Firmware updates for ThinkPad hard disk drives

J

John Navas

Hard drive firmware update utility (Bootable CD ISO) - ThinkPad General
<http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=MIGR-62282>

Supported systems:
- ThinkPad A20m, A20p, A21e, A21m, A21p, A22e, A22m, A22p, A30, A30p,
A31, A31p
- ThinkPad G40, G41
- ThinkPad R40, R40e
- ThinkPad R50, R50p, R51, R52
- ThinkPad T20, T21, T22, T23, T30
- ThinkPad T40, T40p, T41, T41p, T42, T42p, T43, T43p
- ThinkPad X20, X21, X22, X23
- ThinkPad X30, X31
- ThinkPad X40, X41

Supported list of Hard drives:
IBM DARA-2x
DJSA-2x
IC25NxATDA04
IC25TxATDA05
IC25NxATCS04
IC25TxATCS05
IC25NxATCS05
Hitachi DK2x7A-x
DK2x8A-x
DK2x9A-x
DK23AA-x
DK23BA-x
DK23CA-x
DK23DA-x
DK23EA-x
DK23FB-x
HGST IC25NxATMR04
HTS5480xxM9AT00
HTS7260xxM9AT00
HTS4240xxM9AT00
HTS5410xxG9AT00
HTS7210xxG9AT00
DK1xFA-x
HTC4260xxG7AT00
HTC4260xxG9AT00
Toshiba MKx09MAT
MKx19GAX
MKx26GAX
Fujitsu MHN2xAT
MHR2xAT
MHT2xAT
MHT2xAH
Seagate ST980825A
ST910021A
 
J

Juan I. Cahis

Isn't it too dangerous to do it?

None of the upgrade advantages, or changes, are listed in the upgrade
textfile posted in Lenovo's site.

John Navas said:
Hard drive firmware update utility (Bootable CD ISO) - ThinkPad General
<http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=MIGR-62282>

Supported systems:
- ThinkPad A20m, A20p, A21e, A21m, A21p, A22e, A22m, A22p, A30, A30p,
A31, A31p
- ThinkPad G40, G41
- ThinkPad R40, R40e
- ThinkPad R50, R50p, R51, R52
- ThinkPad T20, T21, T22, T23, T30
- ThinkPad T40, T40p, T41, T41p, T42, T42p, T43, T43p
- ThinkPad X20, X21, X22, X23
- ThinkPad X30, X31
- ThinkPad X40, X41

Supported list of Hard drives:
IBM DARA-2x
DJSA-2x
IC25NxATDA04
IC25TxATDA05
IC25NxATCS04
IC25TxATCS05
IC25NxATCS05
Hitachi DK2x7A-x
DK2x8A-x
DK2x9A-x
DK23AA-x
DK23BA-x
DK23CA-x
DK23DA-x
DK23EA-x
DK23FB-x
HGST IC25NxATMR04
HTS5480xxM9AT00
HTS7260xxM9AT00
HTS4240xxM9AT00
HTS5410xxG9AT00
HTS7210xxG9AT00
DK1xFA-x
HTC4260xxG7AT00
HTC4260xxG9AT00
Toshiba MKx09MAT
MKx19GAX
MKx26GAX
Fujitsu MHN2xAT
MHR2xAT
MHT2xAT
MHT2xAH
Seagate ST980825A
ST910021A
Click to expand...
Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!
 
J

John Navas

If you follow the instructions carefully the procedure is quite safe.
I have personally found the benefits of firmware upgrades to far
outweigh the very small risk. If the benefits weren't significant, then
the firmware wouldn't have been updated.
 
J

John Navas

What is this update even for? I see no listing of what it fixes.
Click to expand...

Hard drive firmware updates typically address such issues as
performance, error recovery, and power saving modes, It most cases such
issues aren't critical, but may nonetheless be significant. I know of
at least one drive that doesn't wake up properly from power saving modes
without updated firmware. Another that does a better job of soft error
recovery with updated firmware. Etc.
 
A

Arno Wagner

Previously John Navas said:
On Fri, 7 Jul 2006 19:22:57 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
Click to expand...
Hard drive firmware updates typically address such issues as
performance, error recovery, and power saving modes, It most cases such
issues aren't critical, but may nonetheless be significant. I know of
at least one drive that doesn't wake up properly from power saving modes
without updated firmware. Another that does a better job of soft error
recovery with updated firmware. Etc.
Click to expand...

Still, for firmware and BIOS updates a primary rule is to not fix it
unless you know it is broken. Sure, if this is a commercial setting,
you have lots of identical machines, experienced professionals to
perform and evaluated the updates, then they can be worthwhile without
a concrete problem you want to fix. For users with a single or very
few computers and little or no experience with this type of critical
operation (i.e. it may cost you your hardware and data), it is not
advisable to do this kind of update, unless there is a concrete
and serious problem to fix. It is just not worth the risk. In
may cases it may be better to live with the problem.

Even if there is a serious problem and you have good reason to believe
the update will fix it, at least one complete, current and verified
backup with a known-to-work restore procedure is absolutely mandatory.

Arno
 
J

John Navas

Still, for firmware and BIOS updates a primary rule is to not fix it
unless you know it is broken. Sure, if this is a commercial setting,
you have lots of identical machines, experienced professionals to
perform and evaluated the updates, then they can be worthwhile without
a concrete problem you want to fix. For users with a single or very
few computers and little or no experience with this type of critical
operation (i.e. it may cost you your hardware and data), it is not
advisable to do this kind of update, unless there is a concrete
and serious problem to fix. It is just not worth the risk. In
may cases it may be better to live with the problem.
Click to expand...

I respectfully disagree -- I apply and recommend updated *release*
firmware from reputable companies like IBM/Lenovo after sufficient time
has passed to shake out any unexpected field problems. It can be hard
to notice subtle problems.
Even if there is a serious problem and you have good reason to believe
the update will fix it, at least one complete, current and verified
backup with a known-to-work restore procedure is absolutely mandatory.
Click to expand...

That's not practical or even possible with these canned firmware
updates.
 
A

Arno Wagner

Previously John Navas said:
<[email protected]>:
Click to expand...
I respectfully disagree -- I apply and recommend updated *release*
firmware from reputable companies like IBM/Lenovo after sufficient time
has passed to shake out any unexpected field problems. It can be hard
to notice subtle problems.
Click to expand...

Well, if the updates are really very carefully prepared and tested, I
agree that the risk is small. Still, unless there is a non-subtle
problem, my advice is that updating firmware should not be done.
Never fix a working system.

I admit that with a high-quality update, that is a matter of opinion
and personal experience.
That's not practical or even possible with these canned firmware
updates.
Click to expand...

Sorry. I think I did not say that too clearly. I was talking about the
data on the disk, not its firmware. Worst case scenario for the disk
is that it is unusable. That is not too costly and the disk can be
replaced easily. But loosing the data on the disk can be
catastrophic. And having the means and knowledge to do a reliable
backup of the data is important anyways. I just meant to say to do a
fresh data backup before updating the firmware.

Arno
 
C

Cydrome Leader

In ibm.ibmpc.thinkpad John Navas said:
Hard drive firmware updates typically address such issues as
performance, error recovery, and power saving modes, It most cases such
issues aren't critical, but may nonetheless be significant. I know of
at least one drive that doesn't wake up properly from power saving modes
without updated firmware. Another that does a better job of soft error
recovery with updated firmware. Etc.
Click to expand...

so which drives have which problems?
 
C

Cydrome Leader

In ibm.ibmpc.thinkpad John Navas said:
I don't know. You?
Click to expand...

that's what I'm trying to find out. I find it odd that so many drives from
so many makers are covered by this patch.
 
G

GomJabbar

Cydrome said:
that's what I'm trying to find out. I find it odd that so many drives from
so many makers are covered by this patch.
Click to expand...

Actually, the firmware is only updated for a few of the drives in the
list. The upgrade just happens to have all the latest firmware
versions - regardless of when the firmware for a particular drive was
actually released.

A link from the above link:
"FWHD43 New drive firmwares (Jun. 19, 2006)
Seagate
ST980825A 3.07
ST910021A 3.07

FWHD42 New drive firmwares (Mar. 27, 2006)
Hitachi
HTC4260xxG7AT00 (Firmware A0B5)
TC4260xxG9AT00 (Firmware A0B5)

FWHD41 New drive firmwares (Jan. 20, 2006)
Hitachi
HTS7210xxG9AT00 (Firmware A51A)

Release FWHD40 Initial Release (Dec. 6, 2005)
This release is based on the previously released packages in diskette
image forms. The firmwares are the same as them, however some of older
Hard Drive firmwares are not included. Basically the compilation
differs from the diskette image forms."

A table with a number of hard drives follows the text quoted above
(Release FWHD40).
 
J

John Navas

... I find it odd that so many drives from
so many makers are covered by this patch.
Click to expand...

Updated firmware happens with many (most?) drives. What's unusual is
that IBM/Lenovo makes it so convenient and available. Most
manufacturers don't bother.
 
C

Cydrome Leader

In ibm.ibmpc.thinkpad John Navas said:
Updated firmware happens with many (most?) drives. What's unusual is
that IBM/Lenovo makes it so convenient and available. Most
manufacturers don't bother.
Click to expand...

Even IBM ususally says what the updates do, but there's info like that for
these.

I don't mind updating drive firmware, as long as it's needed and I know
what's it's fixing.
 
W

Woody

If you follow the links you will find the updates in this package are all
new drive firmware's. There are no updates for current drives.
 
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