SOLVED SSD Install Failures, Possible Trim Issue?

[jcat4]

Build:

• Mobo: ASRock B85M-ITX
  
• RAM: 2x 8GB Vulcan DDR3 1600 MHz (I know, no ECC. Eventually with full upgrade...)
• CPU: Haswell i5, can't remember specific chip
• PSU: Rosewill 450 Watt Gold
  
• SSD: Samsung 840 EVO, model MZ-7TE120
• Some HGST Deskstar 2TB NAS Drive, if it matters

I get very peculiar errors when attempting to install onto my SSD on my machine. I've run FreeNAS on it in the past, and I recently decided to try and go back to using it...

I was unsure where to grab a copy of the logs generated from the installation process, assuming there were any, and so here's a screenshot:

It indefinitely hangs on that quirks=... line, never progressing further.

I've tried googling around, but not much has helped. I've tried wiping and reformatting the drive, but that isn't helping. From one of my many attempts, I think it completed without issue, but I could not boot, and so I wiped and started over, and the same issue persisted.

 

[dlavigne]

That image is only from step 1 of 5 of the install. Once the install completes, please post a screenshot of the point where the boot fails.

 

[jcat4]

That image is only from step 1 of 5 of the install. Once the install completes, please post a screenshot of the point where the boot fails.

Thanks for the reply. It doesn't get any further than this. I left it running for about 12 hours, and the next morning, the installation was still stuck at this step.

 

[dlavigne]

Aaah...

Does this help? https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/ssds-not-found-on-x10sl7-f-after-bios-update.36853/

 

[jcat4]

Aaah...

Does this help? https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/ssds-not-found-on-x10sl7-f-after-bios-update.36853/

I'm not sure. I haven't touched the BIOS version of my board in a long time, and I can definitely see my SSD in both the BIOS settings and the boot menu. Previously, when I finally got it to install once, I'd attempt to boot to the SSD, and I'd just be sitting at a black screen. Perhaps I should have tried grabbing the logs back then before starting over...

I'm currently away from my machine, and so I can't do specific testing until later this afternoon... :(

 

[rs225]

Did you ever do the firmware update for this SSD? Can you show the full quirks= line and whatever relevant lines just above?

 

[jcat4]

Did you ever do the firmware update for this SSD? Can you show the full quirks= line and whatever relevant lines just above?

I've not done that, no, and I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you mean... From the picture, it looks like the full quirks line is quirks=0x3<4K,NCQ_TRIM_BROKEN>

I don't have anything above what's in the picture. Does the installation log this info anywhere so I can post the full contents here?

 

[rs225]

Ok, that is what should be there. I don't know why it isn't working, except the possibility that the firmware update is required.

Have you ever run this version of FreeNAS on it in the past? One possibility is that previous versions expected the buggy firmware, and new versions expect it is fixed and it isn't. It is also possible that without the firmware update, performance degrades to defective.

 

[jcat4]

It looks like you need "Samsung Magician" to upgrade the firmware on the SSD.

Ok, that is what should be there. I don't know why it isn't working, except the possibility that the firmware update is required.

Have you ever run this version of FreeNAS on it in the past? One possibility is that previous versions expected the buggy firmware, and new versions expect it is fixed and it isn't.

Nope, I ran FreeNAS 9 before. I am trying to install version 11, so that very well may be the case.

It looks like you need "Samsung Magician" to upgrade the firmware on the SSD. Does it matter which image I use? There's a Windows and Mac image for the 840 EVO SATA drives.

 

[wblock]

The quirks line is saying that the kernel knows that this device does not support NCQ TRIM. It is not a problem, just an information report.

The Samsung 840 EVO is known to have buggy firmware, although it is supposed to only be a performance issue. Here, the whole SSD detached.

It's worth doing the firmware update on the SSD. It's also worth trying a different SATA cable and making sure the power supply and RAM are trustable. Some Rosewill supplies are very good, rebadged Super Flower. Some are not. If the motherboard had additional SATA ports with an off-brand controller, I'd say to make sure it's plugged into the motherboard chipset ones. But this one appears to only have the Intel ones anyway.

 

[rs225]

You can use either Win or Mac, whichever you can actually connect the SSD to and run.

There are multiple flavors of TRIM brokenness, but as @wblock said, there aren't supposed to be any besides the Quirk, but maybe they did slip a fix in quietly.

 

[jcat4]

The quirks line is saying that the kernel knows that this device does not support NCQ TRIM. It is not a problem, just an information report.

The Samsung 840 EVO is known to have buggy firmware, although it is supposed to only be a performance issue. Here, the whole SSD detached.

It's worth doing the firmware update on the SSD. It's also worth trying a different SATA cable and making sure the power supply and RAM are trustable. Some Rosewill supplies are very good, rebadged Super Flower. Some are not. If the motherboard had additional SATA ports with an off-brand controller, I'd say to make sure it's plugged into the motherboard chipset ones. But this one appears to only have the Intel ones anyway.

You can use either Win or Mac, whichever you can actually connect the SSD to and run.

There are multiple flavors of TRIM brokenness, but as @wblock said, there aren't supposed to be any besides the Quirk, but maybe they did slip a fix in quietly.

Alright, I'll probably leave work soon. I'll try to get all this going once I'm home - I'll let you all know what happens!
I'll also try a few different SATA ports if that doesn't work and attempt to locate other usable SATA cables laying around.

 

[iammykyl]

Ensure you are running the latest version of Magician before the firmware update, if available.
Run Secure Erase, then try the FreeNAS install.
If still problems, disconnect the SSD and try installing to a USB stick.

 

[jcat4]

So, Magician is only available on Windows. I ended up needing to pull out an old, cruddy pc running Windows 7 to update the firmware on the drive. It's the same story, even with different SATA slots and cables.

This was using the original slot and cable:

Oddly enough, I got virtually the same output after changing slots and cables, but I get the message as soon as I select my drive, not after entering my password and choosing to boot via BIOS. After trying again immediately after, without switching cables or ports, things started happening! ...And then I got the same result.

No clue, guys.

 

[rs225]

Did you do a secure erase?

 

[jcat4]

Did you do a secure erase?

I did not. When I tried, it said it needed some odd DOS usb stick or something. I just kind of said "whatever" and tried installing after updating. I'll look at it again more carefully and try to get it going when I get home.

 

[jcat4]

I did not. When I tried, it said it needed some odd DOS usb stick or something. I just kind of said "whatever" and tried installing after updating. I'll look at it again more carefully and try to get it going when I get home.

I just googled it really quickly. It appears to just be creating a bootable USB drive. Silly me, lol. I'll do it when I'm back home and will touch base later. *fingers crossed*

 

[jcat4]

I... I think it was the SATA power connector I was using...

I just switched around cables in the case and used another, and... it worked. I'm booted and everything,

Well... I guess that's it, then. Thank you all for the help!

 

[Stux]

It's a really good idea to ensure 840 Evos have the latest FW.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9196/samsung-releases-second-840-evo-fix

Samsung does make FW updaters which don't need magician (it's a Linux boot cd/USB) but not sure if they always do.

 

[jcat4]

It's a really good idea to ensure 840 Evos have the latest FW.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9196/samsung-releases-second-840-evo-fix

Samsung does make FW updaters which don't need magician (it's a Linux boot cd/USB) but not sure if they always do.

I tried making some bootable drives using the ISOs listed on their site, but I couldn't get any of them to boot, either using dd or unetbootin. Who knows what I was doing wrong. I eventually gave up and pulled out an old pc laying around and used magician.