HDD GURU FORUMS

Hello, I did a bad firmware flash on a Samsung SSD NVME. I have a backup of the data so that is not the issue. I would like to start using the bricked drive again. I put bad firmware in slot 2 and activated slot 2. Slot 1 still has the good firmware. But the device does not complete initialization as /dev/nvme on Linux anymore (same under Windows). Only a PCI endpoint shows up in lspci -v:
09:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd NVMe SSD Controller SM961/PM961 (prog-if 02 [NVM Express])
Subsystem: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd Device a801
Flags: fast devsel, IRQ 16, NUMA node 0
Memory at df100000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/32 Maskable- 64bit+
Capabilities: [70] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
Capabilities: [b0] MSI-X: Enable- Count=8 Masked-
Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
Capabilities: [148] Device Serial Number 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00
Capabilities: [158] Power Budgeting <?>
Capabilities: [168] Secondary PCI Express <?>
Capabilities: [188] Latency Tolerance Reporting
Capabilities: [190] L1 PM Substates

so I can't simply use nvme-cli to switch to the Page 1 firmware. How can I switch this drive, mostly bricked but still showing up in the PCI device tree, back to the factory firmware in Slot 1? Either via this endpoint, PCI registers or perhaps using a serial recovery console or even jtag? I hope I clearly described the problem. Thanks for any help.

I am going to see if I can activate safe mode.

Which of the contacts in this photo

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/bGcAAOSw ... -l1600.jpg

should I short in order to get the drive into safe mode? Bonus points if you know the jtag pinouts and the serial port recovery console pins as well

This drive doesn't have the line of 7 holes/vias that most previous Samsung SSDs have for jtag and safe mode. Instead at the end there are 2x5 (jtag most likely) and 2x3 pins. Also on the sides there are 2x1 pads top and bottom. If anyone knows which of these trigger safe mode let me know!

Thanks to sourcerer I have now figured out how to get this SM961 into safe mode. But I cannot get it to switch back to the factory firmware using DC toolkit or nvme-cli, I think I need a firmware file. If anyone has a firmware file of version CAX7***Q (HP version SM961) please let me know. Lenovo version is easy to find but that is the one that got me into this trouble. Thanks!

guho wrote:Thanks to sourcerer I have now figured out how to get this SM961 into safe mode. But I cannot get it to switch back to the factory firmware using DC toolkit or nvme-cli, I think I need a firmware file. If anyone has a firmware file of version CAX7***Q (HP version SM961) please let me know. Lenovo version is easy to find but that is the one that got me into this trouble. Thanks!

Hello guho

have you managed to fix this? I have the exact same issue

Best regards

ruhani

ruhani wrote:

Hello guho

have you managed to fix this? I have the exact same issue

Best regards

ruhani

I have not managed to fix it. My SM961 is now still bricked and all it really needs is to be told to go back to Slot 1 firmware instead of the bad one in Slot 2. I am not about to jtag it as it would be too much work. But let us stay in touch in case one of us finds a solution. It is still a very good SSD.

guho wrote:

ruhani wrote:

Hello guho

have you managed to fix this? I have the exact same issue

Best regards

ruhani

I have not managed to fix it. My SM961 is now still bricked and all it really needs is to be told to go back to Slot 1 firmware instead of the bad one in Slot 2. I am not about to jtag it as it would be too much work. But let us stay in touch in case one of us finds a solution. It is still a very good SSD.

I'm curious if anyone has manged to get this sorted, I need to get my SSD into safe mode in order to use nvme-cli to set the slot back to slot 1 where the correct firmware is sitting, however the SSD has vanished from view currently -- presumably because its failing to start with the new firmware version in slot 2 (why on earth there isn't an automatic switch over kind of negates the point of having slots!)

Anything anyone can suggest to help would be massively appreciated as I am stuck right now and could really do with having this SSD back working again.

Cheers
James