Update 9/9/20 6am PT: Intel followed up with more details on the new software, which we've added below.
Original Article:
Intel's SSD Toolbox has been the primary maintenance program for Intel SSDs for almost a decade, but the company is finally winding it down and replacing it with a newer app called the Intel Memory and Storage Tool. Intel silently announced the change by posting a notice on the download page for the old tool.
These tools allow you to maintain your SSD and monitor your SSD's status. For example, you can run firmware updates that can improve SSD efficiency and reliability. You can also see your SSD's overall health, check SMART status to ensure your NAND flash is not corrupted, see storage usage, and also full drive details, like your serial and model numbers.
Intel is replacing the Solid State Toolbox app due to its inability to update firmware on its enterprise SSDs. We gave the Intel Memory and Storage tool a quick test, and it updated the firmware on our own 8TB Intel DC P4510 and 800GB Optane SSD DC P4800X enterprise SSDs. It also updated the firmware for our consumer Optane SSD 905P, so the tool now offers one unified solution for both consumer and enterprise SSDs.
The new tool has a vastly different aesthetic compared to the old tool (pictured below), and expanding the 'Features' tab reveals that it includes a few features found in the old tool, like secure erase and diagnostic tests, but they only work on Intel SSDs. The tool doesn't have a system tuner feature, which Intel says was only applicable to SATA models.
Here's a list of relevant Intel-provided info about the tool:
- Intel Memory and Storage Tool is launch of Intel’s unified application with a modern User Interface to provide firmware update to its customers and enable access to various features including drive health, scan and diagnostics
- Intel Memory and Storage Tool has two interfaces
- Graphical User Interface (GUI) primarily targeted towards end users
- GUI for Windows allows customers to view current drive information, perform firmware updates, and run full diagnostic scans to name just a few key features
- Links to Intel’s download center software and user guide
- https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/29820/Intel-Memory-and-Storage-Tool-GUI-?v=T
- Command Line Interface CLI) primarily targeted towards system administrators, power users and enthusiasts
- CLI can be used for updating firmware, configuring SSD, reading attributes, formatting the drive, extracting drive logs for debug to name just a few key features
- Links to Intel’s download center software and user guide
- https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/29821/Intel-Memory-and-Storage-Tool-CLI-Command-Line-Interface-?v=T
Intel will stop updating the Solid State Drive Toolbox (pictured above) after September 2020, meaning you can't use it for new firmware updates, so it is highly recommended to migrate to the new tool as soon as possible.
