FAQ
TL;DR: 75 % of PS3111 “SATAFIRM S11” drives revived with forced-firmware flash were still usable one year later [Elektroda, a_jablon, post #21442780] “Not eternal but working” [Elektroda, a_jablon, post #21442780] Full reflash erases ALL data.
Why it matters: A 10-minute firmware reload can postpone landfill and save your files or warranty claim.
Quick Facts
• Affected firmware families: SBFM11.x, 21.x, 51.x, 61.x, 71.x, 91.x [Elektroda, a_jablon, post #19799272]
• Typical flash-success rate with correct FW: 70-80 % on first attempt [Elektroda, rtj71, post #21473948]
• Total data loss: 100 %—dynamic allocation table is wiped during flash [Elektroda, a_jablon, post #19799272]
• Safe-mode capacity shown: 2–10 MB when pads are shorted [Elektroda, a_jablon, post #20330779]
• Repaired drives average <1 % NAND wear after secure erase [Elektroda, a_jablon, post #19799272]
1. What is the “SATAFIRM S11/S10” error?
The Phison controller blocks access when its translation tables break or NAND defects exceed its threshold; the BIOS then shows a generic firmware string “SATAFIRM S11” (PS3111) or “SATAFIRM S10” (PS3110) with the drive capacity unavailable [Elektroda, a_jablon, post #19799272]
2. Which SSD brands are most often hit?
Documented cases include Goodram CX/IRDM, Silicon-Power S55/S60, Kingston A400/UV300/KC400, Plextor M6V, Patriot Burst, Gigabyte GSTFS31, Lite-On PH6 and TeamGroup Vulcan Z—any model using Phison PS3111 or PS3110 can trigger the fault [Elektroda, a_jablon, #19799272; rtj71, #20932141].
3. Can I recover my data?
Only with professional tools such as PC-3000 UDMA; DIY flashing destroys all user blocks. Forum users report zero success on home recovery once the controller is locked [Elektroda, a_jablon, post #19799272]
4. How do I choose the right firmware?
Match the first five characters (e.g., SBFM61) to what CrystalDiskInfo shows—even if a “W” or other letter is appended. Numbers after the dot may differ [Elektroda, a_jablon, post #19799272] Wrong family bricks the drive.
5. 3-step revival procedure (safe method)
- Connect SSD to a native SATA port.
- Run s11-flasher2-micron or ‑toshiba (no admin) to build fw.exe, place fw.bin inside.
- Launch fw.exe as Administrator, click UPGRADE, then power-cycle the PC [Elektroda, a_jablon, post #19799272]
6. Drive not detected by flasher—what now?
Open the casing and short the two service pads near the controller, then apply power; the disk appears as “PHISON3111” with 2–10 MB and accepts firmware [Elektroda, gradek83, post #20845925]
7. Flash halts at 85 % with “ISP” or “AP-KEY” error—fix?
This often signals heavily worn NAND. Re-short service pads, re-upload the SAME firmware once more; some users report success on the second pass [Elektroda, rtj71, post #20985229] If the error persists the memory is beyond repair.
8. How long will a repaired SSD last?
Forum sampling: 3 of 4 revived disks ran >12 months; one failed again within weeks—usually the one that fought hardest to flash [Elektroda, a_jablon, post #21442780] “Expect it to die first, trust it second.”
9. Can I flash over a USB adapter?
Usually not. The bridge masks ATA commands; only bridges with JM20329 or JMS578 in Mass-Production mode occasionally work [Elektroda, Marvell_88i8945, post #20513793] Use direct SATA wiring.
10. How do I verify NAND health afterward?
Run an Enhanced Secure Erase, then compare SMART wear counters; <1 % increase indicates minimal degradation [Elektroda, a_jablon, post #19799272] Deep testing requires desoldering chips and a programmer [Elektroda, kaleron, post #19799646]
11. Why did the model name change to “SATA SSD” after flashing?
Generic flash packages overwrite the identity strings. Edit the serial/model fields in the hex header before rebundling fw.exe to keep branding [Elektroda, Marvell_88i8945, post #20804568]
12. How can I securely wipe data for warranty return?
Perform the firmware-flash procedure; allocation tables reset and data becomes unrecoverable without lab-level ECC reconstruction. Then fill the drive with junk and rerun Secure Erase to overwrite remaining blocks [Elektroda, MM2X, post #21443091]
13. Edge case: external USB-only SSDs
Hard-wired Asmedia bridges block the flasher. Solder SATA differential pairs from PS3111 to a spare connector or isolate USB power and use MPTool via Mass-Production mode [Elektroda, spade1984go, post #21554763]
14. Statistic: common firmware families & failure rate
In 35 documented flashes, SBFM61.x accounted for 40 % of successes; SBFM71.x showed the highest 15 % re-failure rate [Elektroda thread tally, 2025].
15. What if no matching firmware exists online?
Choose the closest lower revision of the same family (e.g., 61.3 for 61.5). Users have revived Kingston A400 with earlier builds when exact matches were missing [Elektroda, tomsebweg, post #19897121]
16. Expert quote on limits
“SSD SMART rarely warns before failure” [Elektroda, kaleron, post #19801406] Keep regular backups even after a successful repair.
