Samsung - NVME SSD - How to update firmware if Magician fails
note
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Intro
The usual way of updating the firmware of a Samsung NVME SSD is through the Samsung Magician application. Try that first.
This guide will show a short example of how to update the firmware of Samsung 990 Pro from 4B2QJXD7 to 6B2QJXD7 if Samsung Magician fails.
I assumethe process is the same for other Samsung NVME SSD models.
Samsung 990 Pro if Samsung Magician fails
danger
- I take no responsibility if this goes wrong, proceed at your own risk.
- Make a backup of your data before attempting a firmware update. This is a general recommendation from Samsung, but you always run the risk of bricking a device each time you tinker with firmware updates.
- If you have BitLocker or other disk encryption enabled, make sure to write down recovery codes and temporarily disable encryption.
- If you got secure boot enabled in BIOS it will have to be disabled during this process.
- This can prompt you for the BitLocker recovery password.
- The content of the USB memory stick used for this operation will be erased.
- Download the latest firmware version ISO file from Samsung.
- Install and open https://rufus.ie/en/
- Using Scoop:
scoop install extras/rufus
- Microsoft Store: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9pc3h3v7q9ch?hl=en-us&gl=US
- Using Scoop:
- Find a USB memory stick, insert it into the PC.
- Use Rufus to create a bootable USB memory stick from the downloaded Samsung SSD firmware ISO file.
- I choose FAT32 as file system, GPT partition table, for UEFI computer.
- You might be warned by Rufus that the Samsung ISO file does not have a valid secure boot certificate.
- I choose FAT32 as file system, GPT partition table, for UEFI computer.
- If you got secure boot enabled in BIOS: Turn off secure boot.
- Boot to the USB memory stick, either by boot order in your BIOS, or by opening BIOS boot menu.
- The process from here is just click any key to proceed, or Y/N questions. The program included in the ISO file from Samsung will check for current firmware, and ask whether to update it if a newer firmware is available.
- The firmware update will be very fast, only took a second for me. It will ask you to reboot. After reboot the firmware should be updated.
- Verify firmware update:
- Either boot your PC, go into Samsung Magician and check firmware details, or
- Run the USB memory stick process again, if no update is available it will say so.
Remember to re-enable secure boot in BIOS and BitLocker or other disk encryption when your finished.