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Optane Firmware update requires legacy BIOS, XPS8940
XPS 8940
Am a happy user of XPS8940, with Intel 280GB OPTANE SSD.
I found that the firmware of the OPTANE is rather old. So, downloaded latest FW package and made ISO disk. Read the user's guide and found that the disk must be booted in legacy BIOS mode. But I could not find the legacy mode setting. How can I do it?
Tak
RoHe
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September 28th, 2022 11:00
XPS 8940 doesn't have a Legacy boot option and something doesn't add up here...
Are you sure you have a 280 GB Optane SSD? The specs say the supported Optane SSD is only 32 GB. Where did you find that Intel Optane firmware update?
An Intel Optane SSD isn't used as a boot drive. Optane is used as a cache to speed up performance of a slow HDD, and rarely to speed up an SSD. So is your boot drive (C:) an HDD or an SSD?
Go to the Support page and enter your Service Tag (don't post it here). When your system is recognized, look under Quick Links on right side of page for a link to View Product Specs. Look down the list for an entry saying something like: PCIe x4 SSD and/or 1TB 7200RPM HDD (yours may be somewhat different). Expand that entry and see exactly which drives are is installed in your PC. An SSD might be from Samsung, WDC, Kioxia, Micron, SSSTC, etc, and/or one of various HDD brands.
Making an ISO on DVD is not how you would install an SSD firmware update, assuming you actually need one. You'd just download the .exe file onto your PC. Double-click the download and it will run the installation. Be good idea to back up (image) all files on the drive before running a firmware update, to be safe.
takfuji
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September 28th, 2022 15:00
The Intel's product spec is here: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/123623/intel-optane-ssd-900p-series-280gb-2-5in-pcie-x4-20nm-3d-xpoint/specifications.html
I got it from Amazon. It does require ISO DVD, separate from PC's OS, so Intel says. The firmware is on the Intel's webpage:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/17903/intel-ssd-firmware-update-tool.html
Anyway, I understand that XPS8940 does not support Legacy BIOS. Will look for other means to update, say find some PC that has legacy BIOS. Thanks anyway.
Tak
takfuji
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September 28th, 2022 16:00
Forgot to mention: The OPTANE is C: drive having Win 11 OS.
RoHe
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September 28th, 2022 17:00
So you must have installed this Optane SSD after you purchased the PC. Don't why you would choose that drive, since Optane has different performance specs than a typical PCI-e NVME SSD, and Optane is probably more expensive too.
The Intel instructions say you can use a USB stick. So you can use Rufus (free) to create a bootable USB from that ISO image.
Once you create that bootable USB, plug it into the XPS 8940 with power fully off. Then power on and tap F12 when you see the Dell splash screen to open the boot menu. Find and select the option to boot from USB on that menu. Follow the prompts when the installer loads...
Strongly urge you to image the SSD before you update its firmware. Macrium Reflect (free) is a good tool for this. Save the image on an external USB HDD. Be sure to include all partitions in the image that Macrium sees on the SSD, and select the option to validate the image as soon as it's completed. Also use Macrium to create a bootable USB that you'd need to restore an image onto a drive.
takfuji
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September 29th, 2022 01:00
Rohe, Thank you for kind support, but,,,
My Rufus was 2.8, so updated to 3.2 and created the UBS, with GPT partition. But the USB does not appear in the boot device list.
The guide of "Intel SD Firmware Update Tool" , page 5, Overview/Notes, clearly says "The Intel® SSD Firmware Update Tool requires that Legacy Boot is enabled in the BIOS." So, I guess some BIOS call may be used in the installer code.
The reason I bought OPTANE was durability, that far exceeds NAND SSD. Yes, it is expensive but it was cheaper than current price, somewhere around 300 bucks then. I was using 1TB NAND SSD for C: before, I think the performance (speed) is about same.
RoHe
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September 29th, 2022 10:00
Did you look under UEFI on the F12 menu for your USB stick?
And/or maybe try MBR instead of GPT if that option is available in Rufus. ...
PC OEMs and Microsoft have all stopped supporting Legacy BIOS options. So maybe you need to contact Intel to see if they have a version that doesn't require Legacy.
Do you know what this firmware update actually fixes/adds/improves? In other words, do you really need it..?
takfuji
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September 30th, 2022 01:00
Yes, I have looked for USB under UEFI,, and Yes, I tried MBR. Both in vain. Asking Intel for UEFI image seems the right way as you suggest. I will do it.
As to the need of update, am not quite sure, as the release note does not mention about change contents. I wanted to do preventive maintenance, sort of. It may be safe not try to fix if it is working.
Want to close this thread. Thanks anyway.
Tak
RoHe
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September 30th, 2022 11:00
Guess you can ask Intel what the firmware update does when you contact them about a UEFI compatible version, if it exists.
Good luck!