Seagate Drive - The Current Firmware Issue...

JustGretchen · Jan 19, 2009

That big firmware issue that's going around with a bunch of Seagate drives...
http://www.computerworld.com/action...articleId=9126280&taxonomyId=19&intsrc=kc_top

Is applicable to one of my drives that I have recently installed in my G5 PowerMac.

I have downloaded their ISO to upgrade the firmware, but my question is, because they don't list it on their site, and of COURSE their phone support just happens to be down because of the volume of calls for this issue, will this bootable ISO disc work on a Mac if I burn it and attempt to boot from it.

There's no mac support info on their site anywhere, it all seems to refer to Windows.

Does anyone know?

11800506 · Jan 19, 2009

ISO is a Windows only format, so no, you won't be able to boot from it. Sorry I can't be of any more help.

siorai · Jan 19, 2009

What I would love to know is why the hell Seagate is making customers first contact them through email/phone just to get the fix that is REQUIRED for their faulty drives? I have two of their drives in my system. I've confirmed that they are probably going to be affected, hence why I haven't restarted my computer at all. But now I have to contact them to get the fix? Bullcrap. Seagate is officially dead to me.

JustGretchen · Jan 19, 2009

Actually, ISO is not a Windows only format. Especially when burned. You're a bit misinformed.

Upon further investigation, the ISO contains an freakin .exe file, and I ended up finding Mac instructions on their website that state:

Hardware Prerequisite: An internal or external CD-ROM burner is required for burning the ISO image to a blank CD and a blank CD.

INSTRUCTIONS - Macintosh:

* Download the file xxxx.ISO file to your Mac desktop
* Double click on the xxxx.ISO image to open and install the program.

Well that's all fine and good, but the ISO image contains a fu*king Windows executable file. That doesn't help me because I am running on a G5...GREAT JOB SEAGATE. Looks like i can't perform the update, so I have a potential ticking time bomb inside my computer now.

And, most conveniently, their phone support system is "experiencing technical difficulties"

JustGretchen · Jan 19, 2009

siorai said:
What I would love to know is why the hell Seagate is making customers first contact them through email/phone just to get the fix that is REQUIRED for their faulty drives? I have two of their drives in my system. I've confirmed that they are probably going to be affected, hence why I haven't restarted my computer at all. But now I have to contact them to get the fix? Bullcrap. Seagate is officially dead to me.

You don't have to contact them first. The Firmware update is available on their website. http://seagate.custkb.com/seagate/crm/selfservice/search.jsp?DocId=207931

Go to the bottom, you can select your model from the list, then DL the firmware update ISO...but you better bet running windows as I just posted above

damn idi0ts at Seagate.

...and I really hope these drives aren't in Time Capsules, but I suspect, since Apple uses a lot of Seagate drives, they are.

Nermal · Jan 19, 2009

I believe that you're supposed to burn the image to a CD and boot from it. I think the exe file is just there for "convenience" as it appears to be the drive checker, rather than the updater itself.

My drive is one of the affected models. How do I tell what firmware version I currently have? I'm hoping that it's in System Profiler but I'm not at home at the moment so can't check there.

JustGretchen · Jan 19, 2009

Yes, the firmware version is in System Profiler, Nermal.

As far as burning the CD, that is what it said to do for Windows, but for mac, as I copypasted, it said pretty much double click the ISO to mount it then run the installer...which you can't do on a Mac.

Seagate have really f'd this one up nicely.

Nermal · Jan 19, 2009

Sorry, I completely missed the fact that you're on a PowerPC system. I think the best thing to do is to email Seagate and let them know that you need a Mac updater. If enough people do so then hopefully Seagate will produce one.

JustGretchen · Jan 19, 2009

yeah i sent them an email today. I didn't even get an automated response. I'm not holding my breath.

I'm broke because I don't have a job right now because I got laid off in December. I can't be going out and buying a backup drive for this potential time bomb. They better come through.

ALL of my media is on that drive. Music. Videos. Art.

I'm a little ticked.

cpjakes · Jan 22, 2009

For anyone with an Intel Mac...

...burning the ISO through Disk Utility will create a bootable disc that you can use to update the firmware.

Once it's burned, boot holding down Option, select the Windows disc that appears and follow the instructions. It was really pretty straightforward.

I just ran it on three drives that seemingly didn't have any problems. Hopefully this proactive measure won't be screwed up later...

cpjakes

Nermal · Jan 22, 2009

At this time I would advise not updating at all. Apparently SD1A, the firmware intended to fix drives, is making 500 GB models unbootable. I don't know whether that affects Macs or not, but it's probably a good idea to not update until we have a "known good" update from Seagate.

cpjakes · Jan 22, 2009

Nermal said:
At this time I would advise not updating at all. Apparently SD1A, the firmware intended to fix drives, is making 500 GB models unbootable. I don't know whether that affects Macs or not, but it's probably a good idea to not update until we have a "known good" update from Seagate.

They pulled the SD1A update and reposted it earlier. The drives I have are 1TB, so I went on a gut feeling that they'd be safe. Almost better that than having the drives go down when I can't afford them to... And I'm pretty good about backups, everything is always in two places.

cpjakes

Nermal · Jan 22, 2009

Even though Seagate has posted a new update, I'm not about to install it. If they didn't test the previous version then I can't really trust the new one to be any better. I'm going to give it a week or so to ensure that nobody runs into any trouble with it.

I keep a full backup of my drive so if there are major problems it won't be the end of the world, but it would be even better if the update had actually worked correctly in the first place!

bay2sacto · Jan 23, 2009

Does anyone know if the bricking is restrained to just the Seagate branded drives or are any Maxtor brand 1TB drives affected? I have an external Maxtor 1TB 1 touch 4 Plus that I believe shouldn't be affected but I'd hate to be wrong.

Tree Limb Jim · Jan 24, 2009

January 24, 2009
intel iMac with ST3500320AS (aftermarket): I followed the directions to open the MooseDT-SD1A-2D-8-16-32MB.ISO image in Disk Utility and create a bootable CD. Rebooted.

The only problem I had was continuing after booting the CD and displaying the .txt file. I just power-cycled, re-booted and mashed Ctrl-C or was it ESC until it went beyond it and began executing the firmware update.

Power-cycled when requested and it came up. System Profiler reflects SD1A revision.

Serenity has been restored.

Jigga Beef · Jan 26, 2009

I have 2 1.5 TB seageat drives that need this firmware update. I have downloaded the file and made it a bootable CD. Seagate is warning me to back up my data because this process might make the HD die. Only issue is both of these drives are in a RAID-1 set together so they back up each other. Has anyone had success with the firmware update and would I need to do the update for each drive individually?

Basically I am worried that this might mess up the drive and I will lose my data.

TheReef · Feb 4, 2009

My Maxtor Basics external 1TB stopped working recently…couldn't mount it or even reformat it, totally bricked.

I cracked it open last night to find the drive inside was a Seagate Barracuda 7200.11……great

I installed the SD1A firmware via a Windows box (the "process" was successful), put the drive in my G5 but still nothing.

I found this interesting thread: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=128807

But it seams way to much for me, although I probably will try.

BIOS reports the drive as 1TB and ST3500320AS, different to the two problems in the link, should I still try it?

Is this it for firmware upgrades from Seagate for this drive?

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