Falcon II OS Drive Corruptions

[G.SKILL]

sorry EzDingo

I think its bad

please replace it.

[EzDingo]

Rma

sorry EzDingo

I think its bad

please replace it.

Ok thats not good... second time replacing this Falcon II and costing me money and great hassle (having to temporarily reinstall OS onto another drive so work can continue while I wait for return then doing the same again).

Questions before I send it back you again:

1. Is there a tool I can try first to wipe clean the drive now firmware 2030 is installed (secure erase or similar) to try and see if that helps fix the drive issues. Which tool do I use and where is it found?

2. If I have to return this drive for the second time will G.Skill be prepared to swap it over to the Sandforce version. I think this is a fair request as there is obviously a quality control or major controller issue with indilix drives. 2 faulty drives in a row plus the fact that the drive constantly corrupts data requiring reinstalling the OS every other week is beyond reasonable for a product or consumer?

[G.SKILL]

Hi EzDingo

for your question, the tool for falcon is the FW 1916 clean tool.
you can try to downgrade FW1916 and use the clean tool then upgrade 2030.
as I know, we can't exchange different item product but you can contact our RMA department.
the second times RMA shouldn't pay any fee.

[derka-derka]

Same problem here...except mine gets worse and worse...mine is a 128gb Falcon II...when it was brand new...it was perfect for around month or 2...the Modern Warfare 2 started crashing errors...didnt thought of the ssd causing problem then....kept reinstalling the game and problem keeps coming back randomly..then one day, the ssd wasnt detected in bios...bios POSTING would take like 3mins being stuck at detecting ide devices...then eventually dsnt pick up the falcon2....and says no boot device..
then i used the jumper and flashed the firmware with 1916...that revived the drive but all data lost...
so ssd revived, windows 7 up and going...and not long after modern warfare 2 crashes again...so then i knew the data was corrupted...but OS was still operable so didnt bother doing anything...

then one day, win7 wont boot...POSTS fine but gets to windows loading screen and it BSOD...rebooted several times and sometimes it gets to desktop but mostly wont...and wehn it does get to desktop, alot of errors pop up...like my graphics driver was loaded prpbly, I/O device error when trying to transfer files around...then i tried doing the Windows Recovery thing. it didnt work...BSODs or says no OS found on drive...

flashed with 2030 firmware, still having these problems...infact 2030 made it worse...problems and errors happen more often compared to the factory firmware that it had...

[Lemming]

Onto my 3rd Falcon II and still the corruptions keep coming

System specs:
Windows 7 Pro 64bit
Falcon II 128GB SSD (firmware 2030)

I'm now onto my 3rd Falcon II 128GB SSD since the begining of 2010

1st Falcon II 128GB SSD purchased 23 January 2010 -> Died April 19 2010 (lasted just under 3 months)

It just stopped working (out of the blue), and was not even recognised in Bios.

Windows became unresponsive (after waking from sleep). I turned off my PC and restarted to find that the bios is not recognizing the SSD. I also disconnected the power and reconnected the power cable. After checking the SATA cable connections to the SSD and the motherboard I turned the pc on again and had the same lack of response.

I changed the SATA cable and changed the SATA port on my motherboard and bios still refuses to recognize the SSD is attached. I even changed to another power connector from my Power Supply with no response.

RMA to store I bought it from for warranty replacement. Three weeks later I have a new replacement SSD.

2nd Falcon II 128GB SSD received May 11th 2010 -> Died July 26th 2010 (lasted just 6 weeks!)

Same problem as original SSD. My system reports corrupted OS and application files and occasionally crashes as well (BSOD). When system crashes and I reboot, the SSD fails to be detected by BIOS! Many reboots (and three days) later, drive is detected again, but unusable.

RMA to store I bought it from for warranty replacement. Twelve weeks later (that is 3 months!!!) I have a new replacement SSD.

3rd Falcon II 128GB SSD received November 1st 2010 -> Signs of OS and app corruption have started only 1 week later - November 8th 2010 (lasted just 1-2 weeks!)
Random OS and application (Steam files) corruption have started. Also backups have now stopped working as software (Acronis) reports read i/o error when trying to do full drive backup! Windows failed to boot today, requiring repair install.

HD Tune Pro reports 5.8% Damaged blocks, but this figure (and strangely the location of the damaged blocks) changes each time I run the test!

At this rate of system degredation I expect a full failure within the next few weeks.

Also, looking back at those dates, I can now see that I have only had a working SSD for around 5 months since the beginning of 2010 and my SSD has spent more time dead or being replaced than it has spent inside my PC!

So that's it, I'm done with these g.skill SSDs. As much as I love the speed (and it is painfully slow going back to mechanical hdd's), I simply cannot afford to have my system be so unreliable any longer.

I know it is going to be a battle to get a refund now with the store I bought it from, but I don't care. I think that I have been more than fair in giving them a go to provide a product that is of merchantable quality (and it is not the stores fault), but put simply, this product fails to perform as advertised.

[VelFog]

Same problem here...except mine gets worse and worse...mine is a 128gb Falcon II...when it was brand new...it was perfect for around month or 2...the Modern Warfare 2 started crashing errors...didnt thought of the ssd causing problem then....kept reinstalling the game and problem keeps coming back randomly..then one day, the ssd wasnt detected in bios...bios POSTING would take like 3mins being stuck at detecting ide devices...then eventually dsnt pick up the falcon2....and says no boot device..
then i used the jumper and flashed the firmware with 1916...that revived the drive but all data lost...
so ssd revived, windows 7 up and going...and not long after modern warfare 2 crashes again...so then i knew the data was corrupted...but OS was still operable so didnt bother doing anything...

then one day, win7 wont boot...POSTS fine but gets to windows loading screen and it BSOD...rebooted several times and sometimes it gets to desktop but mostly wont...and wehn it does get to desktop, alot of errors pop up...like my graphics driver was loaded prpbly, I/O device error when trying to transfer files around...then i tried doing the Windows Recovery thing. it didnt work...BSODs or says no OS found on drive...

flashed with 2030 firmware, still having these problems...infact 2030 made it worse...problems and errors happen more often compared to the factory firmware that it had...

I'm also getting these exact symptons, also using win7 64 bit, firmware 2030

Is the issue isolated to 64bit win7 or does it affect 32 bit version also?

[G.SKILL]

it would be the same, i think it is nothing to do with OS, this controller had this problem.
they always make erroneous judgement.

I am sorry

[VelFog]

it would be the same, i think it is nothing to do with OS, this controller had this problem.
they always make erroneous judgement.

I am sorry

As far as the RMA process goes, could i exchange it for an equivalent newer product? Or am I stuck with this dud drive?

[Lemming]

Falcon swapped for Phoenix = all good now

As far as the RMA process goes, could i exchange it for an equivalent newer product? Or am I stuck with this dud drive?

With the confirmation from GSkill that the controller is at fault, I think you can reasonably and fairly expect either a refund or replacement with a newer Phoenix model.

After having problems with three (3) Falcon II's (see my earlier post) and enduring 12 months worth swapping out faulty SSD's and waiting for replacements to come back, my local shop where I bought the SSD from agreed (I think with approval from distributor) to swap my 3rd Falcon II for a newer Phoenix 2.

Have had NO problems with the new Phoenix 2 SSD

[VelFog]

With the confirmation from GSkill that the controller is at fault, I think you can reasonably and fairly expect either a refund or replacement with a newer Phoenix model.

After having problems with three (3) Falcon II's (see my earlier post) and enduring 12 months worth swapping out faulty SSD's and waiting for replacements to come back, my local shop where I bought the SSD from agreed (I think with approval from distributor) to swap my 3rd Falcon II for a newer Phoenix 2.

Have had NO problems with the new Phoenix 2 SSD

Thanks for the info Lemming. looking at the phoenix using sandforce controller, that could be the way to go

Place i bought it from are going to give me a credit hopefully. either that or a replacement..

[G.SKILL]

Hi guys,

Actually I don't have power to exchange another product for you.
I have to say, this is a issue, it is not defective