Error: “Error during write buffer commit. Please check all cables and connections. Also verify that proper drive termination is used” while attempting to upgrade the firmware on Dell PowerVault 100T DDS4

System Requirements:

  • Dell PowerVault 100T DDS4

The Problem:

While attempting to upgrade the firmware on a PowerVault 100T DDS4 you receive the following error message from the Dell Windows updater.


The firmware updater exits from the session without upgrading the firmware.

More Information:

I have two Dell PowerVault 100T DDS drives, one in a PowerEdge 2600 and the other in the legend that is my PowerEdge 2400. Both systems run Windows Server 2003 and are pretty much vanilla Microsoft setups. The 2600 quite happily takes the firmware updates for the 100T DDS4, while the 2400 always drops out of the update procedure with the error message listed above.

Luckily the drive suffers no ill effects from encountering the error so far as I can see.


Obviously do pay attention to the error message. Check your termination and cabling if necessary. However there is a more simple solution. You’re flashing the wrong firmware.

There are two different versions of the 100T DDS4, and in their infinite wisdom (and for some reason) Dell didn’t think to add “v2” to the hardware name. What it boils down to is that there are two firmware kernels, the v8000 and the v9000. If you have an older drive then you have a v8000… and the Windows firmware updater is designed only for the v9000 drive.


How do I know which drive I have?

You can either scoot off and look in the PnP ID’s for the system, you could reboot the system and watch the POST… but that means downtime!

The lazy way to do it is to re-run the Windows updater package for the v9000. Before the flash begins you will be prompted with the following dialogue:

DDS4 Version Check

If the Installed Version string begins with an 8 (825B in this case) you have the older v8000 drive. If you have a v9000 drive at this juncture you really do need to check your termination and cabling.


Updating the firmware

Once you are secure in the knowledge that you have a v8000, the procedure is quite simply to download the hard drive install package and follow the instructions initiate the flash through the (provided) terminal application.

I have checked from A05 through to the latest A17 (at the time of writing) and while the highest FWID firmware revision seems to be labeled as 825B, the date time stamps on the images are being updated which makes me suspect that Dell simply aren’t updating the build number if they are indeed doing anything with it. In contrast the v9000 series is receiving incremental versions numbering. None the less, grab yourself the latest and greatest and get flashing!


Update 31st December 2007: There is now an A18, and while the version number is identical the date stamps have again changed.