Samsung 990 Pro 1TB Failed To Update Firmware (4B2QJXD7)

[MK300]

I'm trying to update my SSD to the latest firmware using Samsung Magician, but I can't get it to work after trying almost every trick in the book. (Currently on Version: 3B2QJXD7 trying to update to Version: 4B2QJXD7)

I have rebooted multiple times, tried 3 different Wifi networks, and stopped all other programs from running. Nothing seems to work.

Magician simply won't download the update, and it won't tell me why. It simply says "Failed to update".

I am aware that the update can be downloaded separately and installed using Linux "the hard way", but frankly I shouldn't have to do that, and i've never done it before so i'm not comfortable with it. 

It seems like the only solution is to uninstall Samsung Magician and not bother updating the firmware? 

[ddaniel51]

Swap the 990's in their slots.  One slot is probably direct to cpu and the other through a  chipset.

Makes a difference.

[Graaf Dirk III]

Swapping the 990's in their slots is too tricky for me. The OS and the UEFI boot sector (on the updated SSD) will be migrated then. I haven't noticed any troubles with the not updated SSD (with data only). So I left that and I switched off the setting "Run Magician at Windows startup" so that the update message doesn't appear every time. 

As this topic shows, we are not the only ones who have thiss issue. Samsung should fix it.

[userweJIdKwvht]

Agree. Samsung likes taking credit for being the best, yet they cannot bother to make it seamless for the end user. Ridiculous. Just fix the software already.

[Graaf Dirk III]

Is there a Memory Product Expert who can inform about any action (if there is or not) taken by Samsung to resolve the issue that the firmware update for SSD 990 Pro 2TB fails? This topic shows that I am not the only one with this problem.

Information (repeated and updated):

My computer:

I build my computer myself in june 2023.

• Motherboard: Asus Prime Z790-P D4
• CPU: Intel Core i7 13700 K
• Chipset: Intel Z790
• Memory: Kingston Fury Renegade 2 x 16 GB DDR4
• SSD1 (Operating System, apps): Samsung 990 Pro M.2 1 TB; firmware 3B2QJXD7; placed in MB socket M.2_1 ( = CPU) key M – PCIE 4.0 X4 – SATA no – IRST yes
• SSD2 (data): Samsung 990 Pro M.2 2 TB; firmware 3B2QJXD7; placed in MB socket M.2_2 ( = Chipset) key M – PCIE 4.0 X4 – SATA no – IRST yes
• OS: Windows 11 Home 23H2

My findings:

As far as I remenber Samsung Magician has been updated twice since june 2023. It is now (february 2024) 8.0.1. Both updates of Samsung Magician itself went well.
This applies also to the firmware update to 4B2QJXD7 for SSD1 (with the OS) which has been correctly executed by Samsung Magician 7.#.# already.
However, the firmware for SSD2 (2TB) to 4B2QJXD7 is stubbornly denied. Also Samsung Magician 8.0.1 doesn’t help and this applies to the "Linux firmware utility" too.

Samsung Magician:

Description of the (failing) firmware update process (no difference between Samsung Magician 7.#.# and 8.0.1):

After the message appears that a firmware update for SSD2 is needed, I start the update by clicking “update” next to SSD2 in the Samsung Magician update window.
The following 2 messages (system compatibility check, shut down computer immediately or wait 20 seconds), both to be confirmed with “OK”, seem to work well. Samsung Magician reports that the download of the firmware is completed. Finally it shows a screen which displays a count-down to shut down. By the way, I would expect here an automatic restart after shut down instead of a plain shut down.

This nevertheless looks all fine but:

The computer shuts down roughly, like this happens after pushing the on-off main switch for some seconds in case of a system crash. After restarting the computer by pushing the on/off button (main switch), Windows shows it’s “recovery screen” instead of it’s usual “welcome screen”. This suggests that a driver or firmware update has taken place. After that, everything works well but SSD2 is still with firmware 3B2QJXD7 and Samsung Magician is calling again for a firmware update for SSD2.
I tried this several times, with the same result.

Linux firmware utility:

Also I tried the "Linux firmware utility". This is available at
https://semiconductor.samsung.com/consumer-storage/support/tools/
The "NVMe SSD-990 PRO Series Firmware ISO 4B2QJXD7 | 36MB" (iso image file) is the first one in the list "Samsung storage firmware". There is a manual too: "SATA SSD-Firmware Installation Guide 0.45MB" (the last one in the list).

I followed the instructions (create a bootable USB memory stick from the ISO file with "UNetbootin", restart the computer from it).

I succeeded in running the "Samsung SSD Firmware Update Utility Ver. 3.1" under Linux after changing some BIOS settings to disable "secure boot". Therefore (of course) a switch from "Windows UEFI mode" to "Other OS" was needed. Linux does not work with UEFI.

After these setting changes, the computer boots in Linux and the "Samsung SSD Firmware Update Utility Ver. 3.1" gives a warning (don't switch off power supply). After pressing a key to continue the scanning process begins. Unfortunately it results in: "No supported SSD detected for firmware update!!!" and "Press any key to EXIT...". The utility is apparently executed fine, but it did not detect the SSD which still is not updated.

[Graaf Dirk III]

Good day to you all,

The problem is solved! Some BIOS settings (more) must be changed before the Linux firmware utility is applied.

You have to make the USB stick with the Linux firmware utility before start of the update process and connect it to the computer. See my previous message.

BIOS settings to be changed at restart of the computer (BIOS Setup):
In 'Advanced/System Agent/VMD setup' the VMD controller must be disabled (in stead of enabled).
In 'Advanced/Boot/Secure boot' the OS type must be switched to 'Other OS' (in stead of 'Windows UEFI mode', because now Linux is the OS).
In the main menu the 'boot priority' must the USB stick with the Linux firmware utility be set as first (in stead of disk C:\Windows).

After exiting BIOS setup the "Samsung SSD Firmware Update Utility Ver. 3.1" automatically detects all Samsung SSD and specfies the firmware versions. If there are more SSD then one, it looks like that the "Samsung SSD Firmware Update Utility Ver. 3.1" updates these one by one. You are asked to type "y" to continue before every step.
When the "Samsung SSD Firmware Update Utility Ver. 3.1" exits, it restarts the computer immediately. You must be prepared for entering the BIOS Setup again to reset the changed settings to their original values. If you are too late, the computer will not start correctly (blue screen) and you have to restart again to enter BIOS Setup.

Because of the BIOS settings you are dependent on "Samsung SSD Firmware Update Utility Ver. 3.1", when there are more then one SSD. The much easyer to run the Sansung Magician update tool is fine for one SSD probably.

Regards

[jm42]

Try changing the SATA mode to AHCI before rebooting. That worked for me. Then you have to remember to change it back or your OS won't boot properly 🙂

[usersSlGV5MfcV]

Same here, it doesn't seem to be getting the attention it deserves. I have the Heat-sink 4 Terabyte version. It has a 5 year warranty. Will be calling Samsung in a couple days to clarify.

[jackharrislabs]

I'm another with the same problem. Magician will not update Samsung SSD 990 Pro w/heatsink from 3B2QJXD7 to 4B2QJXD7.

[kishege]

Same problem nothing changed...

[jm42]

Hi all,

I had a similar issue with an SSD 990 Pro 2TB nVME drive in a homebuilt machine, Intel 7th gen, Gigabyte MB, H270 chipset, etc. The drive is installed on a PCI Express carrier card, not directly on the MB (that slot is taken by an Optane module). I tried to update the firmware with Samsung Magician under Windows, but, like others, no success. I did find an obscure reference that a drive using Rapid (Intel RST driver) would not update properly. Since it's not practical to change this to AHCI just to run the update under Windows, I downloaded the self-contained update mentioned by others and used Rufus to write it to a USB stick.

Then I went into the BIOS and changed the drive mode to AHCI, restarted and booted from the USB stick into the Linux update software. I did not have to change any other settings, other than forcing it to boot from the USB stick. The software found my drive and updated the firmware in a matter of seconds! I then went back into the BIOS and changed the drive mode back to RST. Reboot and check with Magician, and it's showing the correct firmware version.

I can't tell if this procedure works for other machines. I just know I was able to update it on this machine.