I installed a 120GB OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD in my 27" mid-2010 iMac. If I allow the iMac to sleep on it's own, after I wake it, it will show a constant beach ball and then freeze up. If I manually put it to sleep, it does not freeze up. I previously had this same SSD in my mid-2009 macbook pro with no freezing issues. I have read that my SSD has the older firmware on it. There is apparently a newer firmware that fixes a hibernation issue and OWC's website also mentions sending the drive in to fix the sleep issue. I bought my OWC SSD in Nov 2010. I emailed OWC tech support and their response was to do a clean install. I immediately replied and told them I had done a clean install already. I am waiting for a response from OWC. I am disappointed with OWC's response to a problem that they seem to be aware of. Has anyone else experienced this freeze after sleep issue in their mid-2010 iMac or any other iMac? Has anyone resolved this issue?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
OWC SSD in 2010 iMac = freeze after sleep issues
- Thread starter kasey01
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I had the exact same problem with my MBP.
Now I use PleaseSleep.
PleaseSleep puts the Mac to sleep when the set time for sleep has been reached. It issues a command to sleep the machine and is much the same as when you manually put the computer to sleep. So in essence, the Mac isn't automatically going to sleep, it is being put to sleep which resolves the sleep/wake issue with the OWC SSD's running firmware 343.
The application barely uses any system resources and is pretty much the perfect solution to this problem.
Now I use PleaseSleep.
PleaseSleep puts the Mac to sleep when the set time for sleep has been reached. It issues a command to sleep the machine and is much the same as when you manually put the computer to sleep. So in essence, the Mac isn't automatically going to sleep, it is being put to sleep which resolves the sleep/wake issue with the OWC SSD's running firmware 343.
The application barely uses any system resources and is pretty much the perfect solution to this problem.
My OWC SSD has firmware 340A13F0. Apparently their is a newer firmware for the hibernation issue, but to you have to send the drive back in to correct the sleep issues. OWC tech support rep still has not answered whether or not I can send the drive back to fix the sleep issue.
OWC is not being up front with their customers. Why don't they contact all customers who bought this drive with the older firmware or settings to notify them of the update? OWC misrepresented that their SSDs would work in macs without issue. Obviously they didn't fully test or worse, they decided to release the SSDs knowing of the issues. I'm pissed because now I'll have to take my iMac apart again if I need to return the drive to fix the sleep issue. Sorry for the rant. I just want others to be aware if they are thinking of installing an OWC SSD in their iMacs. Ironically I was also having a sleep issue with the original 1TB HD in my iMac where intermittently my iMac would not wake after sleeping. Applecare said it was a software problem with no fix. I'm getting tired of these sleep issues on macs!
OWC is not being up front with their customers. Why don't they contact all customers who bought this drive with the older firmware or settings to notify them of the update? OWC misrepresented that their SSDs would work in macs without issue. Obviously they didn't fully test or worse, they decided to release the SSDs knowing of the issues. I'm pissed because now I'll have to take my iMac apart again if I need to return the drive to fix the sleep issue. Sorry for the rant. I just want others to be aware if they are thinking of installing an OWC SSD in their iMacs. Ironically I was also having a sleep issue with the original 1TB HD in my iMac where intermittently my iMac would not wake after sleeping. Applecare said it was a software problem with no fix. I'm getting tired of these sleep issues on macs!
I agree, OWC is not being upfront.
I am deeply, deeply frustrated with OWC at this point, too. Customers have had these drives installed at real expense, only to find that they cripple their computers. I feel pretty sure that there are many other people as angered as I am that OWC did not proactively contact them to let them know this might be an issue for their machine, thus letting them waste huge amounts of time wondering what the heck is going on with their machines in the hope that there wouldn't be a problem. There is a problem.
I wrote to technical support in real exasperation, having clean-installed, looked for externals causing the sleep-hang issue, and wasted many hours doing so. When I enquired why OWC had not proactively contacted customers who _might_ be experiencing this issue, to save them all the wasted time, I was told "if we had any idea that these issues were occurring, of course we would have contacted you." When I pointed out a (relatively buried) page on their own website with a long list of customer complaints about this issue, which reveal that such a response was---at the least---disingenuous, and OWC had long known it was a potential issue for my computer, the response was: "I apologize." Hmmm.
The proposed solution? To send in the computer, at my substantial expense and with a narrow window for this return to happen, to fix a problem that OWC created in my brand new computer by installing hardware that crippled the machine. This is not acceptable, asking me to pay much more money to get what I should have received in the first place. Can you imagine buying a new car that has a recall issue, and having it handled in the way OWC is handling this? Don't let potentially affected customers know, wait till the problem causes real issues, then soft-soap it, and have the customers pay for bringing in the machine to get it fixed?
OWC should be offering free shipping both ways to fix this problem, and they should also be offering a very serious apology to their customers, so that they do not become former customers, or still worse and more likely, angered former customers who spread the word. Do they or do they not stand behind their work? The way things stand now, there are real credibility problems that are not going to go away.
I am deeply, deeply frustrated with OWC at this point, too. Customers have had these drives installed at real expense, only to find that they cripple their computers. I feel pretty sure that there are many other people as angered as I am that OWC did not proactively contact them to let them know this might be an issue for their machine, thus letting them waste huge amounts of time wondering what the heck is going on with their machines in the hope that there wouldn't be a problem. There is a problem.
I wrote to technical support in real exasperation, having clean-installed, looked for externals causing the sleep-hang issue, and wasted many hours doing so. When I enquired why OWC had not proactively contacted customers who _might_ be experiencing this issue, to save them all the wasted time, I was told "if we had any idea that these issues were occurring, of course we would have contacted you." When I pointed out a (relatively buried) page on their own website with a long list of customer complaints about this issue, which reveal that such a response was---at the least---disingenuous, and OWC had long known it was a potential issue for my computer, the response was: "I apologize." Hmmm.
The proposed solution? To send in the computer, at my substantial expense and with a narrow window for this return to happen, to fix a problem that OWC created in my brand new computer by installing hardware that crippled the machine. This is not acceptable, asking me to pay much more money to get what I should have received in the first place. Can you imagine buying a new car that has a recall issue, and having it handled in the way OWC is handling this? Don't let potentially affected customers know, wait till the problem causes real issues, then soft-soap it, and have the customers pay for bringing in the machine to get it fixed?
OWC should be offering free shipping both ways to fix this problem, and they should also be offering a very serious apology to their customers, so that they do not become former customers, or still worse and more likely, angered former customers who spread the word. Do they or do they not stand behind their work? The way things stand now, there are real credibility problems that are not going to go away.
Last edited:
Wow, I'm glad I stumbled across this thread. I was thinking about purchasing OWC's 6G SSD for my new Macbook Air 13". Thanks for letting me know of these problems. I was finding it hard enough to justify $570 for the upgrade but its definitely not worth spending the money if its accompanied with problems and poor customer support.
I'd stay clear but I don't have any issues with my 6g's so it's not all gloom and doom.
The poor customer support has no apology. OR pissed off user does not get business and how to get what you need out of people. That happens a lot. No tack on some. (Speculation, no blame or anything) I have heard great things about the customer support. Oh well.