Need help Updating Firmware for my Acer VT500M 512GB NVMe SSD

J_Lebowski · October 1

I recently acquired an Acer VT500M 512gb nvme ssd. I don't know from which system it came, i bought it (used) as a single part. I would like to update the ssd's firmware to it's latest available firmware before i'm going to use it, but i can't find any information for this drive anywhere. I would really appreciate the help. The part no. for the drive is (1P)ASYFS27063. It's a dram less m.2 nvme pci express ssd.

[Edited the thread to add issue detail to the title]

Puraw · October 1

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/713461/firmware-for-acer-vt500m-ssd

Hi, make sure Windows is updated and that in "Check for Updates" Advanced setting Optional Updates is enabled and you will receive drivers and firmware from Acer and other vendors for your laptop, mount the SSD in an external USB case and reformat it, then install it.

J_Lebowski · October 1

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1300601#Comment_1300601

I'm sorry, but this seems to be a kind of generic reply which doesnt help. Windows update doesnt provide in solid state drive firmware updates, not even when optional updates are enabled. I'm also not looking for acer drivers, and mounting the nvme ssd in an external usb case really is a bad advise. I also don't see what this has to do with an firmware update. Mounting an nvme ssd in an usb enclosure, and thus converting the interface from nvme pci-express to usb, makes it impossible to update firmware for the drive. It should run as an native pci-express drive in order to run firmware updates.

I'm an experienced IT guy for many decades, i really only need firmare information and/or flashtools. I don't need to be explained how to update microsoft windows. Thank you.

Also, you don't "format" ssd's. You "secure erase" them.

Puraw · October 1

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1300603#Comment_1300603

Wait for other comments. 😉

Alejandro_AC · October 1

Hi @J_Lebowski as far as I know, Acer does not offer firmware updates for its SSDs and although it is not common, I have seen it on occasion in other brands, in any case they are usually corrections that do not affect the performance of the disk, being almost always feature extensions for other operating systems or specific applications.

Regards.

J_Lebowski · October 2

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1300607#Comment_1300607

That would be too bad. It would help if i would at least know from wich specific laptop model this ssd came from. There is no "reverse search" for acer laptop parts, i hope someone can at least tell me the model.

Solidstate drive firmware updates are not occasional things as you suggest. It is very common for ssd's to have their initial firmware release to contain errors. Just from the top of my head: take the kingston kc600 drive. It has a severe flaw which means that if you use it out of the box, you wouldnt be able use it to install a modern OS like win10, as a result of TRIM functionality failure in the firmware. A firmware fix resolves this failure. Or what about the samsung evo 840, which suffers from severe performance degradation. Without applying the proper firmware fix, this drive gets sluggish and slower by the day. And these are just two examples from the many. So no, ssd firmware updates are not simple feature extensions but actually repair serious failures in the drives firmware.

And this is the reason why i'm looking for the latest firmware for this ssd. They are there for a reason.

Commodore_1995# · October 2

Hello! This model uses the SM2263XT controller manufactured by silicon motion. I did not find a firmware for this OEM ssd!

J_Lebowski · October 2

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1300742#Comment_1300742

Thank you, i already knew that. Is is a sm2263xt dram less ssd with HMB cache (host memory buffer).
I would like to know from which laptop model this drive came from, in order to ask for relevant firmware information.

billsey · October 2

Unfortunately, the P/N shown isn't a normal Acer (typically in xx.xxxxx.xxx format), so there's no way to look it up other than internet searches as you have already tried. As suggested though, there is very little likelyhood there is a firmware update for it. Is it not working?

J_Lebowski · October 2

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1300763#Comment_1300763

I don't know, i haven't tried it yet. What i normally do before i start to use a device, such as an ssd, is that i look at it's current firmware status and accompanying changelog. When appropriate i do a firmware update, a secure erase procedure and only after that create a filesystem. You don't want to just blindly start using a device only to find out after a certain period that the device is at fault. Especially not in this digital age where everything is software driven and holds firmware (which often has flaws). Always check for new firmware, alsof for security reasons.

J_Lebowski · October 2

I just found out that, although i wasnt aware, acer has been selling ssd's as a single part. I found an article at toms hardware which describes one:
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/acer-fa100-nvme-ssd-review

But i can't find anything on the vt500m.

StevenGen · October 2

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/713461/need-help-updating-firmware-for-my-acer-vt500m-512gb-nvme-ssd

Acer only recommends firmware M.2 SSD updates on some of their oem fitted drives for certain laptops that they have and they list the drive firmware in their appropriate laptops Acer BIOS section support, have a look here as this is the guide that they have "SSD Firmware update is recommended to improve system stability on some models" as the VT500M is not an Acer M.2 SSD made drive as the Acer VT500M SSD is manufactured by BIWIN, a company known for producing storage solutions for various brands. The VT500M does not come up on the Acer support page so there is no support and/or firmware updates like M.2 SSD drives from Samsung with their Magician software of WD and their Dashboard etc etc use the VT500M drive as it is if there is no firmware updates as it should function 100%. Good luck and hope this helps you out.