Samsung SSD compatibility issue with Intel VMD driver

[asalcedo]

New Dell 7780

I have made a disk mage of the only SSD that came with the unit onto a Samsung 990 PRO 2TB removed the original SSD and am running now from the 990 PRO 2TB

I have also installed a  990 PRO 4TB and an additional 990 PRO 2TB

 

Samsung Magician reports: There is a reported compatibility issue. Driver Intel 20.2.4.1019. SSD firmware update may not be available due to compatibility issues with the Intel VMD driver.

 

What should I do about it?

 

The latest firmware availble in the Samsung website is 4B2QJXD7, which is the one on my 4TB SSD. The 2TB SSDs have the 5B2QJXD7

 

Thank you.

 

 

[Aaron44126]

If you want to update the firmware on the SSD, it would be best if you got the Intel storage driver out of the mix. Samsung Magician wants to have direct access to the SSD.

 

You can do this by going to BIOS setup and switching the storage mode from RAID to AHCI/NVMe. (This is assuming you don't have any RAID arrays defined.)

 

You need to take some steps in Windows when you make this change or else you will just get a BSOD at boot because it can't "find" your C drive.

• Hold "Shift" while you pick "Restart" in the start menu.
• As the system shuts down, it should give you some options. Pick safe mode.
• The system will reboot, when you see the Dell logo, hit F2 for BIOS setup.
• Switch from RAID mode to AHCI/NVMe mode.
• Exit BIOS setup and the system will boot Windows into safe mode. (At this point Windows will realize that it needs to set up a new storage controller driver. This is transparent, you won't see any visual indication.)
• Once you hit the Windows login screen in safe mode, just reboot into normal mode.

[AL123]

3 minutes ago, Aaron44126 said:

If you want to update the firmware on the SSD, it would be best if you got the Intel storage driver out of the mix. Samsung Magician wants to have direct access to the SSD.

 

You can do this by going to BIOS setup and switching the storage mode from RAID to AHCI/NVMe. (This is assuming you don't have any RAID arrays defined.)

 

You need to take some steps in Windows when you make this change or else you will just get a BSOD at boot because it can't "find" your C drive.

• Hold "Shift" while you pick "Restart" in the start menu.
• As the system shuts down, it should give you some options. Pick safe mode.
• The system will reboot, when you see the Dell logo, hit F2 for BIOS setup.
• Switch from RAID mode to AHCI/NVMe mode.
• Exit BIOS setup and the system will boot Windows into safe mode. (At this point Windows will realize that it needs to set up a new storage controller driver. This is transparent, you won't see any visual indication.)
• Once you hit the Windows login screen in safe mode, just reboot into normal mode.

Good knowledge I’ve been reinstalling windows if this is switched in the BIOS didn’t know you could get away without doing so. 

[asalcedo]

Hello Aaron44126,

Indeed! Thank you very much for your information.

I had not entered the BIOS before and when I did I realized that RAID On was enabled.

I asked Gemini how to change to AHCI and it told me exactly the same steps that you described.

 

Now I have AHCI mode and Samsung Magician does not report any conflicts (which makes sense, the VMD Controller seems to come in when RAID On is enabled).

I will now let Samsung Magician notify me when to upgrade the SSDs firmware.

Many thanks again!