The Next Bench Story

Phoenix Owners: Update Your SSD Drivers!

by GizmoGladstone ‎04-27-2012 09:07 AM - edited ‎04-27-2012 09:08 AM

I’m not going to bury the lede – so let’s just cut to the point: If you’ve bought an HP Pavilion HPE Phoenix with an SSD (or, quite frankly, ANY HP PC with an SSD), make sure that you have the latest firmware. In the case of the HPE Phoenix, you can get it RIGHT HERE.

 

HP Pavilion Elite HPE, wired keyboard and mouse, left facing.jpgThe update fixes a couple critical issues that may be present on select models:

- Fixes an intermittent issue where the system cannot restart (boot) and displays "Boot device not found" after resuming from hibernation mode.

 

- Fixes an issue where data is not completely saved to the hard drive and is lost when the system is suddenly powered off.

 

So, I repeat, DOWNLOAD THAT UPDATE.

 

I went back and, if I’m not mistaken, this update was an industry-wide issue (not just HP) that got addressed late last year. If you filled out product registration and enabled HP System Advisor updates, this shouldn’t have been a problem for you. I’ll admit it’s something that I have blown by in the past when I would get a new PC. Actually, this reminds of something -- so I’m going to jump on top of the soapbox for a second and give you a little story for perspective.

 

Waaay back in the day, when I got a new PC, I’d uninstall just about every bit of bundled software so that it wouldn’t interfere with performance. Makes sense if you’re looking to push your PC as fast as it can possibly go – that’s just what gamers do. The downside is that you need to make sure you’re ever-vigilant. I was constantly monitoring my PC for irregularities. I was constantly keeping on top of driver updates. But something happened. I got sloppy. I got lazy. I missed a big update and my system kept crashing. I had to comb through Web sites and forums just to realize the problem.

 

That’s where pre-installed apps like the HP System Advisor come into play. In the past, I’ve riffed on the importance of the HP System Advisor. I know what you’re thinking: “I don’t need another pre-installed bit of software running in the background on my brand new PC!” Hey, I was there. I get it. But this is one of those things you should consider leaving alone to do its job. If you keep the HP System Advisor running in the background, (yes, it does take up a microscopic chunk of system resources) it should be catching these sorts of things early and downloading the updates for you. In fact, I double checked in this instance with Arvid Bux (@arvid) who works with the @hpsupport posse and he told me that sort of issue would be updated automagically….or at least notify you about what’s up.

 

Does this mean sit on your laurels and let the machine do all the work? Well, I’m a bit of a control freak. Whenever I buy a new PC – the first thing I do is go to the support page and double check dates on all the drivers. Then I download backup copies. Then I bookmark the page for when I inevitably need to update something later. But I am kinda weird that way.

 

 

Also, I wanted to give a special shout out to user FattysGoneWild who pointed out his SSD drivers concern to me and inspired this story.

Comments
by FattysGoneWild ‎04-27-2012 09:40 PM - edited ‎04-27-2012 09:50 PM

Glad to see you done a story and getting the word out! Thanks for mentioning me. :smileyhappy:

 

P.S.

 

Like you. I don't leave any of the extras on my pc as well. And I go directly to the HP site to dl drivers etc. I do a complete clean install of Windows 7 only and with the drivers. Since reading the article. I decided to install the HP Support Assisant. That way if something comes through that is not on the HP website for my specific make/model. The ssd firmware for an example. I should get it through the program.

 

P.S.S.

 

I have had a noisy power supply since day 1. A light hum and it would buzz some times. Not bad though but noticeable. Finally got tired of it and contacted support. Told them it was my power supply. Not only did they make the process smooth. They sent me a brand new power supply over night. They also gave me a option to install it myself or a tech. Since I am capable. I installed it myself today and it is dead silent. Even though I told them I can install it myself. They still dispatched a tech. if I decided to change my mind. How cool is that? HP is the best!

by GizmoGladstone on ‎04-30-2012 09:40 AM

Hey, there.... Hope you don't mind I shared your experiences with a couple of the HP support gang here at HQ. Great to hear that you got everything handled -- both on the update front....and with the PSU. Would love to hear more thoughts on your experiences as you go. (you know where to find me! ;p)

by sojurn ‎05-06-2012 07:47 PM - edited ‎05-06-2012 07:47 PM

When will an HP Phoenix I7-3770 be released in Canada with an SSD?

by GizmoGladstone on ‎05-07-2012 10:52 PM

@sojurn: Wish I had some news for you, but I'm not able to share anything on that front right now. If I hear more, I will definitely keep people posted here on the blog.

 

-Darren

 

by FattysGoneWild ‎08-26-2012 12:28 AM - edited ‎08-26-2012 12:41 AM

Has HP forgot about the early adopters of the h9-1110t  Phoenix driver wise? (audio, usb etc) I see the new models all have updated drivers compared to mine. Why is HP not providing driver updates for my model? Also. Any news on the Windows 8 front for drivers? I want to get Windows 8 on release day and still see zero chatter about drivers for early Phoenix owners. Like I said before. I bought this pc on release day and got it in Feburary due to delays. I really hope I can run Windows 8 and HP provides drivers.

 

P.S.

 

Links are dead for ssd firmware update.

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