Hard Drive Firmware Update cannot be Started in the Operating System

Article Summary: This article provides information on updating the firmware of a hard drive.

Firmware

Firmware is the combination of persistent memory and program code stored in a device.  The firmware provides control for the device and may never need to be updated in the life of the device.  Firmware updates can exist for hard drives and should one be available, you should find it on support.dell.com.  Firmware updates will typically resolve possible issues on the device or even introduce additional features.

Updating Firmware

Please do not attempt to flash the hard drive firmware inside the operating system, as this will not work correctly. All hard drive firmware updates should be performed when the hard drive is in protected mode.  This will usually require booting off a USB key with the firmware flash copied onto it.

Additionally, please note that all data should be backed up from the hard drive before completing a firmware update.

Additional Issues

If you are unable to complete the steps above or are still having issues with updating firmware, you may need to contact technical support.  You can contact technical support via the link below.

Contact Technical Support