i just purchased and received my new intel x25m ssd and wanted to flash the drive with the firmware upgrade before installing mac os x on it. is there a way to upgrade the firmware with the ssd as an external drive (i have a sata to usb adapter), or is it necessary to have it in the machine? thanks.
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intel x-25m firmware upgrade
- Thread starter ras61l
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I had nothing but problems attempting to do it in a USB enclosure. When I tried it in a last gen Macbook it upgraded flawlessly the first time.
YMMV, but I wouldnt waste any time trying it externally.
YMMV, but I wouldnt waste any time trying it externally.
no data will be lost, so you can clone your hdd to the ssd extern and then after
bulid in you mac, do the firmware-update ...
bulid in you mac, do the firmware-update ...
I put both my SSD drives in a older Macbook ( white) and did the firmware update that way. Than reinstalled and Raid 0 them back in my Unibody and reinstalled the OX from a backup.
My understanding is that when you boot from their FreeDOS ISO it isn't going to have any drivers to recognise firewire, USB2 drives so it only looks at the internal drive port.
I could not upgrade with my mac's because they both are new so I tried the usb drive way and it did not work. Finally I had to borrow my wifes pc and take out the hard drive and do it that way. The update only takes seconds to do.
No Love for NVIDIA MBP-
Just got the X25-M 80GB today. Got the ISO for firmware update, but I missed the NVIDIA graphics card issue. I called support and they confirmed that there was no way to do this on a Mac with NVIDIA cards.
So I guess I will have to do it the hard way and locate a Macbook or Windows machine to get the job done.
Is this firmware essential?
Just got the X25-M 80GB today. Got the ISO for firmware update, but I missed the NVIDIA graphics card issue. I called support and they confirmed that there was no way to do this on a Mac with NVIDIA cards.
So I guess I will have to do it the hard way and locate a Macbook or Windows machine to get the job done.
Is this firmware essential?
That's not true. I upgraded a new X25-M 160GB on a new MBP last night. Download the upgrade and you burn a CD which will be bootable. Put in the SSD. Turn on the power and put the CD in while pressing the C key. Boots on the CD, finds the SSD and asks if you want to update it. Pretty easy to do.
The write speed does not slow down as the drive fills up with the firmware update. Not essential, but very worth it.
I have an ISO 04098820.iso. Is this the right one. I don't know why I'm having the problem. It did boot into FreeDOS, and I did say "Y" to all questions. Then it searches for the SSD and says it can't find it. Any help would be appreciated.
From the .pdf manual:
2.3 Nvidia* Chipsets
Some Nvidia chipset-based systems, including Apple Macintosh systems using Nvidia
chipsets, do not recognize an Intel® SSD. To update the Intel® SSD, use the
following instructions:
1. Remove the Intel® SSD from the system.
2. Complete the firmware update on a non-Nvidia system.
3. After a successful firmware update, reinstall the Intel® SSD in the Nvidia-based
system.
4. Reboot the Nvidia*-based system.
That sounds like the right one. The SSD is internal? Are you sure it's hookup correctly? Not sure what to say, I did the same with a new 2.66MBP and it found the drive and updated it very quickly. Any way to determine if the drive is good? Can you boot from a Mac OS X disk and see the drive with Disk Utility?
Yes, the DVD/CD drive is working. Installed OSX on the laptop after installing the SSD. You can have the system on it when doing this right? This is a 2.93 Unibody. Maybe there is something different. I'm actually installing the system for a second time as I could not get MobileMe synch to work. I may have caused the problem using X-Slimmer. Ha, and I was raving about application in another thread.
By system on, I assume you mean the system installed on the SSD. I'm not sure, I got the SSD, put it in the MBP and immediately did the update. I can't see how the contents of the SSD should matter but I wanted to update the firmware before installing to be safe.
The issue with NVidia and the firmware updater is only applicable to the specific release of the firmware on the SSD. Once you've upgraded past that it's no longer an issue.
How to keep track of New Firmware updates?
The good news is I got a friend's Macbook and updated the firmware. So I'm good for now as it is working in my MBP.
How is everyone using the Intel x-25m planning on keeping track of future updates? Is it simply a matter of visiting the site and checking every one in a while? There is no Intel mail list is there?
Finally, now that I've done the NVIDIA graphic card work around future firmware updates can be done on my MBP. Future firmware upgrades won't have the same issue with my NVIDIA card? I hope this is the case.
The good news is I got a friend's Macbook and updated the firmware. So I'm good for now as it is working in my MBP.
How is everyone using the Intel x-25m planning on keeping track of future updates? Is it simply a matter of visiting the site and checking every one in a while? There is no Intel mail list is there?
Finally, now that I've done the NVIDIA graphic card work around future firmware updates can be done on my MBP. Future firmware upgrades won't have the same issue with my NVIDIA card? I hope this is the case.
You can try booting off the firmware install CD and seeing if the utility detects the drive in your machine. If it detects it (and says it is running the updated firmware) you have nothing to worry about.
Battery Meter Accuracy After Firmware Update?
I know that SSD's were supposed to give better battery life than traditional hard drives. Then I read that they were not really living up to the promise. Since installing the x-25m, and doing the firmware upgrade getting battery meter readings that shoot up and down on a full charge. For instance one minute I get 5 hours, then 3:37 and then it bounces up to 4:40 as I type this. I am running this on the battery saver profile which is using the lower performance graphics card.
Frankly, I can't remember what readings I got off my original HD. Generally speaking I think I'm seeing overall battery life prediction in the menu bar's battery meter. But I'm wondering why it seems to fluctuate up and down so wildly.
I know there are a lot of variables here. Background apps. display setting, keyboard light setting. Basically what I want to poll here is whether people using SSD's on their MBP are seeing better battery life, and more importantly how accurate is the battery reading meter on your Apple laptop? Is the firmware upgrade helping here or not?
I know that SSD's were supposed to give better battery life than traditional hard drives. Then I read that they were not really living up to the promise. Since installing the x-25m, and doing the firmware upgrade getting battery meter readings that shoot up and down on a full charge. For instance one minute I get 5 hours, then 3:37 and then it bounces up to 4:40 as I type this. I am running this on the battery saver profile which is using the lower performance graphics card.
Frankly, I can't remember what readings I got off my original HD. Generally speaking I think I'm seeing overall battery life prediction in the menu bar's battery meter. But I'm wondering why it seems to fluctuate up and down so wildly.
I know there are a lot of variables here. Background apps. display setting, keyboard light setting. Basically what I want to poll here is whether people using SSD's on their MBP are seeing better battery life, and more importantly how accurate is the battery reading meter on your Apple laptop? Is the firmware upgrade helping here or not?
The reporting is less than accurate. With my mpb + x25-m you'll see the meter get down to something like 1:55, and i'll be surfing the web/itunes/world of goo or something like that, return to the main screen, and it'll still say 1:55 after about 15 minutes of usage.
So I wonder whose court this fix is in Intel or Apple? I guess I'd rather see an underestimate than an over estimate. Maybe another power adapter is in order. One for work, one for home, and one for the bag? I hate coiling and uncoiling these things. I also think it puts a lot of wear and tear on them around the safe-mag thingie.