Firmware update and SATA II hard drive

wdbutrym wrote:
I was consistently having the issues described in the Anandtech article with a Patriot Torqx drive (same indilinx controller as the OCZ drives). I had replaced the drive 2 times after not being able to install OS X reliably. Even when I was able to get it installed the system was very unstable and would crash under heave disk access. Most of the time the disk would become corrupt and need to be replaced. Installing Windows via Boot Camp was a total no go. I tried going to EFI 1.6 without any relief.

Patriot just released firmware 1819 for the Torqx line of drives. I updated the drive using my PC and then decided to install it in my 13" MBP for one last ditch effort. Lo and behold the install went perfectly, no hangs, very fast (running EFI 1.7) and stable. I was even able to install Boot Camp without any issues. Note that the only different with this drive is the Patriot firmware, totally unusable with firmware 1517, perfect with 1819.


Either Patriot was at fault with the old firmware or Apple has done something strange with the implimentation of SATA II and Patriot/Indilinx decided to change the firmware on the drive to play well with the MBP. Regardless I have a stable working system now with a 128GB Patriot Torqx drive at firmware 1819 and my 13" MBP at EFI 1.7.

Well, knock on wood. Everything appears to be A OK with the new 1819 firmware and my 13" MacBook Pro. I did some disk intensive stuff that would normally freeze up my 128GB Torqx beforehand like opening up a saved session of Windows 7 with VirtualBox or opening up multiple programs at once (Photoshop, Firefox, OpenOffice, and Thunderbird).

WOOT!

Tuesday 11/10/2009 I received my first ever mac the 15" Macbook Pro. I attempted to put my P128 Corsair SSD drive in it and the install just took forever and never got past "27 minutes to install". I believe it is due to the Sata 2 problem everyone here is suggesting. I have come from the PC world and the HDD is a user serviceable part. I can't own a computer where the manufacture doesn't support installing a different hard drive. The AnandTech article came out 3 days too late for me, but I will attempt to return this computer and pay the 15% restocking fee. I tried, I really wanted to try to own a MAC, but (Apple) if you are going to be the only people that sell the hardware than that hardware has to work. It's probably something wrong in the mother board.

Very disappointing, Apple these are the type of situations that hurt you attempting to get more market share. Make fun of all the PC's you want, but no laptop manufacture out there says that they don't support installing different laptop hard drives into them.

If they try to charge you the restocking fee, make a stink about it. Apple lists the hard drive as a user-replaceable part, and if they are not willing to stand behind this claim by turning a blind eye to compatibility issues with an entire class of reasonable replacements (anything SATA II), they should certainly eat the restocking fee for misleading you, the customer. Hopefully they will waive the fee on their own, but absolutely don't stand for a fee if they try to stick you with one.

Thanks for the advice. I purchased my Mac from Macmall and they didn't seem too thrilled to be hearing from me. They said no refunds, but when I said that there was no mention of that on their web page they said they would get back with me.
The whole experience has been disappointing.

Matt newMacUser wrote:
Make fun of all the PC's you want, but no laptop manufacture out there says that they don't support installing different laptop hard drives into them.

What are you talking about? Apple supports installing a different hard drive. It does not void the warranty. And, Apple even shows you how to do it in the manual.

Bob Kakis wrote:

Matt newMacUser wrote:
Make fun of all the PC's you want, but no laptop manufacture out there says that they don't support installing different laptop hard drives into them.

What are you talking about? Apple supports installing a different hard drive. It does not void the warranty. And, Apple even shows you how to do it in the manual.

What Apple claims to support and what their hardware actually supports are not necessarily the same.

In fact, Apple's release notes for EFI 1.7 specifically state: "While this update allows drives to use transfer rates greater than 1.5Gbps, Apple has not qualified or offered these drives for Mac notebooks and their use is unsupported." And good luck finding a modern laptop hard drive that's not 3.0Gbps.

hello i have macbook pro 17"
i upgraded my harddisk to corsair 128 gb
i have also problem with when i transfer large files from external disk to ssd.
system crashes and spinning wheel appears for a long time
even when i connect 2 gb usb disk same problem occurs

any solution???

best regards

Ive stopped reading since page 110 or so.


Id just like to know if it is safe to put in a sata 2 hard drive in the unibody now? after the updates and all?

Thank you

Peter Di Arcangelo wrote:
Ive stopped reading since page 110 or so.


Id just like to know if it is safe to put in a sata 2 hard drive in the unibody now? after the updates and all?

Thank you

It's safe in the sense that there's always EFI 1.6 to roll back to… but that's about it.

so the mid 2009s still dont support third party hard drives? Apple is fail. crippled hardware ftw!!!

Peter:

I am a 3 time expert.

Backroll to EFI 1.6 at the Apple store--but schedule an appointment if you have a 3rd party supplied higher than standard HD.

Then install the 3 rd party SADA // HD. There are Seagate and W/D HDs which seem to have issues with the EFI 1.7 Firmware update. The key is the last letters of the Drive such ASG as is the case of my 500 GB Seagate:

ST9500420ASG

You should back roll to EFI 1.6 before hand and your problems will be resolved if you plan to have the large 3rd party HD installed.

I did this 3 times for different reasons--and each time it resolved the issue.



When Apple issues the next EFI update greater than 1.7, I assume the issue will be totally corrected.

At least I have the use of my 500 GB HD--but not at 3.0 GBS--but only 1.5 GBS. No big deal yet.

bobg

Thanks for your post, i was aware about this band aid fix for a long time.... im just stumped apple would supply crippled hardware to its consumers

Peter Di Arcangelo wrote:

*Thanks for your post, i was aware about this band aid fix for a long time.... I am just stumped apple would supply crippled hardware to its consumers*

Peter:



Apple did not supply anything except EFI 1.7 which was a firmware update to fix an issue--but it did not work with these types larger non factory supplied HDs. It worked with the Apple supplied and installed HDs and some of the other ones.



EFI 1.6 works OK with the larger HDs if they are these type of SADA// 3 GPS HDs.



Other drives work OK with this EFI 1.7.



My MB Pro works OK now--though not at the faster speed from what I can tell.



It is quite fast enough for the present situation--until they work out the improvements.



At least I can run the MB Pro now with the non factory supplied 500 GB 3 GBS HD installed--but I could not previously--unless I had the smaller factory supplied drive installed which is 1.5 GPS.



bobg

Bob Kakis wrote:

Matt newMacUser wrote:
Make fun of all the PC's you want, but no laptop manufacture out there says that they don't support installing different laptop hard drives into them.

What are you talking about? Apple supports installing a different hard drive. It does not void the warranty. And, Apple even shows you how to do it in the manual.

I have similar beachballing issue on my MacBook Pro, but a late 2008 generation. I changed the hardrive for a 320 GB 7200 RPM. 6 months after theses beachball, I got a replacement of the seagate hardrive. But nothing changed, it still beachballing, even after switching under snow leapord.
After almost 1 year of beachballing, I phoned AppleCare which sent me to an authorized support store. I went there, they took my mac and a couple of days later they called me back. They said the problem was coming from my hard drive, they tested it with Apple Service Diagnostic and so:
• They concluded that my Mac works perfectly fine
• *They won't fix anything because it is not an Apple hardrive (logical).* But the problem is obviously not coming from the hardrive wich works like a charme in an USB enclosure and TechTool Pro says my Harddrive is fine. The problem is the combinaison between my mac and this hardrive.
• *They said if a consumer wants to upgrade its hard drive or memory, you have to buy it only in an authorized support store and pay them to change the drive or the memory. If you buy your hard drive, even in a apple premier reseller store, it won't be covered by the warranty.*
• I had to pay $100 for the time spent on my machine under warranty (!!!)
They finally said if I take the Apple Care, I won't have to pay the $100. When I went back to the store, they asked me again for these $100. Got made, spent a couple of hours with Apple at the phone because I refuse to pay anything for a problem they are responsible for never letting me know that I will have to pay, make me buy a useless AppleCare, and not fixing a problem well know over Internet because of a bug.

+They finally said if I take the Apple Care, I won't have to pay the $100. When I went back to the store, they asked me again for the $100. Got mad, spent a couple of hours with Apple at the phone because I refuse to pay anything for a problem they are responsible for never letting me know that I will have to pay, make me buy a useless AppleCare, and not fixing a problem well know over Internet because of a bug.+

RV:

*First of all Apple Care is not useless. It covers software and Apple hardware for 3 years. I used it +to confirm+ and +to rectify my problem+ with my MB Pro and the 3rd party SATA // Drives.*


But let me make some general observations.

I am not aware of this issue involving 2008 MB Pros. There is an EFI 1.7 issue with the 7200 SADA // 3 GPS 3rd party HDs installed with the mid 2009 MB Pros.

From what I understand, there is no issue with these drives if installed in an Enclosure and the factory supplied HD installed in the MB Pro.

A roll back to EFI 1.6 solves the issue and allows one to use these faster 7200 RPM Drives as the boot internal drive--but likely at a 1.5 GPS speed rather than 3.0 GPS.

Exactly what works on the 2008 version is unknown to me.

What you might try is to do some investigative work and required house keeping.

"Zap" the Pram. (Start with "Option Control+PR" keys depressed). Wait till 3 chimes are heard. Also try booting in "Safe boot" mode (Depress Shift Key upon start up) and see if it still occurs then.

Repair permissions with the system utility..

See if those works first.

If not Run the Apple Hardware Test disk with the "D key depressed.

Your issue may be related to this housekeeping rather than a drive issue--as I am not aware of this issue developing with the previous version of MB Pro. It seems to be related to the Mid 2009 version of the MB Pro--especially the ones with the SD slot.

I may be wrong in the presumption however.

I only know what worked for me--"roll back" Firmware to EFI 1.6--and install the performance update 1.0.

bobg