Samsung Magician 7.2.0.930 is out

[P4-630]

7.1.1 Gave me errors on windows 11, it seems 7.2.0.930 works fine now on windows 11.

Download it here:

Tool & Software Download | Samsung Semiconductor Global

Download various software related to your product, including Samsung Magician, designed for use with Samsung's memory products, and find related information.

semiconductor.samsung.com

 

[Bill_Bright]

Interesting how the Installation Guide does not tell users how to install the software! Oh well.

I've never been a fan of this software because it is promoted as needed to utilize a SSD optimally. It is not. Operating systems, all operating systems that support SSDs, including Linux and Windows, know how to use SSDs optimally just fine. They don't need 3rd party software starting with the OS, running all the time, and taking up system resources. And that is the default setting. So if you don't want unnecessary software starting with your OS and running all the time, remember to disable that option through the Drive Dashboard > Settings sub-menu.

Plus, I notice there is still at least one bug in the software. I have 2 Samsung SSDs on this systems and when I had SM check for firmware updates, it reported I was a bit behind with both drives. I was given the option to update each drive one at a time, or "All" at the same time. I selected the "All" option.

However, after the update process [supposedly] completed, when I started the computer and SM again, it showed it only updated the firmware for the first SSD, reporting the second was still bit behind. So I had to select that drive, and run the update again. Minor quibble, perhaps. But a function listed should work as described.

Another quibble is with a design feature, not a bug. Not surprisingly, the actual firmware update requires a reboot to take place. Yet the program does a "Shutdown", not a "Reboot". That makes no sense to me. I knew it said "Shutdown" but in my still caffein-deprived state this morning, I sat there staring at a black screen waiting hours for the motherboard's splash screen to appear and finish booting. Okay - a few seconds not hours. But I was uncaffeinated, remember? So I had to wipe the dust off my case's power button and manually start the computer - twice! Again, because "All" drive firmware did not get updated the first time.

I note Q1 in the FAQ asks (my bold underline added), "Why does Samsung Magician require a system shutdown after performing a live firmware update?"
Answer: "A system reboot is required for the new firmware update to be reflected on the drive."

So why not just initiate a reboot?

And while not intrusive, IMO, I paid for Samsung Magician when I bought the drives. I don't like the fact the program includes ads for other Samsung products.

But not to be totally negative, updating the firmware was easy and worked flawlessly - other than the shutdown/reboot issue. And the program includes Secure Erase - the SSD equivalent to a "wipe" program for hard drives. I note Secure Erase in previous versions of SM worked with non-Samsung SSDs too. Also, if the user desires the SSDs be encrypted, SM supports that too. I have not tested this latest version of SM, but I have with previous versions and it worked as expected. I expect this version to work without issues too.

 

[P4-630]

because it is promoted as needed to utilize a SSD optimally. It is not.

True, I use it to easily set over provisioning and use it to update firmware when needed + I assume it would warn me if one of my SSD's is getting worse or almost at the point of failing.

I note Q1 in the FAQ asks (my bold underline added), "Why does Samsung Magician require a system shutdown after performing a live firmware update?"
Answer: "A system reboot is required for the new firmware update to be reflected on the drive."

So why not just initiate a reboot?

So that the power has been off the SSD for a short time is my guess...

 

[Bill_Bright]

Over provisioning is preset at the factory for most, if not all recent generation SSDs. Manually setting a different size is not needed. The key user requirement is just to ensure there is plenty of free disk space available. But if manually setting a non-default OP size is desired, it is nice that feature is available.

I assume it would warn me if one of my SSD's is getting worse or almost at the point of failing.

Perhaps but I personally have never had a SSD fail and I've been using them exclusively in all my builds for nearly 10 years. Even my oldest SSDs are still showing "Good" status in SM. But I have heard of others experiencing SSD failure but one thing in common (as compared to hard drives) is the SSDs gave little to no warning of impending doom.

The lesson to be heeded? Always have a good, robust backup plan, use it, and know how to restore from it. The same advice regardless drive type.

 

[P4-630]

Always have a good, robust backup plan, use it, and know how to restore from it. The same advice regardless drive type.

I do agree on that one as well.

 

[delshay]

I have version 7.2.0.930 which was installed on 04/10/2022 which was last week Tuesday.

 

[P4-630]

I have version 7.2.0.930 which was installed on 04/10/2022 which was last week Tuesday.

Corrected the version number.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Ummm, I hope I don't embarrass myself here, but where are you seeing the version number? When I look on the Dashboard, I don't see any version. When I click on update, it says I have the latest version, 7.2.0.

The downloaded zip file is the only place I see .930.

 

[P4-630]

The downloaded zip file is the only place I see .930.

Yes you only see it at the zip file download, the only thing I could find in the software itself was this:

 

[cvaldes]

This software came out ten days ago.

TPU posted their download here:

Samsung Magician SSD Software 8.2.0 Download

The Samsung Magician SSD management utility is designed to work with all Samsung SSD products including 470 Series, 750 Series, 830 Series, 840 Serie

www.techpowerup.com

You can find the full version number by looking at the Properties for the actual executable. On my system:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Samsung\Samsung Magician\SamsungMagician.exe

Interesting how the Installation Guide does not tell users how to install the software! Oh well.

Perhaps there are multiple installers for Samsung Magician. The installer I used picked the installation location and put a shortcut on the desktop.

Some utility software authors distribute installer and non-installer versions. I think Crystal Diskinfo is another such utility.

 

[delshay]

"Control panel" shows full version number. Note I'm using windows 7 but it should be the same for windows 10+.

 

[W1zzard]

Samsung Magician SSD Software 8.2.0 Download

The Samsung Magician SSD management utility is designed to work with all Samsung SSD products including 470 Series, 750 Series, 830 Series, 840 Serie

www.techpowerup.com

sign up for the notifications on this page and never miss a new version

 

[P4-630]

Samsung Magician SSD Software 8.2.0 Download

The Samsung Magician SSD management utility is designed to work with all Samsung SSD products including 470 Series, 750 Series, 830 Series, 840 Serie

www.techpowerup.com

sign up for the notifications on this page and never miss a new version

How does TPU know at the moment when there is a newer version?
I just check now and then at samsung.

 

[W1zzard]

How does TPU know at the moment when there is a newer version?

We continuously check all the interesting sites, when there's something new I manually add it, clean up the changelog etc, then push out a notification to all subscribers

 

[cvaldes]

How does TPU know at the moment when there is a newer version?
I just check now and then at samsung.

Other sites also track software releases not just TPU. I look at the Top Downloads list at Guru3D.com in addition to the downloads page here because I can get busy and miss headlines. There's some overlap but not 100% so one needs to look at both to get a bigger picture.

Concerning version 7.2.0.930 of Samsung Magician, Guru3D posted this on May 16:

Download Samsung Magician SSD Software 8.2.0.880

Download Samsung Magician Software - Exclusively tailored for Samsung SSD products, the Samsung Magician utility supports a wide range of series, including 470, 750, 830, 840, 850, 950, 960, and the Samsung 970/980/990 Pro & EVO. Ensure optimal performance and management of your Samsung SSD

www.guru3d.com

so TPU is late to the game by ~4.5 months. Better late than never? Perhaps.

Neither site is always first to post. It certainly wasn't TPU in this instance.

Sometimes there's an option to sign up for notification e-mails. I get GeForce and Radeon driver update e-mails. I get a handful from GitHub hosted projects. Stuff like that.

I know a lot of people don't use them anymore but I still use old school web browser bookmarks for my key pieces of hardware and software (motherboard, graphics cards, some Intel drivers).

Some of the tech news sites will also report major/important software releases, like Google Chrome updates that patch serious zero day vulnerabilities.

TPU doesn't actively track software from a security standpoint so you have to get that information elsewhere if you care about such matters.

About the worst thing one can do is rely on a single source for all of their tech information. It's very, Very, VERY important to spend some time away from this site even if one likes W1zzard and appreciates his efforts.

 

[W1zzard]

Other sites also track software releases not just TPU. I look at the Top Downloads list at Guru3D.com in addition to the downloads page here because I can get busy and miss headlines. There's some overlap but not 100% so one needs to look at both to get a bigger picture.

We have an email notification system, so you don't have to check all the time .. you're free to do anything you like of course

Neither site is always first to post. It certainly wasn't TPU in this instance.

I posted ours 13 minutes after Samsung updated their website

so TPU is late to the game by ~4.5 months. Better late than never? Perhaps.

This seems to be a bug in their site engine or human error .. check the digital signature on the file, it was signed on Sep 1st and released to public on Oct 4th

 

[cvaldes]

We have an email notification system, so you don't have to check all the time .. you're free to do anything you like of course

Thanks, I already receive plenty of e-mails. I'm constantly unsubscribing from stuff (not just from TPU).

It's more expedient to check a summary webpage for recent changes for a bunch of software rather than signing up for 12+ different subscriptions and weeding through paragraphs and paragraphs. It's not like waiting a week to get an SSD utility is going to kill my PC.

I posted ours 13 minutes after Samsung updated their website

This seems to be a bug in their site engine or human error .. check the digital signature on the file, it was signed on Sep 1st and released to public on Oct 4th

Well, that doesn't explain why Guru3D made their post in May unless they updated an older post. In their download timeline, it appears to show up in the spring timeframe.

Maybe Samsung silently reposted the identical software. Maybe they swapped out server hardware for their software downloads. Who knows?

 

[P4-630]

Guru3D posted this on May 16

So you're saying Guru 3d knew about this version before even samsung themselves updated their own site....

Where can I buy that crystal ball...

 

[W1zzard]

Well, that doesn't explain why Guru3D made their post in May unless they updated an older post. In their download timeline, it appears to show up in the spring timeframe. I'm not sure how

Maybe they keep editing an old post for SEO

 

[cvaldes]

Maybe they keep editing an old post for SEO

I would think that SEO would rank the post higher if it was showed up as more recent. Maybe it doesn't matter if the URL is identical. I know little about modern SEO practices, my web development days are long past.

They are recycling an old post based on the comment dates starting in 2019. Still, their CMS dates the post from 5/16/2022 and not a date from 2019 nor September/October of this year. Nothing can be discerned from the comments since the last one was posted over a year ago.

Curious.