Filed under: iMac, Software Update, Mac mini, Macbook Pro, MacBook, MacBook Air
Software Update Alert! Performance Update 1.0 available for download
Performance Update 1.0 "addresses intermittent hard drive-related stalls reported by a small number of customers." It may not show up for you, unless you have one of the following Macs:
MacBook Air (Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53GHz, Mid 2009), iMac (20-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009), MacBook (13-inch, Early 2009), MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008), MacBook Air (Late 2008), MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008), iMac (24-inch, Early 2009), iMac (20-inch, Early 2009), Mac mini (Early 2009)If you own one of these models, be sure to load the update at your earliest convenience, especially if you have experienced the problem described in the update notes.
Thanks to Erica and to Joachim Bean, who provided the link to the Apple KB article.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Tom said 6:35PM on 10-14-2009
Lets see, all NVidia chipset based systems. As much as I like the 9400m graphics performance, NVidia chipsets have never been great for disk performance. Seen problems with them across the 6 and 7 series desktop chipsets that made a 2.5 inch 5400 laptop drive seem speedy.
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Brock Batsell said 6:53PM on 10-14-2009
I have this exact problem even when switched to the 9600m chipset. About to update, hopefully this fixes it for good...
no name said 6:37PM on 10-14-2009
i wish they would fix the damn USB audio distortion after sleep.
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Link said 6:42PM on 10-14-2009
What does this actually do? I have a Mid 2009 13", but I have a different hard drive installed. Any guesses as to how this "Performance Update" will behave?
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Deavy said 2:35AM on 10-15-2009
This does not matter. Slow performance shows the chipset, not the hard drive
Jon Crawford said 7:27PM on 10-14-2009
Ha. I can't believe this. I've been on the phone with Apple and Seagate for a week trying to figure out why my after-market 7200rpm drive keeps lagging and clicking all day long. It's been really frustrating -- both being on the phone with the 2 companies and the sorry performance of the drive.
I know I'm not the only one with similar problems either. There are loads of people with the same problem on the Apple and Seagate forums. And no one from either camp has chimed in on the conversations to let us know a fix was coming.
I was about to yank the drive out and send it back for a refund, and then I saw this post about the update. Let's hope this fixes it!
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JD said 7:35PM on 10-14-2009
Ah! I was just working myself up to wade into the Apple discussion threads looking for help. It's so annoying -- tends to happen when I've been running the computer a while, and running safari hard (lots of tabs, lots of windows; this is on a summer 2009 MacBook Pro 15"). Every now and then everything freezes for about 5-10 seconds, with spinning beachball, and then it comes to and all the actions I had tried during the freeze happen all in a rush. I could tell it was something to do with the hard drive because usually, if you jostle the computer the hard drive makes a click as the arm stows itself for protection, but during the freeze -- no click. Most frustratingly, it seems to have started happening only after I had dutifully installed that recent Firmware update that, as far as I know, was only needed for 17" MacBook Pros that had similar stalls. I hope this helps; I'll come back in a day or two if it doesn't to bitch.
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Victor Agreda Jr said 12:15AM on 10-15-2009
I was having the exact same thing on my new (well, refurb) MBP 13" as well. Hope this fixes it!
Ryan said 11:27AM on 10-15-2009
JD - I have a mid 09 17" MBP. I had the firmware update, which fixed the noises made by my drive. However, I still had the exact problem you just described. I really hope this finally fixes it!
JD said 2:32AM on 10-16-2009
Well, though no one will probably ever see this, I promised to come back after testing it, and I have -- but only because the problem has recurred. In a slightly different form: this time, I got the beachball for nearly a minute, and instead of the hard drive being dead silent, it was writing away. But I know something is still wrong because if I tapped it, I didn't hear the click of the arm retracting; whereas as soon as the beachball stopped spinning, I tapped it again and there was the click, even though the harddrive was still writing away (don't worry, I don't go around thumping my computer most of the time). So -- maybe it's been fixed (I've had only this one pause so far), but only time will tell...
Jeremiah said 8:55AM on 10-16-2009
@JD The problem w. the spinning orb is the EFI firmware update 1.7 - a quick downgrade to 1.6 will solve those issues. This solution can be found on the interwebz along with links to the firmware.
rwzehr said 7:48PM on 10-14-2009
After installing this update on my early 09 Mini, the Superdrive now graunches again at startup, an issue that was fixed by Superdrive Firmware update 3.0.
Anyone else notice this?
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AppleZilla said 8:24PM on 10-14-2009
My 17-inch MacBook Pro (3.06GHz 8GB - 500GB@7200 - Antiglare) runs like a dream and I'm in the middle of a big project, so I will wait until the weekend to update. Anyone else with a MBP, please report!
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Damien K. said 9:15PM on 10-14-2009
I think just "early 2009 MBP" would do, no one gives two shits what you're running, especially when you have no issues but hey, maybe that antiglare screen is helping it right? stfu and get out man.
7egend said 2:41PM on 10-15-2009
@Damien K
I love how you castrated his bragging ass.
+1
sporobolus said 9:41PM on 10-14-2009
i am not gushingly optimistic, so rather than write:
"If you own one of these models, be sure to load the update at your earliest convenience, especially if you have experienced the problem described in the update notes. "
i would suggest:
"If you have experienced the problem described in the update notes, consider loading the update right away, otherwise check back in a few days to be sure there are no problems caused by this update."
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benjamin said 11:37PM on 10-14-2009
Word.
7egend said 2:43PM on 10-15-2009
I am definitely a late adopter when it comes to software/firmware updates.
1 Week Buffer for all updates on my stuff, especially my PS3 since the 2.4x fiasco I went through.
N3TWORK BURN3R said 1:26AM on 10-15-2009
I've been staring at the blue screen with a black spinning "orb" for 30 minutes now. I think this may have messed up something.
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ammorsy said 3:30AM on 10-15-2009
Some users are addressing slower performance in SSD drives after installing this update.
I have an Intel SSD X-25M G2 drive, and one of the reasons of buying it, is the beach ball & freezing issues with the 5400 stock drive.
Did anyone here update his SSD upgraded MBP with this "Performance" update?
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