computer to Turn it off.

 

15.  Wait a few minutes…

 

16.   Restart your computer

 

17.  You should see a message appear on screen, “Installing device driver software … SAMSUNG HD321KJ ATA Device” with “Device driver software installed successfully”…

 

18.  You should next see a Microsoft Windows dialog appear saying, “You must restart your computer to apply these changes.”  Click the button for [Restart Now].

 

19.  If all goes according to Hoyle, the Firmware Update to your Samsung HDD is now complete!

 

20.  To verify / confirm / check that your Firmware has actually been updated, Repeat the procedure under Step #2 above.  You should then see the Hardware Ids > Value will have changed so that “CP100-13” is at the end.

 

Best wishes, Scott J.

 

 

P.S. I copied down the information from the Black screen with white characters from Step #12 above, if anyone is interested (the "@19:07” was the actual time when I was doing the update):

 

Boot from CD :

    1. FD 1.44MB System Type-(00)

 

Loading DRMK Version 8.00...

DRMK Version 8.00

COMMAND.COM Build 30 - Oct 30, 2006

DRMK KERNEL Build 14 - Jul 11, 2006

Copyright (c) 2006 Dell Inc.  All rights reserved.

 

SFLASH v5.18 SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd. (c)2000-2007

>>A:\DL080229.EXE @19:07

 

[8086h/2920h] B-0 D=1Fh F-02h H=00 C=0101iF ... INTEL ICH9 SATA

 

   CH:0 DEV:0 - CMD:0xF800 CTRL:0xF702 INT_LN:11

 

   {0} [SAMSUNG HD321KJ (CP100-12)] ... INTEL ICH9 SATA CH:0 DEV:0

 

            Model Name           : SAMSUNG HD321KJ

            Firmware Version   : CP100-12

 

            Now updating code.....

            Please wait for a while.

 

            Download completed successfully (SN : )

 

            New code has been successfully downloaded.A:\>