2009 MacBook Pro Freezing

There is a thread on this, take a look here:

http://tinyurl.com/m2mttj

It's distinct from the click-and-beep problem, but related. The solution is to downgrade to EFI firmware version 1.6, as described here:

http://tinyurl.com/lx8vhe

Your local Apple Genius can do this for you, whether she knows it or not. (Unfortunately, the chances are she won't.)

Snow Leopard installed no more problems with Quicktime and no more freeze , until now !

ok im having this same problem. i have a 500gb 5400rpm hdd. I've had this problem since leopard. It disappeared for a few weeks under SL but has now reappeared with a vengeance.

Has anyone gone into the genius bar for help?

If so what were you told. Also just to confirm is anyone else running Snow Leopard and the 500gb 5400rpm hdd?

I haven't been having this problem since I upgraded to Snow Leopard (just over a week ago), but I've seen that it has come back with people even with Snow Leopard. If it starts back I'll go to my (no so) local Apple Store and have them downgrade the firmware.

A pain in the arse. Maybe they'll give me something for free?

Solution to all having this problem with the random freezes:

Follow the instructions in this macrumors post very carefully. It shows you how to downgrade from firmware 1.7 to 1.6. It isn't authorized by Apple, but is essentially what you would be going to the Apple Store to beg them to do (while they deny every word you say).

http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=8414998&postcount=305

I have just done this on my brand new 13" unibody MBP with Snow Leopard and the problems have ceased.

After doing this, be sure to avoid applying the 1.7 EFI Firmware Update that will reappear in Software Update. Apple needs to release a real fix for this, already.

Good luck.

powerpak wrote:
Solution to all having this problem with the random freezes:

Follow the instructions in this macrumors post very carefully. It shows you how to downgrade from firmware 1.7 to 1.6. It isn't authorized by Apple, but is essentially what you would be going to the Apple Store to beg them to do (while they deny every word you say).

http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=8414998&postcount=305

I have just done this on my brand new 13" unibody MBP with Snow Leopard and the problems have ceased.

After doing this, be sure to avoid applying the 1.7 EFI Firmware Update that will reappear in Software Update. Apple needs to release a real fix for this, already.

Good luck.

This is not a solution, this is a band-aid.

What you're left with is a half-speed SATA interface. Not an issue with traditional hard drives, but certainly an issue with modern solid state drives (and will only become more of an issue in the future as SSDs become more popular/affordable).

I would highly encourage anyone who lives near an Apple Store and who wants this band-aid applied to let them do it. If firmware gets borked in your hands, you may find yourself holding a nice, rectangular, voided-warranty brick. If it gets borked in Apple's hands, they are responsible to fix it.

For more information on this problem, please see the following threads:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2054387
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=729883

I agree it is not a long-term solution. Apple really dropped the ball on testing their firmware updates.

However, I have a traditional hard drive so the speed increase isn't a big deal for me, and I would very much rather go back to SATA 1 than have these infernal random lockups. I have to use this machine daily, and it is absolutely unacceptable that it pauses in the middle of presentations or media playback.

The firmware fix in that macrumors thread feels sketchy to apply (installing random hotfixes from internet forums is such a shamefully un-Mac-like experience), but I can attest to it working on a 13" unibody. Screwing up an EFI flash can indeed brick your machine, so it was not a worry-free procedure. I am thankful, however, to macrumors for pointing me to something that actually works.

(Macbook Pro 2009, early august) I also get the spinning ball for about half a minute. I noticed it usually happens when I've got itunes playing (annoying because the song will stop playing) or if i've got a youtube video going. Also, say I have safari running as well as itunes, it will happen more frequently. On top of that it also gets very hot at a relatively fast speed most of the time, always when I have more than one application running (i.e. safari and itunes). I thought it might have something to do with the processor speed but can't find where to change that.

Which is ridiculous... how come the update is enabled by default even if I have a stock drive? And how come the update breaks functionality of a stock drive? Now that I've downgraded, if I forget to uncheck this item every time I have a software update, I'll be hosed. That is really poor usability.

I agree, this is a real problem that is a shame for Apple not to acknowledge despite the pages and pages of posts indicating people are having the same issue.

I took my 13" MBP into the Bay Street (Emeryville, CA) store today and had it looked at. The hang actually occurred in front of the Genius. I explained to him what needed to be done and that it would void the warranty if I did it myself. I explained that others have had it done. He claimed that in his 4 years working in Apple tech that they have never been provided the means to roll back EFI versions and that any Genius who would do it should be fired. I was in there for nearly half an hour. He ran a diagnostic program and had me email the results to him.

I should be hearing back in 24 to 48 business hours from an engineer who supposedly will just tell me that they're investigating the problem.

The Genius also told me that Apple does not support old firmware versions and that it's in their legal jargon that they cannot do so.

Here I am, stuck with EFI 1.7, beachballs 3-5 times a day, with no Apple-endorsed solution.

I have the exact same problem here, usually happens more often when I have addium and safari running at the same time. Beachball freezing my macbook pro for about 30 seconds ( frustrating seconds ) and then it starts working again. I bought en apple macbook because it is supossed to be a better computer and shouldn't be having this stupid problem. I dont understand how apple is aware of this and don't do nothing about it. IM ****** OF. p.s. I have leopoard snow 10.6.1 and that doesnt solve ****.

why is this topic answered?

there is no answer. i have a 2009 mbp with 4gb of ram and mine freezes all the time. i really want to go to the apple store but i dont know how to recreate the issues. is it really confirmed that it is all due to the firmware? is apple aware of the issues?

Same problem here,
I have been delaying the trip to the apple store in hope of a fix from apple,
What good is having a super computer when it fails you when you need it the most...

Fot those of you running 10.6,

Try downloading and installing this recently released Performance Update 1.0 for Snow Leopard (10.6).

DALE