iMac 27 SMC Firmware Update : Fans at maximum speed

The thing that I do not undrstand is why you come here to a user to user forum seeking help if you are going to second guess every piece of advice a long-term Mac user offers!?!?

Firstly, it's wise to wait until someone tells of a successful experience when updating the SMC firmware

The point was that this is not usually the place for that and you may wait a long time. Folks do not usually start posts about successfully applying or installing anything because folks mostly come here to find help for problems.

The last thing I want to do now (that I've had the board replaced in my iMac) is re-run the SMC firmware update.

If your Mac was in the shop for an unsuccessful firmware installation, then ask the Mac techs to apply the firmware update for you.

I'm with the waiters on this one. Maybe we wait until there's another SMC firmware update, who knows.

Every update/upgrade that Apple will issue from this point forward will assume that you have installed this firmware update. If you have not installed it then you run the possibility of making a mess of things with the next installation.

Secondly, as far as I can remember, there was no warning at all to remove ALL external cabling / devices before running the firmware update.

About firmware updates for Intel-based Macs
Some USB and FireWire devices may prevent firmware updates from installing correctly. If you are having trouble installing an update try disconnecting non-essential devices and use only an Apple keyboard, mouse, and display.
From years of experience, that is advice I use for every important update/upgrade! Especially if it involves firmware, security or Mac OS X.

but I've lost a lot of money this week - in NOT having my mac - and that's after I spent the extra dollars on the Apple "Care" package.

Apple Care is nothing special. It extends the warranty from 1 year to three years. It extends the telephone support from 90 days to three years. If you have 1 repair after the first year and Apple Care covers it, then it has paid for itself, usually a few times over. That logicboard swap you received would have been US$600+, easily. But at this date you did not need Apple Care, because you are still in the 1 year warranty period. What it does not do is provide you with any special handling.

I am sorry if you lost money being without your Mac. The first rule of business when your business depends on computers is to always have a backup.

You make it sound like this is the only place we might sit and look. I scan and google this problem in a lot of places but when I hear multiple complain about an issue with very similar symptoms I am going to take notice and do some research and not rush to install. Especially if its going to cause a store visit.

What you said was;

So I think I am going to wait until I hear somebody say they applied the SMC update without issue.

And what I have said twice now is that that probably will not happen here in the Apple Discussions.

Yeah, okay. This thread motivated me to install the SMC update on my 27" i7 IMac via S/W update. No problem at all. Fan on during the install, then nothing. Works great.

In 15 years of Mac ownership - 180c, 6115, 650, original iMac, imac330, TiBook, BW G3, Powermac G4, Powermac G5, 24" Imac, Macbook 15, 21" iMac, 27" iMac - and somewhere close to infinite #'s of updates only trouble with one. That was because the APE thing got in the way.

Otherwise, perfect. But maybe I'm unique in the universe, and YMMV.

2 days ago, I had a few moments to do my "software update" on my mac mini (intel dual). Yesterday the fan went to high speed and stayed there for no apparent reason! Even after shutdown the fan just continued to run!
So I did the usual, start hitting the boards! Reset PMU, SMC, PRAM, yada, yada.
Nothing worked. Literally!
After that it won't even attempt to boot! No sound. Zip!
Except for the fan of course!
I'm guessing apple killed my mini?

Welcome to the Apple Discussions!

You are in the iMac forum. There have been no firmware updates for months for the Mac minis. Post you issue in the Mac mini forums for assistance in what may have happened.