Apple on Wednesday released a software update it said would fix a problem with its MacBook Pro line of portable computers that have the 7200rpm 500GB hard drive.
(Credit: Apple)Users with the affected computers reported hearing beeps from the computer just before the hard drive would make clicking sounds and then freeze. The issue wouldn't require a restart or force quit-- simply waiting for 10 seconds or so would normally be enough for the computer to return to normal.
The hard drives in question shipped with the June 2009 MacBook Pro, according to Apple.
The software download from Apple's Web site is a firmware updater. After downloading, you will be presented with some onscreen instructions to fully complete the update.
MacBook Pro Hard Drive Firmware Update 2.0 is available from Apple's support Web site or via the software update mechanism in Mac OS X.
Owners of Apple MacBook Pro notebooks with 7200rpm 500GB hard drives have been complaining for months of clicking sounds followed by temporary stalling. According to Apple, a fix is in the works.
(Credit:
Apple)
"We are aware of the issue and are working on a software update," Apple representative Bill Evans, told CNET News on Monday. He gave no time frame for the release of the software update.
People have been reporting that they hear a beep from the computer shortly before the hard drive clicks and then the computer stops responding. The computer is unresponsive for 10 seconds or so and then begins to work normally again.
The hard drive issue does not require the user to force-reboot the computer, which would cause any unsaved work to be lost. Simply waiting out the unresponsive system apparently works every time.
There doesn't appear to be any specific task that triggers the hard drive to enter its unresponsive state. Users on Apple's support forums are reporting that it seems to be completely random and doesn't matter where they are or what they are doing when it happens.
It does appear that the issue only affects the 500GB hard drives that run at 7200rpm.
Apple is investigating whether or not faulty Seagate hard drives are to blame for data loss on some MacBooks.
Retrodata, a U.K. data recovery firm, reported earlier this year that certain 2.5-inch Seagate drives used in MacBooks had a manufacturing flaw that causes the drive heads to scratch the surface of the drive and cause major problems. InformationWeek contacted Apple about the problem, and a company representative said, "We've received a few reports that some MacBook consumer notebooks may have hard-drive issues, and we're looking into it." An e-mail to the same representative checking on whether or not that meant Apple was looking into the specific issue identified by Retrodata, or just MacBook hard-drive issues in general, was not immediately returned.
Some MacBooks apparently have faulty Seagate hard drives.
(Credit: Apple)You can figure out if your MacBook has one of the scarlet drives by checking the firmware revision number in System Profiler. If you scored a 7.01, Retrodata advises backing up your data and to consider replacing the drive. It's not clear if Apple owners are the only ones using the Seagate 2.5-inch drives in their laptops, although Retrodata said it hadn't seen similar problems with other drives, and it's also not clear how many varieties of Seagate hard drives Apple is using in its MacBooks.
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