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XPS 13 9360 Toshiba XG4 SSD Firmware Update Problem
The XPS 13 9360 with 256GB Toshiba SATA SSD, firmware update, dated 03 Jan 2018, version 5KDA4103,AOO, File Name "Toshiba XG4 Non SED JVMG_ZPE.exe" does not create a "Firmware update tool". It unpacks a set of unexecutable files. The Readme file says to create a bootable USB drive and boot from that. The Readme instructions indicate that it is copyrighted by Toshiba not Dell.
Dell tech support says "I must be doing it wrong". They want me to setup a remote access session with them. They say it works for them.
The previous Firmware update, same file name, dated February 2017, same version, creates a single .exe file. This does the update. Both firmware updates have the same version.
I found a Lenovo SSD firmware update tool to which I added the Dell .sig file for the XG4 5KDA4103,A00 firmware update.The tool when run says the existing firmware is the same as the . sig file.
All other Dell firmware updates create a .exe or .MSI file, among others, to be executed. Not this update.
Anybody else try to do the update?
Rich1033
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January 18th, 2018 09:00
I just got off the phone with a Dell Tech Support agent and his supervisor.
Dell is at the mercy of Toshiba in this case. Toshiba doesn't want Dell to do NVMe firmware updates from Windows now. You have to do it from the USB drive. Toshiba provides the firmware updates, Dell tests and then releases them.
Thank you for your input though.
Saltgrass
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January 17th, 2018 21:00
The file was released 28 Nov 2017. I haven't done one of those firmware updates but if it says create a bootable flash drive then you probably need to copy over the files you show and then boot to the drive.
Creating a bootable flash is fairly easy, let us know.
Did you enter your service tag to see that update since it might be relevant, or not, to your system only.
Rich1033
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January 18th, 2018 07:00
1. I have never seen a Dell firmware/driver update that required the creation of a boot-able flash drive. The Readme.txt file that opens when you unpack the update says this. It also says to turn off secure boot and boot from the flash drive. Does the average Dell owner know how to do this?
2. The instructions for installing the update on the webpage for the update file say to execute the update file, note where the unpacked files go, and run the "FW update tool". There is no FW update tool created. There is no executable file in the 6 files and a folder unpacked. There is a major conflict between the Readme file and the update instructions.
3. All the firmware/driver/BIOS updates that have been released by Dell that I have seen in at least the past 15 years are either self executing or create a folder of files that have a "FW update tool" or an executable .exe or .msi file in them.
4. Yes I checked using the Service Tag.
5. The update maybe dated Nov 2017 but the release date is 3 Feb 2018. That is how they are organized by Dell.
6. The February 2017 and November 2017 updates have the same version number.
Saltgrass
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January 18th, 2018 08:00
I would expect a firmware upgrade for a drive to be done by the drive manufacturer. All 3 of my Samsung 960 M.2 drives have required a firmware upgrade in the last month or so.
Most firmware upgrades require they be done from a clean state. Using a boot USB drive would be the same as having an installer reboot the system.
Configure the drive with a Fat 32 partition and you may not need to change the Secure Boot options.
The release date being close to the update would seem to indicate it had not been previously installed. Dell does have a bad habit of giving updates a recent date even though they had been released much earlier. Reviewed would be a better term or that situation.
I have that drive but it is not currently installed since I replaced it as soon as I could.
And something I just realized might need some consideration. Those NVMe drives are normally run using a SATA controller because the M.2 slot is set that way. I wonder if It should be run as a PCIe drive or perhaps the boot drive will take care of that situation.
Rich1033
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January 18th, 2018 09:00
1. I am talking about a Dell XPS 13 9360 that I actually own.
2. It is has the OEM Toshiba XG4 256GB SSD NVMe drive that came in the XPS 13. It is a SATA drive.
3. The previous update I did in August was dated Feb 2017 and created a single "FW update tool" .exe file when the downloaded file was run. When that file was run it updated the SSD firmware. It runs similar to BIOS updates.
4. This update is probably is a Toshiba provided firmware update. Dell released it instead of making and executable FW update tool. The Readme and license .txt files are copyrighted "Toshiba" not "Dell". The instructions are literal English translations not US English grammatically corrected ones.
5. I have at least 6 various SATA Samsung SSD drives (240GB to 1TB) in XPS 8500, XPS 8920, and Acer Aspire 1. I update their firmware using the Samsung Magician. No need for creating USB boot thumb drives.
6. Just for "grins" I downloaded a number of other Dell SSD firmware updates and ran them on the XPS 8920. They were applicable to various Dimension, OptiPlex, Precision, and XPS systems according to the release info. They all create a single executable FW update tool .exe file.
7. The only update that wants you to create a bootable USB drive was this particular one.
8. The lower level Minions at Dell tech support read from scripts. They have to, part of the job. They suggested doing a refresh of Win 10 back to factory settings to fix the update problem. They obviously don't read the full comments of the customers. They look for key words. They claim the update worked when they tried it.
9. I have never seen a Dell firmware/driver update to be run from a bootable USB drive.
10. I have found some updates, say for Intel or video or sound hardware drivers, that give you a choice of "Install" or "Unpack" when run. If you try to do a direct install it fails. If you unpack first to a folder and run the executable file created among the other stuff, the procedure works OK.
11. I bought the XPS 13 from Dell Small Business last March. It was $100 cheaper than from Dell Home. Dell computers from Small Business used to have better tech support than from Dell Home.
12. I found a Lenovo driver update program for their notebooks. It runs under Windows not a bootable USB drive and is for many different brands of SSD that Lenovo uses. I found the latest .sig info file the Toshiba XG4 and added it to the folder for the Toshiba .sig files. It works in Windows exactly as the instructions for the latest Dell firmware update say from a bootable thumb drive. You get a list of your storage drives and whether the update needs to be performed. The tool showed that the XPS 13's SSD firmware was the same version as the latest update.
Saltgrass
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January 18th, 2018 10:00
You list the correct drive and it is being run as SATA but it is a PCIe NVMe M.2 drive.
I will just reinforce what I have mentioned in prior posts. The only thing which looks a little strange is whether a specific folder structure is required. I would not think so but the read file seems to suggest directories but maybe just a presentation situation.
Rich1033
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January 18th, 2018 10:00
Dell had to do what Toshiba wanted. The supervisor said that they get the firmware releases from Toshiba. Toshiba didn't want to provide them with a FW update tool this time.