Apple Releases MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.0

[lars666]

I am always surprised how many people seem to manually download Apple firmware and software updates which don't show up on their machines and try everything to get them installed. We can probably assume to 99% that if they don't show up even after waiting, they aren't required for your components... Seems a play with fire to me to try everything to force these updates nevertheless. (no connection to the post above me, that is a different case.)

EDIT: Okay, now that I read this thread again it only seems to be one single guy here doing this, LOL - the others have the MAS notification of the update... Anyway, in other threads with firmware updates I stumbled upon people like described above.

 

[MacHiavelli]

Thanks for the replies. Yes, allowed it to fully decrypt, rebooted, installed, rebooted but still appears in the MAS. Have now re-encrypted and am just ignoring the MAS notice to install.

 

[recurringdream]

Might solve a mystery

I've had two SSDs suddenly and completely fail on my current model Air, each unrecoverable. Hardware was replaced under AppleCare. I wonder if this software bug was the culprit in these failures.

 

[Weaselboy]

I've had two SSDs suddenly and completely fail on my current model Air, each unrecoverable. Hardware was replaced under AppleCare. I wonder if this software bug was the culprit in these failures.

This update appears to only apply to the OEM Toshiba SSDs. Were yours Toshibas?

 

[sentiblue]

My MBA crashes may once every few months... but it recovers OK so I guess this patch won't be that critical to me... Plus... I might get in trouble with CorpIT just for decrypting my SSD... good to know though...

Apple should have made it clear in a statement that this patch requires disabling the Vault.

 

[b3av3r]

Another MBA with a Samsung SSD and no update.

 

[-Tobi-]

I also have a toshiba ssd in my air and the update showed up in my MAS.
Check system information for the correct version: hardware > serial-ata > apple ssd > revision
previous version on my air was: TPSABBF0
according to http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1655 it should be TPVABBF0.

btw: it's important to have your ac adaptor connected. if it's not, the update will not be applied! I tried to install the last thunderbolt update without a power source, my mac did a reboot, but didn't update the thunderbolt firmware. That's why it's still been displayed in your MAS.

Also I think it's not necessary to decrypt and re-encrypt your disk, because harddisk firmware normally doesn't affect the storage itself, but it's controller/chip.

 

[Weaselboy]

Also I think it's not necessary to decrypt and re-encrypt your disk, because harddisk firmware normally doesn't affect the storage itself, but it's controller/chip.

I have not seen any reports of a user able to apply this update with FV2 on, so I think it is necessary to turn it off.

I believe what is happening is the updater writes itself to Macintosh HD for install upon reboot, but with FV2 on Macintosh HD is a virtual core storage (encrypted) volume that cannot be accessed at boot time, so the update fails.

I was on AC adaptor during my earlier failed attempts to install.

 

[kingtj]

Doubtful ...

I just replaced an OWC 480GB SSD in a 2011 Macbook Air 13" that suddenly failed (machine would boot about 50% of the time and go to a spinning beach-ball within seconds of logging into it). An attempt to reinstall the OS got the same beach ball in the middle of copying files.

SSDs generally fail catastrophically when they fail -- and my experience using them so far (Windows or Mac) is, they fail quite a bit more often than the marketing people want you to believe. I don't think your experience with a couple of dead ones is that unexpected?

I've had two SSDs suddenly and completely fail on my current model Air, each unrecoverable. Hardware was replaced under AppleCare. I wonder if this software bug was the culprit in these failures.

 

[jimTucson]

Seems to be consistent

I also had to turn off FV2 to get this to work, but also had to reboot twice after the de-encrypt before the update took. A better how-to from Apple for on this would have been nice. I'd not like to think they didn't expect this to happen. But, then again, their focus seems to be on things iOS these days.

 

[opinio]

By "mid-2012" i take it simply means all USB 3.0 models?

 

[ConCat]

I have not seen any reports of a user able to apply this update with FV2 on, so I think it is necessary to turn it off.

I believe what is happening is the updater writes itself to Macintosh HD for install upon reboot, but with FV2 on Macintosh HD is a virtual core storage (encrypted) volume that cannot be accessed at boot time, so the update fails.

I was on AC adaptor during my earlier failed attempts to install.

Apple needs to get Core Storage implemented in the firmware. It'll solve so many problems... By that I mean removing the need to have PVs backed by GPT, and to allow decryption without needing a boot partition. They could even implement a GPT emulation layer, complete with a protective MBR for booting Windows.

 

[Acorn]

Thanks for posting about the encryption. At first I tried to install the update with the encryption on and it didnt work. So I did what others have suggested and turned off encryption (fully wait for it to finish) then reboot then re-run the update and it worked perfectly.

If i wasnt apple enthusiast and visited the forums there would have been no way to know that the drive needed to be decrypted first.

Edit* it also gave me a scare. After the firwmare updated the computer completely shut off and didnt turn back on. It was like 5 minutes before I tried to turn it back on because i was to scared to touch anything.

 

[chrfr]

After the firwmare updated the computer completely shut off and didnt turn back on.

The installer states that this will happen in the dialog window that opens to confirm you want to install.

 

[Acorn]

The installer states that this will happen in the dialog window that opens to confirm you want to install.

oops didnt see that just clicked ok. i read part of it just not all of it.

 

[tudyniuz]

Do I really need to back-up my drive or is that something Apple recommended just in case to be safe?

 

[Weaselboy]

Do I really need to back-up my drive or is that something Apple recommended just in case to be safe?

I think they are saying that just to cover their rear in case something goes wrong. I have not heard of anybody losing data doing this.

That said, I would still backup first. Void where prohibited... blah blah...