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Update the firmware on your Samsung 980 Pro SSD straight now

The memory in your computer is probably something you take for granted. It stores more information than your brain can process in a thousand lifetimes, and it’s out there, somewhere. And unlike, say, GPU drivers, it doesn’t require constant performance tuning; it’s either working or it isn’t. However, if you own a specific high-end model from Samsung’s popular family of solid-state drives, installing the most recent firmware update is essential.

Apparently, the 2TB model of the Samsung 980 Pro drive (a PCWorld Editor’s Choice and fan favourite among performance enthusiasts) has a bug that causes it to suddenly lock into read-only mode, at least according to Puget Systems. In technical terms, your computer is doomed if this drive is the only one in the system or if it contains the operating system. The only solution is to reinstall everything, but that doesn’t fix the underlying problem.

Thankfully, the problem has been resolved in the most recent firmware update for the drive. While it appears that other Samsung drives (and even different capacities of the 980 Pro) are unaffected, upgrading to the most recent firmware is still recommended. The Samsung Magician software provides access to the most recent SSD firmware updates, which can be downloaded and installed with a simple system reboot.