PM9A3 Firmware / ERRORMOD related to fw version
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EDIT : found error on command line, this one worked:
C:\Asennus>Samsung_SSD_DC_Toolkit_Brand_for_Windows_V3.0.exe -d 0:c -ND -p GDC7802Q_PM9A3.bin -a 1 -s 2
Thanks,
Actually I tried that. I assumed *.bin was renamed *.txt due download problems.
C:\Asennus>Samsung_SSD_DC_Toolkit_Brand_for_Windows_V3.0.exe -d 0:c -ND -p c:\asennus -a 1 -s 2 -src "GDC7802Q_PM9A3.bin"
I have not used DCtoolkit before. I have bin file in c:\asennus folder. I tried above command line and toolkit complains:
[ERROR] Invalid DSRD script
Should I use F parameter to force it?
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Does anyone know the origin of GDC7802Q for PM9A3? I was unable to find any other mentions of it other than HDDGuru and would like to avoid untested/beta firmwares. Regarding GDC7702Q, I was able to find it in Lenovo SR635 V3 Drives Media Storage Firmware (lnvgy_fw_drives_all-2.05.01.2-j9vp8-0802_anyos_comp, Link), so I guess it's cleared by Lenovo and stable for flashing.
For anyone trying to update the firmware of an OEM PM9A3 Samsung or similar, and cannot for the life of them get the Samsung DC utility syntax to register, just try running the lenovo utility bundle with your desired firmware.
I was trying to get GDC7702Q applied to my two new SSDs, and the command kept failing at me drive ID (despite putting the exact naming of 1:c in the --list command, or similar variants).
Ran the Lenovo Windows EXE utility, on a non-Lenovo box (SuperMicro SYS-E300), and it ran through and updated both the PM9A3 firmwares to GDC7702Q successfully. After reboot, can confirm they were running the new version.
Disclaimer note is the utility will update any SSD firmware it has a match and newer version for, so if you have other SSDs you might want to remove them before attempting this method.
I wanted to share this method after wasting too much time on the Samsung util, whereas if a Lenovo package has the version you seek, that is seemingly a pretty easy alternative path that just worked in my case.
I was trying to get GDC7702Q applied to my two new SSDs, and the command kept failing at me drive ID (despite putting the exact naming of 1:c in the --list command, or similar variants).
Ran the Lenovo Windows EXE utility, on a non-Lenovo box (SuperMicro SYS-E300), and it ran through and updated both the PM9A3 firmwares to GDC7702Q successfully. After reboot, can confirm they were running the new version.
Disclaimer note is the utility will update any SSD firmware it has a match and newer version for, so if you have other SSDs you might want to remove them before attempting this method.
I wanted to share this method after wasting too much time on the Samsung util, whereas if a Lenovo package has the version you seek, that is seemingly a pretty easy alternative path that just worked in my case.
Did you have the same Experience also with other SSDs ?
I am stuck in a similar Situation on a much older PM863a SATA Drive so I might even give this a try (hopefully it works under GNU/Linux as well).
The changelog DOES list PM863a (MZ7LM960*) as in the list, however, the firmware versions they list for those drives are Lenovo-specific
So seems unlikely to work as well as it did for me with OEM M.2 Firmware versions that lenovo was also using.It's now listed on Lenovo's website (Link), it has their blessing. I have also compared the checksums of Lenovo's GDC7802Q with the file uploaded on HDDGuru: they're identical.
There are no beta firmwares out in the wild for enterprise SSD's around as far i know, and the files are all digitally signed, so far i don't think (hope) the worst will happen.
But as always there is no warranty.
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I am stuck on the "ERROMOD" firmware problem with a Samsung PM961 NVMe drive that is in a Dell server.
I have read through this thread and there are many examples of using the --disk command.
I only get syntax errors when I try anything that involves --disk.
I also have not been able to find any firmware for this drive.
There are two versions of DCTools on the Samsung downloads page.
I am trying both but get the same exact error and help text.
What am I possibly missing?
This drive is of course unsupported in Magician.
I'm not worried about showing my serial#
I have read through this thread and there are many examples of using the --disk command.
I only get syntax errors when I try anything that involves --disk.
I also have not been able to find any firmware for this drive.
There are two versions of DCTools on the Samsung downloads page.
I am trying both but get the same exact error and help text.
What am I possibly missing?
Code:
dct --disk 0:c --nvme-format-namespace --user-data-erase
================================================================================================
Samsung SSD DC Toolkit Brand Version 3.0.0.2.0
Copyright (C) 2023 SAMSUNG Electronics Co. Ltd. All rights reserved.
================================================================================================
Usage: dct [operation] ...
Allowed Operations:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-L [ --list ] Shows disks attached to the system
-F [ --firmware-update ] Updates firmware to specified disk
-S [ --smart ] Shows SMART values of specified disk
-V [ --vendor-utility ] Execute Vendor Unique command on specified disk
-NG [ --nvme-get-log-pages ] Display Log Pages on specified NVMe disk
-ND [ --nvme-firmware-download ] Updates firmware to specified NVMe disk
-NV [ --nvme-vendor-utility ] Execute Vendor Unique command on specified NVMe disk
-H [ --help ] Shows detailed help
-license [ -license ] Shows the End User License Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm not worried about showing my serial#
Code:
dct -L
================================================================================================
Samsung SSD DC Toolkit Brand Version 3.0.0.2.0
Copyright (C) 2023 SAMSUNG Electronics Co. Ltd. All rights reserved.
================================================================================================
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Disk | Path | Model | Serial | Firmware | Optionrom | Capacity | Drive | Total Bytes | NVMe Driver |
| Number | | | Number | | Version | | Health | Written | |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 0:c | \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE0 | PM961 NVMe SAMSUNG 1024GB | S33XNX0J400191 | ERRORMOD | SSX00748 | 953 GB | N/A | N/A | Windows Inbox Driver |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'll put this all away and pick it back up in a couple weeks, or months depending on any responses.
Not sure if there will be any answers here and how long it might take if any ideas come along.
I did some extensive searching on my own and really got nowhere except to this forum.
Brand new member here and not exactly sure how things work here yet.
This is not anything important or time sensitive just my curiosity around if the drive can be saved.
As well as why none of the --drive commands or directives take or are invalid.
Drive might only need its namespace cleared..
I've not been able to find any useful utilities or firmware for this.
DCToolkit might be useful but I do not understand why the --drive commands shown in posts here are not valid in the software.
If an answer comes along sometime later, I'll drag the SSD back out and give it another try.
Not sure if there will be any answers here and how long it might take if any ideas come along.
I did some extensive searching on my own and really got nowhere except to this forum.
Brand new member here and not exactly sure how things work here yet.
This is not anything important or time sensitive just my curiosity around if the drive can be saved.
As well as why none of the --drive commands or directives take or are invalid.
Drive might only need its namespace cleared..
I've not been able to find any useful utilities or firmware for this.
DCToolkit might be useful but I do not understand why the --drive commands shown in posts here are not valid in the software.
If an answer comes along sometime later, I'll drag the SSD back out and give it another try.
For NVMe SSD's make yourself familiar with the tool nvme cli which runs on linux.
Boot into a linux live environment of your choice and install nvme cli if it's not included.
You can try nvme reset or do a complete secure erase of the drive, and with some luck the drive comes back online, and try to update always to the latest firmware if possible.
The pm961 is not really a drive which belongs into a server, for this application the pm963 was meant to be used, i don't know if it was installed from factory or added later. But anyway, if the server does not run some critical services.
I will give that a try, Thanks!
Those first attempts were with a Windows desktop OS.
Do the --disk commands options I see posted on this thread here only apply in Linux?
As they only gave a syntax error in Windows with Samsung's tool.
I also tried secure erase from the motherboard secure erase utility which usually works just fine for other drives.
But with this I got the "this drive does not support secure erase" error.
-Steve
Those first attempts were with a Windows desktop OS.
Do the --disk commands options I see posted on this thread here only apply in Linux?
As they only gave a syntax error in Windows with Samsung's tool.
I also tried secure erase from the motherboard secure erase utility which usually works just fine for other drives.
But with this I got the "this drive does not support secure erase" error.
-Steve
Model: PM9A3 (MZ1L2960HCJR-00A07) 960GB
Original FW: GDC7302Q
I got the ERRORMOD after installing the drive in server Fujitsu PRIMERGY TX1330 M4.
I was not able to fix this on Linux using:
Samsung_SSD_DC_Toolkit ver. 3
The nvme tool
The FW update-tool from Lenovo
I had to use Samsung_SSD_DC_Toolkit ver. 2.1 and only using this command:
Now I got my disk back and I could also update FW to GDC7502Q
Version 3.0 and 2.1 can be downloaded here:
c.gmx.net
And the official Samsung page for the tool is:
semiconductor.samsung.com
UPDATE:
The drive has now been running very lightly a few month in a test-server, but now it was dead again after a server boot with the FW error ERRORMOD. This time the drive was already running FW version GDC7502Q! Now I don't trust the drive anymore. I expect I can get it back to life using the --user-data-erase (which will clean the drive ). Not sure if the server has anything to do with the issue (Fujitsu)
Original FW: GDC7302Q
I got the ERRORMOD after installing the drive in server Fujitsu PRIMERGY TX1330 M4.
I was not able to fix this on Linux using:
Samsung_SSD_DC_Toolkit ver. 3
The nvme tool
The FW update-tool from Lenovo
I had to use Samsung_SSD_DC_Toolkit ver. 2.1 and only using this command:
Code:
dct --list
dct --disk 1:c --nvme-format-namespace --user-data-eraseNow I got my disk back and I could also update FW to GDC7502Q
Version 3.0 and 2.1 can be downloaded here:
Ihr persönlicher Freigabelink | GMX Cloud
Mit diesem Link erhalten Sie Zugriff auf die mit Ihnen geteilten Daten.
And the official Samsung page for the tool is:
Tool & Software Download | Samsung Semiconductor Global
Download various software related to your product, including Samsung Magician, designed for use with Samsung's memory products, and find related information.
semiconductor.samsung.com
UPDATE:
The drive has now been running very lightly a few month in a test-server, but now it was dead again after a server boot with the FW error ERRORMOD. This time the drive was already running FW version GDC7502Q! Now I don't trust the drive anymore. I expect I can get it back to life using the --user-data-erase (which will clean the drive ). Not sure if the server has anything to do with the issue (Fujitsu)
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