Mac Pro EFI and SMC Firmware Updates

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Apple has released a Mac Pro EFI Firmware Update in your Mac OS X Software Update. The update is described:

This EFI Firmware Update fixes several Boot Camp and start up issues on Mac Pro computers. If the firmware update doesn't run automatically, open it manually in the /Applications/Utilities folder.

Also available is a Mac Pro SMC Firmware update (http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/30862):

The SMC Firmware Update adjusts fan behavior in the Mac Pro. After this update has completed successfully, your SMC Version will be: 1.7f8. The updater application will be installed in the /Applications/Utilities folder and will launch automatically after restart.

[Sky Blue]

Sounds...fun!

[UberMac]

Hopefully this will address the issues some users have seen with the Mac Pro apparently not being able to boot beyond a black screen when using the XP disc to boot from. Although I would think that is more an issue of GFX than firmware on the Mac Pro...maybe they're the same thing!

Also, why two different downloads? Surely they could be incorporated into the same file...

Uber

[topgunn]

Also, why two different downloads? Surely they could be incorporated into the same file...
Not everyone will want to install BOTH updates.

[MacinDoc]

What about a firmware update for the 24" iMac?

[studiomusic]

I tried to install Bootcamp/XP on my Mac Pro before this, but no dice. I will try this tonight and hope it works.

[noservice2001]

nothing for the powerbook g4s?

[mkjellman]

its interesting that every intel mac so far, other than the mac mini, has needed a SMC update (if my memory serves me correctly).

[atticus1178]

Not everyone will want to install BOTH updates.

everyone WILL have to install both updates, you can not update the SMC until you update the EFI, the SMC wont even show up in Software Update until the EFI is done

also, i did the SMC update, and the fans are so freaking loud, i mean LOUD

[cloudnine]

nothing for the powerbook g4s?

... :confused: :rolleyes:

[nihilisticmonk]

everyone WILL have to install both updates, you can not update the SMC until you update the EFI, the SMC wont even show up in Software Update until the EFI is done

also, i did the SMC update, and the fans are so freaking loud, i mean LOUD


Do you mean "whilst" the update is happening the fans run at full speed, or after the update applys your fans are stupidly loud? :confused:

With a pending order of the mac pro, the last thing I wanna go through is powermac G5 fan hell again......

[Laslo Panaflex]

Do you mean "whilst" the update is happening the fans run at full speed, or after the update applys your fans are stupidly loud? :confused:

With a pending order of the mac pro, the last thing I wanna go through is powermac G5 fan hell again......


Yes, please elaborate on what you mean, I don't want to update if it's going have my fans running full speed at all times.

[atticus1178]

Do you mean "whilst" the update is happening the fans run at full speed, or after the update applys your fans are stupidly loud? :confused:

With a pending order of the mac pro, the last thing I wanna go through is powermac G5 fan hell again......

yeah, just during the update, they blast off for about 10 seconds, it actually sounds like a small airplane taking off (thankfully my mac pro is secured between my desk and the wall :) )

but NO, the fans are not loud all the time now, they sound just fine, but after the update (according to temperature monitor) they are about 10 degrees F cooler now at idle

[Origin]

I'm a bit confused, because, I can't update the EFI ... I strictly followed the instructions. Poweron while holding the power button... then some secondes after speed flashs of the led (I mean stroboscopic) and then just a long BIIIIIP and normal boot after that ...

Tried many times, any hints ?
Thx a lot

[johneymac]

Just did the update and everything went well!

:)

[Grimace]

I'm a bit confused, because, I can't update the EFI ... I strictly followed the instructions. Poweron while holding the power button... then some secondes after speed flashs of the led (I mean stroboscopic) and then just a long BIIIIIP and normal boot after that ...

Tried many times, any hints ?
Thx a lot

I'm in the same boat. It beeps, I see the update bar but the DVD drive pops open and then shuts -- then normal boot. Ugh!

[bigandy]

Hopefully this will address the issues some users have seen with the Mac Pro apparently not being able to boot beyond a black screen when using the XP disc to boot from. Although I would think that is more an issue of GFX than firmware on the Mac Pro...maybe they're the same thing!

You can't boot XP from CD on a Mac. You can't you can't you can't. The Mac boots using EFI, which XP doesn't support.

You need to use Boot Camp to install it, as legacy BIOS emulation has to be loaded specifically for XP.

[GodBless]

they are about 10 degrees F cooler now at idleThat's good. One would conclude that they are now running slower and quieter at idle since they are not as hot at idle -- much better than the Power Mac G5.

[aiongiant]

i wonder if this will fix the vid card issue with vista =)

[syrianos]

I'm a bit confused, because, I can't update the EFI ... I strictly followed the instructions. Poweron while holding the power button... then some secondes after speed flashs of the led (I mean stroboscopic) and then just a long BIIIIIP and normal boot after that ...

Tried many times, any hints ?
Thx a lot


i have the exact same problem, i can't get update to work, i unplugged all the usb and firewire cables etc. nothing, beeeeep, reboot, grey screen, apple and circle for normal boot... frustration.

i'm running startup disk in sriped raid, can this influence the update?

[Origin]

I'm running RAID0 too !

[atticus1178]

I'm in the same boat. It beeps, I see the update bar but the DVD drive pops open and then shuts -- then normal boot. Ugh!

that is what mine did and was fine, it popped up a windows saying the update was complete, check your firmware version in System Profiler

[Origin]

You can't boot XP from CD on a Mac. You can't you can't you can't. The Mac boots using EFI, which XP doesn't support.

You need to use Boot Camp to install it, as legacy BIOS emulation has to be loaded specifically for XP.

YES YOU CAN OF COURSE, I did NOT used Bootcamp application to install my MacPro Under XP, just put the CD and go ;)

[tobyg]

You can't boot XP from CD on a Mac. You can't you can't you can't. The Mac boots using EFI, which XP doesn't support.

You need to use Boot Camp to install it, as legacy BIOS emulation has to be loaded specifically for XP.

Incorrect information. Move along.

Mac Pro already contained the legacy bios emulation built into the EFI (bootcamp has nothing to do with this) from the factory. You can boot directly to a XP CD without loading bootcamp. Bootcamp is a collection of drivers.

[mdntcallr]

yay, interested in buying mac pro now. could be a nice computer for me.

[syrianos]

I'm running RAID0 too !

i think we found our problem, this is stupid

to install windows i had to unplug my 2 raid drives, i jsut inserted the cp disk withot installing bootcamp (can't install on raid) and after 10 secs the win xp install started

after that i replugged the raid drives and i can now switch boot disks as with bootcamp... strange huh?

but now this update... i mean, the ycan't expect a speeduser to just throw away his raid and reinstall to a single disk.

and if this is not possible( raid update) the yshould clearly start stating this in their installation instructions and notes, not the small print or some hard to find support site to hide the issue

[Digidesign]

You can't boot XP from CD on a Mac. You can't you can't you can't.

Yes you can.

I installed XP on a new HDD with only one large partition (NTFS) without the 200mb EFI partition from OS X. I didn't use Bootcamp at all.

So far, everything's working fine and I can boot between OS X and XP with no problems.

[atticus1178]

yay, interested in buying mac pro now. could be a nice computer for me.

i love mine! what will you be using it for?

[Grimace]

that is what mine did and was fine, it popped up a windows saying the update was complete, check your firmware version in System Profiler

Nope, nothing. Still 1.7f6. I'll try unplugging devices.

[Grimace]

I unplugged everything and that made it work.

Network Cable
USB devices (3)
Firewire400 (1)
Firewire800 (1)

I didn't think to unplug them one at a time to control for where the problem was. Oh well. If your drives comes out and snaps back in right away without updating the firmware. Remove all devices before rebooting.

[atticus1178]

I unplugged everything and that made it work.

Network Cable
USB devices (3)
Firewire400 (1)
Firewire800 (1)

I didn't think to unplug them one at a time to control for where the problem was. Oh well. If your drives comes out and snaps back in right away without updating the firmware. Remove all devices before rebooting.

My drive came out, and stayed out the entire time the bar was progressing, then it went back in and the maching restarted.

EDIT: I have Keyboard and Mouse ONLY hooked up to the computer.

[syrianos]

I unplugged everything and that made it work.

Network Cable
USB devices (3)
Firewire400 (1)
Firewire800 (1)

I didn't think to unplug them one at a time to control for where the problem was. Oh well. If your drives comes out and snaps back in right away without updating the firmware. Remove all devices before rebooting.

are you running in raid as well?
i'm starting to think that the raid is software and maybe the firmware update can't load since it probably runs before the software raid drivers are loaded for the 2 drives?
any expert here?

[nihilisticmonk]

Yes you can.

I installed XP on a new HDD with only one large partition (NTFS) without the 200mb EFI partition from OS X. I didn't use Bootcamp at all.

So far, everything's working fine and I can boot between OS X and XP with no problems.

That's really interesting! You just held "c" at boot to load up the XP CD?

I'm guessing you still needed to use a "slipstreamed" XP SP2 CD with the SATA drivers installed so it doesn't run in dog slow PIO mode

Where the hell did you find chipset drivers, graphics card drivers, sound card drivers etc? :confused:

[syrianos]

trying a new nethod now, installing osx on a forth single drive; single partition, and gonna set it as boot disk, i will try to update the firmware from there,
i'll post the result in 15 mins or so when osx is reinstalled, fingers crossed.

[Origin]

i think we found our problem, this is stupid

to install windows i had to unplug my 2 raid drives, i jsut inserted the cp disk withot installing bootcamp (can't install on raid) and after 10 secs the win xp install started

after that i replugged the raid drives and i can now switch boot disks as with bootcamp... strange huh?

but now this update... i mean, the ycan't expect a speeduser to just throw away his raid and reinstall to a single disk.

and if this is not possible( raid update) the yshould clearly start stating this in their installation instructions and notes, not the small print or some hard to find support site to hide the issue

Okay, finally I CONFIRM that the software raid used by Mac OS X is NOT compatible with the EFI upgrades :( ... too bad.

Why ? Because i just finished to install a fresh copy of Mac OS X on my 400 Gig "DATA" drive made the upgrade with this distribution ... and it worked like a charm !

So ...

[syrianos]

Okay, finally I CONFIRM that the software raid used by Mac OS X is NOT compatible with the EFI upgrades :( ... too bad.

Why ? Because i just finished to install a fresh copy of Mac OS X on my 400 Gig "DATA" drive made the upgrade with this distribution ... and it worked like a charm !

So ...


lol, i guess we think alike when it comes to problem solving, u gave me hope that it will work for me as well, this raid is causing too much problems, but i do like the speed and starup time of 20 secs or less... dillemma, keep raid or go back to 4 sepperate disks?

[Digidesign]

That's really interesting! You just held "c" at boot to load up the XP CD?

I'm guessing you still needed to use a "slipstreamed" XP SP2 CD with the SATA drivers installed so it doesn't run in dog slow PIO mode

Where the hell did you find chipset drivers, graphics card drivers, sound card drivers etc? :confused:

Clarification:
I made a MacPro driver CD from Bootcamp, and a slipstreamed XP SP2 CD. The slipstreamed XP SP2 CD boots up just fine holding "c" at boot.

[syrianos]

CONFIRMED

if u use raid, u'll need to have a single disk with osx to boot from to be able to install the EFI firmware update!!

the progression bar just appeared and i get the ok symbol after reboot, next is the smc update and then switching back to my fast raid :D

shame though u need to go through all this hastle, really...

[Origin]

I hoped that this update should have throw away the X1900 XT Bug with my 23" ACD while booting XP ... but no, still here ... grrr :/

[milo]

Not everyone will want to install BOTH updates.

Why not? Some people may want to continue having either fan or startup issues?

What about a firmware update for the 24" iMac?

For what?

[EagerDragon]

What! no update for my G7 PowerBook?
How they expect me to run virtual PC with no slowdowns?

[strydr]

YES YOU CAN OF COURSE, I did NOT used Bootcamp application to install my MacPro Under XP, just put the CD and go ;)


I didn't even have to install XP. I just took my boot drive out of my PC, and put it into slot 4 on the MP. System recognized the disk, and booted fine. After driver updates, XP works great!

[EagerDragon]

yeah, just during the update, they blast off for about 10 seconds, it actually sounds like a small airplane taking off (thankfully my mac pro is secured between my desk and the wall :) )

but NO, the fans are not loud all the time now, they sound just fine, but after the update (according to temperature monitor) they are about 10 degrees F cooler now at idle
That is normal during the installation and prior to the reboot.

[EagerDragon]

i have the exact same problem, i can't get update to work, i unplugged all the usb and firewire cables etc. nothing, beeeeep, reboot, grey screen, apple and circle for normal boot... frustration.

i'm running startup disk in sriped raid, can this influence the update?
Well well, I did not know you could boot from a raid set. Live and learn, this is great news, your bood drive can use all 4 drives stripped and mirrored, kool!!!!

[apfhex]

but NO, the fans are not loud all the time now, they sound just fine, but after the update (according to temperature monitor) they are about 10 degrees F cooler now at idle
What do you use to monitor the temps? I haven't found anything that works yet.

What problems *do* these EFI and SMC updates fix, exactly? BTW, according to the SMC update description, it will update it to 1.7f8, while according to System Profiler I already have that version. Must apply to to the first batch of models only? :confused:

Edit: firmware update successfully applied, no SMC update in SWU for me.

[eenu]

What about a firmware update for the 24" iMac?

and why would this be needed?

[CyberPrey]

i have the exact same problem, i can't get update to work, i unplugged all the usb and firewire cables etc. nothing, beeeeep, reboot, grey screen, apple and circle for normal boot... frustration.

i'm running startup disk in sriped raid, can this influence the update?


I have the same problem... can't update...

3 disk striped array for mac OS
system came with a 7300Gt, but I got my upgrade to the X1900XT...

I can't think of anything I have done personally to cause the update to fail...

[SeaFox]

and why would this be needed?

So you can run BootCamp on it? (http://www.hardmac.com/news/2006-09-18/#5921)

[freakonguitar]

what the heck!!?? my dvd drive and secondary drive won't open and aren't reconized at ALL now!!!!???:mad: :confused:

[patseguin]

I can confirm that SATA drives run at full speed now in WindowsXP.

[Electro Funk]

You can't boot XP from CD on a Mac. You can't you can't you can't. The Mac boots using EFI, which XP doesn't support.

You need to use Boot Camp to install it, as legacy BIOS emulation has to be loaded specifically for XP.

if i am not mistaken the bios emulator (or whatever allows xp and the new vista build to boot from BIOS) is in the last firmware update 1.0 or 1.1, cant remeber the number... you dont need boot camp to install xp or vista, but you do need BC if you want an easy way to create a drivers disc for windows...

[atticus1178]

What do you use to monitor the temps? I haven't found anything that works yet.

What problems *do* these EFI and SMC updates fix, exactly? BTW, according to the SMC update description, it will update it to 1.7f8, while according to System Profiler I already have that version. Must apply to to the first batch of models only? :confused:

Edit: firmware update successfully applied, no SMC update in SWU for me.

i use Temperature Monitor.

it monitors each core temp, and the hard drive temps only (same for my macbook pro)

[paulvee]

I unplugged everything and that made it work.

Network Cable
USB devices (3)
Firewire400 (1)
Firewire800 (1)

I didn't think to unplug them one at a time to control for where the problem was. Oh well. If your drives comes out and snaps back in right away without updating the firmware. Remove all devices before rebooting.

Same here. It would not work till I removed stuff. If I had time, I would have done it methodically, to save time for others, but I'm super busy. Got the tone and the in/out disk tray, then no update until I removed the two USB cords, the FW 800, FW400 cords, replaced the FCP keyboard and Logitech mouse with the stock ones and, for good measure after it shut down, the network cable.

Then it worked fine.

Plugged in the network cable for the second update and it worked with that.

[MacProGuy]

You can't boot XP from CD on a Mac. You can't you can't you can't. The Mac boots using EFI, which XP doesn't support.

You need to use Boot Camp to install it, as legacy BIOS emulation has to be loaded specifically for XP.


PLEASE... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.... don't talk if you don't know what you are saying. I'm not perfect... but I can absolutely, ABSOLUTELY guarantee ... GUARANTEE YOU... that you CAN indeed boot XP from the new Macs WITHOUT BOOTCAMP WHATSOEVER.

That is how I have my iMac (24") setup...

The FIRST thing I did when I took her out of the box was insert the WINXP SP2 CD... (nothing slipstreamed)... and hold down the "c" key...

Voila! Booting into XP Setup... COMPLETELY FORMATTED THE ENTIRE 500GB DRIVE with XP... and she runs great.

I then attached an EXTERNAL FW800 RAID 0 Setup (1TB now)... and boot OS X off that external slice...

So... JUST SO YOU KNOW! Please try not to confuse the rest of the class Billy, uhmKay? ;)

[ampd]

PLEASE... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.... don't talk if you don't know what you are saying. I'm not perfect... but I can absolutely, ABSOLUTELY guarantee ... GUARANTEE YOU... that you CAN indeed boot XP from the new Macs WITHOUT BOOTCAMP WHATSOEVER.

That is how I have my iMac (24") setup...

The FIRST thing I did when I took her out of the box was insert the WINXP SP2 CD... (nothing slipstreamed)... and hold down the "c" key...

Voila! Booting into XP Setup... COMPLETELY FORMATTED THE ENTIRE 500GB DRIVE with XP... and she runs great.

I then attached an EXTERNAL FW800 RAID 0 Setup (1TB now)... and boot OS X off that external slice...

So... JUST SO YOU KNOW! Please try not to confuse the rest of the class Billy, uhmKay? ;)

whatever your smokin, do you think i can get some...

[Cowinacape]

Ok just so my pea brain has a proper handle on this, are people saying that all I have to do is simply install XP, off of my XP disk, onto a free HDD, and viola, I am done? I'll assume that I will also need some drivers for video, and such as well, but I am trying to wrap my head around this, forgive my ignorance, but I haven't used a Mac past OS 9.2.2.

[aiongiant]

alli did was put in the xp cd on the drive.. pop in another hdd.. and rebooted.. at startup press and hold the option key and your startup devices come up choose the xp cd... boot from that then install to the other hdd.. and done and done xp is installed no problem as for the drivers thats where bootcamp driver disc comes in

but mind you.. you do NOT need bootcamp to boot and install windows xp.. but will need it for drivers and such

[Abulia]

Those with RAID 0 arrays, how are you finally getting the update to install? Do you have to remove your RAID and install from a "spare" OS X single drive that you just happen to have lying around? :confused:

[Abulia]

Strange question: can you use the Firmware Restoration CD to update your firmware? This disc is designed to fix a bad update from CD, bypassing the hard disk and the RAID array. Seems to me that it should work, in theory.

Read all about it here (http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/firmwarerestorationcd11.html). New version released today for the latest Mac Pro firmware.

[hondaboy945]

So what I want to know from anyonewho knows is can we boot from one of the other 3 HDD's,and then, with the Quadro FX 4500, play some wicked PC games. Or are we there yet, should I just keep saving until all of the cool stuff is ready (CS3, PC games, nasty graphics capabilities).

[Origin]

Those with RAID 0 arrays, how are you finally getting the update to install? Do you have to remove your RAID and install from a "spare" OS X single drive that you just happen to have lying around? :confused:

I installed a small OS X on my Data drive and used this installation to process the updates.

[Terrabit]

(accidental bad post, read below)

[Terrabit]

Sigh.,

The problem is with RAID systems that you have to boot of a Non-Raid OS-x Boot Drive, run the two sets of firmware update, then move back to RAID drives.

Technically: the firware is stored on a specific sector of the hard drive, the computer reboots into special firmware loading software, the firmware loading software naively tries to search for the firm ware at a specific location on the hard drive. If you have RAID, its not going to find the firmware.

You can leave your RAID drives visible (you don't have to unplug anything) but you do have to boot of a booring-normal OS X setup.

There are few ways you can do this:
* Install OS X on an External drive
* Install OS X on an iPod harddrive (20 gig model, etc).
* etc.

Its a pain.

[THX1139]

I can confirm that SATA drives run at full speed now in WindowsXP.

You got this from the update? Does this mean we no longer need to slipstream the drivers to get XP to recognize the drives at normal speed?

Having to deal with the slow drives is keeping me from installing Windows. If the update makes that easier, I might go for it. I'll probably put Windows on it's own drive and then boot off it.

[seanf]

Ok just so my pea brain has a proper handle on this, are people saying that all I have to do is simply install XP, off of my XP disk, onto a free HDD, and viola, I am done? I'll assume that I will also need some drivers for video, and such as well...If you have a RAID setup you cannot run Bootcamp, but you can get the drivers. Find the Bootcamp package, right click on it and select Show Contents. Then find an image file in the Window that comes up and burn this to a CD. If you don't have a RAID setup just run Bootcamp and select the option to burn drivers to a CD - don't go through the partitioning bit.

You need to configure the drive where you will install Windows as a Windows boot drive. To do this go into Disk Utility, select the drive you want to install XP on, format the drive as MS-DOS and set the options to Master Boot Record (very important or you wont be able to boot XP). Once you have done these stick your XP installation CD in and shutdown your Mac. Remove all hard drives, except for the one you want to install XP on and start your Mac by holding the command or c key. Once you've installed put your other drives back in and you should be able to boot OS X and XP.

Sean :)

[glassbathroom]

Strange question: can you use the Firmware Restoration CD to update your firmware? This disc is designed to fix a bad update from CD, bypassing the hard disk and the RAID array. Seems to me that it should work, in theory.

Read all about it here (http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/firmwarerestorationcd11.html). New version released today for the latest Mac Pro firmware.

I tried this with my RAID0 Mac Pro and it doesn't work I am afraid. I can't get it to update when you hold down the power button. I really think that Apple have to address this problem. RAID0 is not going to be very unusual with the new Mac Pros.

[Richard Flynn]

I'm in the same boat. It beeps, I see the update bar but the DVD drive pops open and then shuts -- then normal boot. Ugh!

I'm having the exact same problem, and am on the phone to AppleCare in the UK about it at the moment. The support representative evidently hasn't come across this before (he didn't really seem to have a complete awareness of the updated firmware) so it would seem they haven't been inundated with frantic MacPro users unable to update their firmware.

I tried unplugging everything but the display, keyboard and mouse but that didn't work.

I'm not on my 38th minute (most of them have been on hold) on the call. I'm very grateful for http://www.saynoto0870.com so I didn't have to dial the prohibitive 0870 number. So far I've trashed and redownloaded and reinstalled the update (same problem, optical drive opens when update begins, closes again and machine reboots normally without updating firmware). Now we're just investigating whether doing an original firmware CD reinstall will have any effect. My technician seems to be communicating with someone in the know elsewhere at Apple by IM...

[acarhart]

My Mac Pro was having trouble finding my Mac OS X startup partition. I had to hold down the option key each time to select the startup disk. (I'm not using Boot Camp.)

Neither update showed up in Software Update, so I downloaded them both from Apple's website.

The EFI firmware update installed fine (on the second try), and now my computer boots up properly. So I can confirm that this update fixes problems that aren't related to Boot Camp.

The SMC firmware was already up-to-date on my Mac Pro (ordered last week).

[Richard Flynn]

OK, following on from my previous message... My 'issue' got 'escalated' and I spoke to someone higher up the AppleCare pecking order (a Frenchman). He said that there might be a problem with this firmware update and my machine's specs [my speculation - the brand of SuperDrive (Sony DW-D150A)? my processor (dual 3GHz)?]. He 'felt sure that I wouldn't be the only person worldwide having this problem' (didn't tell him about this thread or a similar one on Apple's own forums), and will get back to me within 48 hours having spoken to Apple Engineering to see if his theory holds true. Time will tell!

[Weaselboy]

You got this from the update? Does this mean we no longer need to slipstream the drivers to get XP to recognize the drives at normal speed?

Having to deal with the slow drives is keeping me from installing Windows. If the update makes that easier, I might go for it. I'll probably put Windows on it's own drive and then boot off it.

That is correct. A normal XP install (without the slipstreamed drivers) will now give you full speed SATA drives. Worked for me on Mac Pro.

[Trekkie]

everyone WILL have to install both updates, you can not update the SMC until you update the EFI, the SMC wont even show up in Software Update until the EFI is done

also, i did the SMC update, and the fans are so freaking loud, i mean LOUD

after installing the EFI update and running software update it said no updates.

So I downloaded it directly and tried to update it. It told me I didn't need it.

[patseguin]

Now that SATA is working in XP, has anyone tried Vista RC1?

[toysblack]

I just software stripped 2 * 160Gb Hitachi SATA in XP and got 100 MB/Sec from Sandra. so it works!
feel relieved finally.

[brett_x]

nothing for the powerbook g4s?

What about my SE/30? Nothing???

[wekes]

Maybe I'm just too old school, but I'm a bit resentful of the fact that it's touted as a priviledge to have the opportunity to pay $2 to watch a missed TV show. I hope I'm wrong, but having joined the HDTV crowd about 6 months ago, I'm struggling to find a way to do what I've always been able to do for free in the past -- record a TV show at the same quality it was piped in to my home in the first place.

Tivo isn't free either, I just can't justify paying the monthly subscription fee. Apple's solution seems to potentially cost even more. I don't see this as progress. :(

[Origin]

What's up doc ? Wrong forum ???? :D

[Trekkie]

Maybe I'm just too old school, but I'm a bit resentful of the fact that it's touted as a priviledge to have the opportunity to pay $2 to watch a missed TV show. I hope I'm wrong, but having joined the HDTV crowd about 6 months ago, I'm struggling to find a way to do what I've always been able to do for free in the past -- record a TV show at the same quality it was piped in to my home in the first place.

Good luck with that. The world of broadcasting is doing everything they can to keep you from doing it.

Time Warner Cable here in NC has HD DVR that works 'good enough' that has me not caring that I got rid of my TiVo after 5 years of having them. It records all the HD channels in full HD. I can get about 24 hours of programming in HD, or 70 - 80 hours in SD.

[orangephoto]

ok the first one is all i needed

the smc said it was already up

now if they would only fix the airport issues...


i hate internet sharing with my powerbook

[Half Glass]

Just to clarify...do I need to reinstall XP now after the EFI update or should the speed be correct now?

I have a feeling a reinstall is necessary and that is fine, I'm just at work now and was wondering what to expect when I get home tonight.

Thanks!

--HG

[tyr2]

I've read the various comments about problems with the updates with RAID 0. Can anyone confirm if the update goes ok on RAID 1? I would think it would since from a boot point of view they might as well be individual disks.

Any comments before I try this?

[Abulia]

I've read the various comments about problems with the updates with RAID 0. Can anyone confirm if the update goes ok on RAID 1? I would think it would since from a boot point of view they might as well be individual disks.
I would say it still wouldn't work, as the OS X RAID implementation is software RAID. Hence, OS X has to boot to get the RAID array working.

In the case of RAID 1 if it did work it might break the mirror (no big deal).

Give it a shot. Worse case it won't work; shouldn't affect your data at all.

[AidenShaw]

Just to clarify...do I need to reinstall XP now after the EFI update or should the speed be correct now?

I have a feeling a reinstall is necessary ...
You should not have to reinstall XP - it should be enough to update the XP driver package with Apple's latest drivers from the dual boot package.

The only way that you'd need to reinstall would be if Apple made some huge changes in the way the devices configure - so huge that XP is unable to boot using the existing drivers.

(That's unlikely, but since dual boot is beta software, Apple may have realized that they'd made a huge mistake, and only an incompatible fix was reasonable.)

[topgunn]

Nevermind, my question was answered.

[damado]

So far I just did the first upgrade, went into windows and I'm at UDMA 5 now...was at UDMA 4 with the slipstreamed driver XP install. I still get 59MB/s which is good with the 160 stock HD.

[tyr2]

I would say it still wouldn't work, as the OS X RAID implementation is software RAID. Hence, OS X has to boot to get the RAID array working.

In the case of RAID 1 if it did work it might break the mirror (no big deal).

Give it a shot. Worse case it won't work; shouldn't affect your data at all.

Cheers for your comments Abulia, I thought I'd give it a go anyway but you're right it didn't work. I just get the flashing power light, a loud beep then the Mac startup chime and a normal boot up. Strange. Oh well will wait for a fix from Apple I guess.

[Compufix]

You can't boot XP from CD on a Mac. You can't you can't you can't. The Mac boots using EFI, which XP doesn't support.

You need to use Boot Camp to install it, as legacy BIOS emulation has to be loaded specifically for XP.

No...the EFI room supports BIOS emulation. Bootcamp is nothing more than a GUI to access the Disk Utility to resize the HD partition, Set the proper Boot volume, and burn a Driver CD.

You can totally install XP without even installing Bootcamp, however you do need the drivers.

If you boot and hold the option key down then insert the XP cd, you WILL see it there, and you CAN boot from it. However you will need to have the HD's partitioned and set up ahead of time, and the BootCamp utility makes that easier.

The BIOS emulation is a feature built into EFI...Apple had it disabled on the MacBook Pro, and the first firmware upgrade enabled it, and since then Apple has had it enabled on all current models.

-Compufix

[Abulia]

About 10 people have replied and corrected bigandy on his faux pas. I think we can let it go now, okay folks? :)

[Compufix]

That's really interesting! You just held "c" at boot to load up the XP CD?

I'm guessing you still needed to use a "slipstreamed" XP SP2 CD with the SATA drivers installed so it doesn't run in dog slow PIO mode

Where the hell did you find chipset drivers, graphics card drivers, sound card drivers etc? :confused:

You still need a driver CD from Apple for all that...you can get that from someone that installed Bootcamp....

Supposedly the new EFI update for Mac Pro (just released) solves the PIO problem without needs to slipstream the XP CD. I won't know until tomorrow, however I already did the slipstream install....so who knows what will happen.

-Compufix

[Abulia]

Cheers for your comments Abulia, I thought I'd give it a go anyway but you're right it didn't work. I just get the flashing power light, a loud beep then the Mac startup chime and a normal boot up. Strange. Oh well will wait for a fix from Apple I guess.
Or if you have a spare drive sitting around that you can boot from (like an external Firewire) for the sole purpose of installing the update.

[Compufix]

I hoped that this update should have throw away the X1900 XT Bug with my 23" ACD while booting XP ... but no, still here ... grrr :/

I use the 30" ACD with mine and it works well...there IS a driver for the ACD you can install...called winacd located at sourceforge. Google winacd.

Not sure if that solves your problem, but I love the control it gives me on the ACD (like brightness controls, powerbutton behavior).

The only problem I have is that I get a weird color artifact on my screen, if I dumb down the resolution to 800x600 (can I say...OH MY GOD THATS BIG) it clears up, then up it to the proper resolution it is all good.

[yurarse]

Updated the EFI and the beast is moving faster (I did'nt hear any loud fans), SMC was already updated so I didnt need to download it.
But I dont see the other Hard drives; can u point me to a link that has the information?

[aiongiant]

Now that SATA is working in XP, has anyone tried Vista RC1?

i got vista going.. problem is the vid card isn't working properly
althought i have yet to try the new firmware update

[Xapplimatic]

I'm a bit confused, because, I can't update the EFI ... I strictly followed the instructions. Poweron while holding the power button... then some secondes after speed flashs of the led (I mean stroboscopic) and then just a long BIIIIIP and normal boot after that ...

Tried many times, any hints ?
Thx a lot

Did you check your current firmware revision against the update? Maybe your firmware is already up to date.

[relimw]

after installing the EFI update and running software update it said no updates.

So I downloaded it directly and tried to update it. It told me I didn't need it.
Trekkie, since your machine and mine came about the same time, ours should be about the same. I checked in Profiler, and didn't need to update the SMC. Have you seen anything useful in the EFI update?

[freezerburrn]

Everytime I used to reset my Mac Pro it used to make a lovely little intro chime. After getting the update it doesn't seem to be making it anymore. Anyone else having this same problem?

[rpp3po]

Can anyone confirm that the update does not make the Mac Pro noisier?

In the past Apple has repeatedly upgraded fan speeds by these updates a couple of months AFTER all reviews had been written. I had once bought my Powerbook G4 (besides other aspects) because it was very quite. A few SMC updates later the fan was running continuously and as such probably lowering average temperatur and service return rate for Apple.

[Compufix]

Can anyone confirm that the update does not make the Mac Pro noisier?

In the past Apple has repeatedly upgraded fan speeds by these updates a couple of months AFTER all reviews had been written. I had once bought my Powerbook G4 (besides other aspects) because it was very quite. A few SMC updates later the fan was running continuously and as such probably lowering average temperatur and service return rate for Apple.

I did the firmware, the SMC was not needed, and no, the machine is not any louder for me.

[studiomusic]

I did the update and still can't get XP to load. Blue screen just after loading all the drivers for install. I used this same CD to install on my MBP (before I sold it to get the Mac Pro [yes, I uninstalled it before selling it, so no piracy here]), so I know it's the Mac Pro that hates Windows as much as me.

[THX1139]

My Macpro is shipping tomorrow, I wonder if they will do the update since it's still technically in their hands.

Speaking of which, the build times are much faster! I ordered my Macpro with X1900, 2 gigs of ram, Bluetooth/Airport and 160 drive last Saturday. They placed a hold on my order until Tuesday while verifying my educational status, then sent me a notice the next day (Wednesday) telling me that my order is being processed. My Macpro is scheduled to ship tomorrow and my new 23" ACD is on the truck for delivery today. If everything goes well, I might have a new system for the weekend. That's pretty damn fast for a BTO!

[k8to]

Okay so, where's the changelog on the firmware?

[Kai]

its interesting that every intel mac so far, other than the mac mini, has needed a SMC update (if my memory serves me correctly).

It's even more strange that all of them seemed to become louder after the update. How lucky for Apple that all the reviews mentioning the Intel-Macs' exceptional silentness had already been written by then, eh? ;-)

No, there can't possibly be a scheme behind this, no, no... Apple would never do this!

[THX1139]

It's even more strange that all of them seemed to become louder after the update. How lucky for Apple that all the reviews mentioning the Intel-Macs' exceptional silentness had already been written by then, eh? ;-)

No, there can't possibly be a scheme behind this, no, no... Apple would never do this!

There has been several posts from people saying that there was no change in how loud there Mac was AFTER the update. Why would you want to spread a misperception other than to feed your paranoid conspiracy theories?

[Roy]

....snip.... They placed a hold on my order until Tuesday while verifying my educational status, then sent me a notice the next day (Wednesday) telling me that my order is being processed.....snip...

How did they verify your educational status? I've ordered 3 personal computers from Apple over the years, but I don't ever remember having to verify my educational status as a teacher.

[heisetax]

Not everyone will want to install BOTH updates.


Mine only wanted the Mac Pro EFI Firmware Update. It said that th Mac Pro SMC Firmware update was unneeded.

Bill the TaxMan

[heisetax]

Why not? Some people may want to continue having either fan or startup issues?



For what?


My Intel Mac Pro said that SMC did not need upgrading. My SMC Version is 1.7f8 as it should be. Some Intel Mac Pros may already have the SMC update done to them before they shipped. Mine was finished by about 9-8-06 & I received it on 9-12-06.

Bill the TaxMan

[THX1139]

How did they verify your educational status? I've ordered 3 personal computers from Apple over the years, but I don't ever remember having to verify my educational status as a teacher.

I had to verify because I applied for a Student Developer membership. I was required to fax a copy of my current class schedule along with my student ID and drivers license. Once the membership was verified they processed my hardware order. If you are going for the regular educational discount, they don't always ask for verification. However, because they give a hefty developer discount, I'm sure they want to make sure you're a legitimate student.

[FleurDuMal]

Does anyone know if this fixes the SATA speed issue running XP in Bootcamp?

[Bunzi2k4]

well after I ran the software update and installed the SMC firmwire update for my macbook, starting up has gotten a lot slower. When I turn on my computer, the corner light thing goes on. but the computer doesn't actally start up ten seconds after I press the power button...