Firmware updates for ThinkPad hard disk drives

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

--
Best regards,
John Navas

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 wrote:

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
Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!

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.

On Fri, 07 Jul 2006 12:17:02 -0400, Juan I. Cahis
wrote in
:

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 wrote:

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
Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!

--
Best regards,
John Navas

In ibm.ibmpc.thinkpad John Navas wrote:
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

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

On Fri, 7 Jul 2006 19:22:57 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote in :

In ibm.ibmpc.thinkpad John Navas wrote:
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

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

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.

--
Best regards,
John Navas

Previously John Navas wrote:
On Fri, 7 Jul 2006 19:22:57 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote in :

In ibm.ibmpc.thinkpad John Navas wrote:
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

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

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.

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

On 7 Jul 2006 23:06:33 GMT, Arno Wagner wrote in
:

Previously John Navas wrote:
On Fri, 7 Jul 2006 19:22:57 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote in :

In ibm.ibmpc.thinkpad John Navas wrote:
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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

--
Best regards,
John Navas

Previously John Navas wrote:
On 7 Jul 2006 23:06:33 GMT, Arno Wagner wrote in
:

Previously John Navas wrote:
On Fri, 7 Jul 2006 19:22:57 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote in :

In ibm.ibmpc.thinkpad John Navas wrote:
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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

In ibm.ibmpc.thinkpad John Navas wrote:
On Fri, 7 Jul 2006 19:22:57 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote in :

In ibm.ibmpc.thinkpad John Navas wrote:
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

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

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.

so which drives have which problems?

On Sat, 8 Jul 2006 07:51:35 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote in :

In ibm.ibmpc.thinkpad John Navas wrote:
On Fri, 7 Jul 2006 19:22:57 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote in :

In ibm.ibmpc.thinkpad John Navas wrote:
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

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

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.

so which drives have which problems?

I don't know. You?

--
Best regards,
John Navas