Impossible to download SSD firmwares

[filament]

It’s currently impossible to download .fluf files from WD servers. Neither the Dashboard app nor a web browser is able to download firmware updates. You’ll always get “access denied” errors

Is anyone at SanDisk or WesternDigital aware of this problem? This problem has been ongoing for many days. We need to download those firmwares, please!!

[helly]

Hey @filament There’s a workaround you can try. Open the WD Dashboard app, go to the “Help” section, and generate a report file. Inside that report, find the dashboard.log file and open it.

Look for a failed download URL ending in .fluf, copy that URL, and paste it into your browser to download the firmware manually. Once you have it, go back to WD Dashboard, head to the “Tools” section, select the file, and install the update. Hopefully, this helps! If not, you might need to reach out to WD support.

[filament]

Yes, that’s what I used to find the links. The firmware I need is defined here:

wddashboarddownloads . wdc . com / wdDashboard / firmware / WD_Blue_SN580_500GB / 281040WD / device_properties.xml

But the link to the FLUF file is not allowed to download anywhere:

wddashboarddownloads . wdc . com / wdDashboard / firmware / WD_Blue_SN580_500GB / 281040WD / 281040WD.fluf

Is it possible to ask WD support to send me the file by email for example? I sorely need that upgrade to avoid BSoD in Windows 11, and it’s been MANY days without a solution!!!

[arelius]

Hey WD/SanDisk,

Since you love calling us “valued customers” everywhere, WHEN do you actually plan to let us EITHER download the firmware files ourselves from a proper source OR fix the absolute disaster that is the WD Dashboard application?!

Also, does anyone know how to RMA all their WD drives at once? Because I am getting beyond tired of this nonsense. How hard can it be?

As a species, we’ve sent people to the Moon, but somehow you still can’t detect your own drives or provide firmware updates properly.

Just because you control 50% of the consumer SSD market doesn’t mean you get to ignore us when things don’t work.

I’ve been trying to solve this for almost two weeks now, and no matter what I do, the only “official” solution is WD Dashboard—which does absolutely nothing when I try to update firmware.

It detects that an update is available, yet it refuses to locate the firmware file. This makes zero sense.

FIX THIS.

And to prove my point, here’s your own WD Dashboard log, showing that even your own software can’t access your own files on your own servers:

tis feb 11 23:09:52 2025 0x14c2ca78 Warning: – Failed to download
“…://wddashboarddownloads.wdc.com/wdDashboard/firmware/WD_Blue_SN580_250GB/281040WD/281040WD.fluf” :
“Error transferring …://wddashboarddownloads.wdc.com/wdDashboard/firmware/WD_Blue_SN580_250GB/281040WD/281040WD.fluf - server replied: Forbidden”

tis feb 11 23:09:52 2025 0x14c2ca78 Critical: – Error executing firmware update: Failed to download firmware file

[Switchek]

I also can’t download the firmware to restore another SA510 disk that failed on its own due to a firmware issue. Why?

[filament]

The links for the SN580 are currently working again (at long last!!), I’ve been able to successfully update my drive.

Look for the WD Dashboard log and check for any error. Maybe the SA510 links are still broken? I’m hoping they ar already repairing and fixing the broken links as we speak!

[arelius]

The 2TB SN580 I have updated last time I tried… but not the 250gb, this was 2-3 days ago…

Please if you can, SHARE the darn fluf file!

Upload it to dropbox or whatever man help us please!

[filament]

You’re right, I’ve just tested and the one that is working well now is the 500gb version:
wddashboarddownloads wdc com/wdDashboard/firmware/WD_Blue_SN580_500GB/281040WD/281040WD.fluf

However, the link to the 250gb version is still giving the “Access Denied” error:
wddashboarddownloads wdc com/wdDashboard/firmware/WD_Blue_SN580_250GB/281040WD/281040WD.fluf

I’ve also downloaded the 1tb version, which is working fine:
wddashboarddownloads wdc com/wdDashboard/firmware/WD_Blue_SN580_1TB/281040WD/281040WD.fluf

I’ve binarily compared the 500gb version vs the 1tb version and they are identical (I used FC /B to do a binary compare)

So I would bet that the 250gb version is also binarily identical to the 500gb and 1tb versions. You can download either of them and create a bootable USB drive with WD Dashboard to update your drive!

[arelius]

Ok man I’ll give it try like as soon as I get home, but what’s are you saying, bootable usb? I mean my 250 is not going to be my main drive so can’t I just load the 250gb up in wd dashboard and manually chose one of these fluf files and press update, or what?

[filament]

Doh!! I had forgotten about the option to update using a file downloaded using a web browser! Yes, you should try that option first, it’s the easiest one.

You could use the bootable USB method as a last resort if the previous method fails

[arelius]

h t t p s : / / wddashboarddownloads.wdc.com/wdDashboard/firmware/WD_Blue_SN580_500GB/281040WD/281040WD.fluf (this here you should be able to right click and save target as for the .fluf in question)

Ok I used that url (obviously with less space between the h t t p s : / / …) and used the .fluf it in WD Dashboard to update my 250GB drive, all seems fine!

…Finally!

Its more or less confirmed then that the darn .fluf file seems to be one and the same for alla of the SN580 sizes.

…and based on that logic it is perhaps in a similar fashion one could go about and grab the desired .fluf file for other models/variants…

replace ***** with h t t p s …

For Linux, bash: (edit and change the WD Blue SN580 (250GB|500GB|2TB) so it suits your needs)

curl -s "*****://wddashboarddownloads.wdc.com/wdDashboard/config/devices/lista_devices.xml" | grep -A 2 -E '<lista_device model="WD Blue SN580 (250GB|500GB|2TB)">'

For Windows, Powershell use: (edit and change the WD Blue SN580 (250GB|500GB|2TB) so it suits your needs)

[xml]$xml = (Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "*****://wddashboarddownloads.wdc.com/wdDashboard/config/devices/lista_devices.xml").Content
$xml.SelectNodes('//lista_device') | Where-Object { $_.model -match 'WD Blue SN580 (250GB|500GB|2TB)' } | ForEach-Object { $_.OuterXml }

Visit this site and ctrl + f if any web browser to find your disk in question…

WD/ScanDisk… we consumers shouldn’t have to go through 20 different forums and endless random bs all over the place in order to accidently stumble on a solution. It is fairly simple, fix your darn LINKS or fix the mess that you call WD Dashboard.

Beside that… thank you Mr filament for your help!