Danno
28-03-2006, 03:55 PM
Question
I have heard or read that Maxtor drives are incompatible with nForce4 chipsets, or that I need a firmware update to make a Maxtor drive compatible with nForce4. Is this true?
Answer
Note: This solution is only to be applied to the listed products and only when used with the nVidia© nForce4© chipset. If you are unsure as to which chipset you have, please contact your motherboard manufacturer or visit your motherboard manufacturer's website for clarification.
Firmware updates are not upgrades. They offer no performance enhancements and exist only to provide specific compatibility resolutions. If you have a drive that is working properly in a computer, you do not need a firmware update.
Do not use a firmware update that is not authorized directly by Maxtor as there are variations of firmware for different revisions of drives that can render drives inoperable if applied to the wrong drive.
Applying firmware to a drive that is not authorized by Maxtor will void the warranty on the drive as this would be considered an unauthorized modification. Please see Maxtor's Limited Warranty Statement (http://maxtor.com/portal/site/Maxtor/menuitem.ff4aba9b5a1543271400585760b46068/?epi_menuItemID=ff4aba9b5a1543271400585760b46068&epi_menuID=976d37cd478c5826433f226075b46068&epi_baseMenuID=976d37cd478c5826433f226075b46068&channelpath=/en_us/Support/Warranty%20Services/Limited%20Warranty%20Statement) for more information.
If your drive came inside an OEM machine such as a Dell, Apple, Gateway etc., do not apply a firmware update at all as this will void the warranty which is held by that manufacturer. Please contact your OEM vendor directly.
The following issues have been identified with Maxtor SATA II drives and the nVidia nForce4 controller:
Data Corruption: If you are experiencing data corruption issues, the problem is not with the hard drive firmware. Please visit nVidia's website to update to the latest nVidia chipset drivers to resolve this issue. Make sure to be familiar with your motherboard specifications as there are several variations.
NCQ: If you are experiencing problems with NCQ (Native Command Queueing) please see nVidia's Knowledgebase ID 768 for more information with an issue nVidia is having with NCQ and the nForce4 chipset, and a forthcoming resolution. They also offer a solution to temporarily disable NCQ.
No Detection: If you are experiencing a problem with your Maxtor SATA-II drive not being detected by your nForce4 host controller at bootup:
Note: This does not apply if your drive is connected to a non-nForce4 controller such as SIIG (Silicon Image), HighPoint, Promise etc. Many motherboards have multiple host controllers onboard so make sure you are familiar with your motherboard specifications and schematics.
The drives affected are those listed in the following table:
Model begins with:
Code (Firmware revision)
6B- or 7B-
BANC1980
BANC1B70
BANC1BM0
BANC1BY0
BANC1E00
6L- or 7L-
BANC1G00
BANC1G10
BANC1G20
6H- or 7H-
HA431BW0
6V- or 7V-
VA111610
VA101610
VA131610
VA141610
Example of a drive label:
http://forum.novatech.co.uk/files/maxtor.gif
To check your current firmware revision on the drive without removing it from the system, use the Powermax (http://www.maxtor.com/en/support/downloads/powermax.htm) diagnostic CD. Drive model, Serial and firmware Revision is displayed in the upper right hand corner after selecting the drive to test.
A firmware update to resolve this issue for Maxtor SATA II drives is available by contacting Maxtor Support. Please have the drive serial number and the Code number available, which will be listed on the top label of the drive itself.
Firmware updates will be issued for those drives experiencing this problem only, not for experimental troubleshooting. Due to the nature of a firmware code update, a drive can be potentially rendered inoperable so it is critical that data is backed up first.
Contact Maxtor Online:
North, Central and South America[url]
[url=https://www4.maxtor.com/en/support/contact/form.cfm]Europe, Middle East, and Africa (https://maxtor.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/maxtor.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php)
Asia, Australia, and New Zealand (https://maxtor.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/maxtor.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php)
Please see our Contact Pages for telephone support options:
North/Central/South America (http://maxtor.com/portal/site/Maxtor/menuitem.e76484b0e7e5f63f04ad2110e2346068?channelp ath=/en_us/About%20Maxtor/Contact%20Us/Customer%20Support/North,%20Central%20and%20South%20America/Enterprise%20Storage)
Europe, Middle East and Africa (http://maxtor.com/portal/site/Maxtor/menuitem.e76484b0e7e5f63f04ad2110e2346068?channelp ath=/en_us/About%20Maxtor/Contact%20Us/Customer%20Support/Europe,%20Middle%20East%20and%20Africa/Enterprise%20Storage)
Asia, Australia and New Zealand (http://maxtor.com/portal/site/Maxtor/menuitem.e76484b0e7e5f63f04ad2110e2346068?channelp ath=/en_us/About%20Maxtor/Contact%20Us/Customer%20Support/Asia,%20Australia%20and%20New%20Zealand/Enterprise%20Storage)
Information taken from http://www.maxtor.com
I have heard or read that Maxtor drives are incompatible with nForce4 chipsets, or that I need a firmware update to make a Maxtor drive compatible with nForce4. Is this true?
Answer
Note: This solution is only to be applied to the listed products and only when used with the nVidia© nForce4© chipset. If you are unsure as to which chipset you have, please contact your motherboard manufacturer or visit your motherboard manufacturer's website for clarification.
Firmware updates are not upgrades. They offer no performance enhancements and exist only to provide specific compatibility resolutions. If you have a drive that is working properly in a computer, you do not need a firmware update.
Do not use a firmware update that is not authorized directly by Maxtor as there are variations of firmware for different revisions of drives that can render drives inoperable if applied to the wrong drive.
Applying firmware to a drive that is not authorized by Maxtor will void the warranty on the drive as this would be considered an unauthorized modification. Please see Maxtor's Limited Warranty Statement (http://maxtor.com/portal/site/Maxtor/menuitem.ff4aba9b5a1543271400585760b46068/?epi_menuItemID=ff4aba9b5a1543271400585760b46068&epi_menuID=976d37cd478c5826433f226075b46068&epi_baseMenuID=976d37cd478c5826433f226075b46068&channelpath=/en_us/Support/Warranty%20Services/Limited%20Warranty%20Statement) for more information.
If your drive came inside an OEM machine such as a Dell, Apple, Gateway etc., do not apply a firmware update at all as this will void the warranty which is held by that manufacturer. Please contact your OEM vendor directly.
The following issues have been identified with Maxtor SATA II drives and the nVidia nForce4 controller:
Data Corruption: If you are experiencing data corruption issues, the problem is not with the hard drive firmware. Please visit nVidia's website to update to the latest nVidia chipset drivers to resolve this issue. Make sure to be familiar with your motherboard specifications as there are several variations.
NCQ: If you are experiencing problems with NCQ (Native Command Queueing) please see nVidia's Knowledgebase ID 768 for more information with an issue nVidia is having with NCQ and the nForce4 chipset, and a forthcoming resolution. They also offer a solution to temporarily disable NCQ.
No Detection: If you are experiencing a problem with your Maxtor SATA-II drive not being detected by your nForce4 host controller at bootup:
Note: This does not apply if your drive is connected to a non-nForce4 controller such as SIIG (Silicon Image), HighPoint, Promise etc. Many motherboards have multiple host controllers onboard so make sure you are familiar with your motherboard specifications and schematics.
The drives affected are those listed in the following table:
Model begins with:
Code (Firmware revision)
6B- or 7B-
BANC1980
BANC1B70
BANC1BM0
BANC1BY0
BANC1E00
6L- or 7L-
BANC1G00
BANC1G10
BANC1G20
6H- or 7H-
HA431BW0
6V- or 7V-
VA111610
VA101610
VA131610
VA141610
Example of a drive label:
http://forum.novatech.co.uk/files/maxtor.gif
To check your current firmware revision on the drive without removing it from the system, use the Powermax (http://www.maxtor.com/en/support/downloads/powermax.htm) diagnostic CD. Drive model, Serial and firmware Revision is displayed in the upper right hand corner after selecting the drive to test.
A firmware update to resolve this issue for Maxtor SATA II drives is available by contacting Maxtor Support. Please have the drive serial number and the Code number available, which will be listed on the top label of the drive itself.
Firmware updates will be issued for those drives experiencing this problem only, not for experimental troubleshooting. Due to the nature of a firmware code update, a drive can be potentially rendered inoperable so it is critical that data is backed up first.
Contact Maxtor Online:
North, Central and South America[url]
[url=https://www4.maxtor.com/en/support/contact/form.cfm]Europe, Middle East, and Africa (https://maxtor.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/maxtor.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php)
Asia, Australia, and New Zealand (https://maxtor.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/maxtor.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php)
Please see our Contact Pages for telephone support options:
North/Central/South America (http://maxtor.com/portal/site/Maxtor/menuitem.e76484b0e7e5f63f04ad2110e2346068?channelp ath=/en_us/About%20Maxtor/Contact%20Us/Customer%20Support/North,%20Central%20and%20South%20America/Enterprise%20Storage)
Europe, Middle East and Africa (http://maxtor.com/portal/site/Maxtor/menuitem.e76484b0e7e5f63f04ad2110e2346068?channelp ath=/en_us/About%20Maxtor/Contact%20Us/Customer%20Support/Europe,%20Middle%20East%20and%20Africa/Enterprise%20Storage)
Asia, Australia and New Zealand (http://maxtor.com/portal/site/Maxtor/menuitem.e76484b0e7e5f63f04ad2110e2346068?channelp ath=/en_us/About%20Maxtor/Contact%20Us/Customer%20Support/Asia,%20Australia%20and%20New%20Zealand/Enterprise%20Storage)
Information taken from http://www.maxtor.com