Solution: BAD_POOL_HEADER and SATA data rate

[Guest]

After installing a Samsung HD501LJ SATAII drive on my Asus P4P800-E Deluxe MB
system, I was getting frequent BAD_POOL_HEADER messages at shutdown. The
P4P800-E incorporates a Promise FastTrak 378 RAID controller, which is only
capable of SATA I data rates (1.5 GB/s). I configured the Promise in ATA
mode, rather than RAID. Despite the discrepancy in data rates, the Samsung
documentation said that most controller / drive combinations would negotiate
the correct data rate. And the system was otherwise stable, so I concluded
that the controller / drive combination was not causing the problem.
Googling bad_pool_header led to suggestions relating to problem drivers, so I
went down that road for awhile.

Alas, the solution was to force the HD501LJ into SATA I mode. For Samsung
drives with jumpers, jumper the second column from the right (on the rear of
the drive). Picture:
http://www.samsung.com/global/syste...5620051216154941_SATAspeedselectionjumper.jpg
Prior to finding this picture, I went through the other Samsung FAQs, which
led me to conclusion that I needed Samsung's drive configuration software.
Fortunately none of the software worked because it couldn't find the drive
(it couldn't find the Promise controller and there was no option to provide a
driver upon boot). If you have a Samsung drive and this doesn't solve your
problem, check the FAQs at
http://www.samsung.com/global/business/hdd/faqList.do .

 

[Guest]

Maybe samsung,but the majority of SATA & SCSI hds dont use jumper
pins,probably the key to youre problem(s).Also,most recent boards with SATA/
RAID still only get about 1.5GB/S,the technology still isnt there yet...

 

[Ed Elliott]

Maybe samsung,but the majority of SATA & SCSI hds dont use jumper
pins,probably the key to youre problem(s).Also,most recent boards with SATA/
RAID still only get about 1.5GB/S,the technology still isnt there yet...

Subsequent experience indicates that your are correct and my initial posting
regarding the jumper was totally incorrect. Even though the Samsung FAQ
referred to SATA and setting the jumper, the jumpers apparently do not apply
to the HD501LJ.

My BAD_POOL_HEADER problem appears to be solved, but I had to use Samsung's
HUTIL to change the drive speed from "SATA" to "UDMA133".

To get HUTIL to recognize the drive, I had to connect the drive to my DFI
LanParty UT nF4 Ultra-D motherboard's NVIDIA controller. I had tried
connecting the drive to a Sil3132 controller (which connects to an external
drive cabinet) on the DFI PC and HUTIL would recognize the Sil3132
controller, but would not recognize the drive. As hinted in my original
post, HUTIL would not even recognize the Promise 378 controller on my Asus
P4P800-E Deluxe motherboard.