About the Hard Drive Firmware Update 2.0

Learn how to download and install the MacBook Pro Hard Drive Firmware Update 2.0, which reduces certain infrequent noises made by 7200-rpm drives that shipped with the Mid 2009 MacBook Pro.

Important: Back up the data on your hard disk to an external disk or removable media before using this update.

Do not reset, shut down, or turn off the power to your computer while updating your hard disk. If there is an issue during the update, your hard disk may become unusable and the data on it could be lost.

Note: Some USB and FireWire devices may prevent firmware updates from installing correctly; disconnect non-essential devices and use only an Apple keyboard and mouse to apply the update.

1. Quit all open applications, then download and install the firmware update.

2. The downloader will place a disk image with an installer in your Downloads folder or in the location specified in the General tab under Safari > Preferences.

3. If you downloaded the disk image using Safari, Safari will notify you that an application is in the image. Click OK to continue.

4. If "Open safe files after downloading" is enabled in Safari preferences, the disk image file will mount by itself. If that preference is not enabled in Safari, double-click the disk image to mount it.

5. In the mounted disk image, double-click the HardDriveUpdate.pkg file to start the firmware update process.

6. A welcome screen appears. Click Continue.

7. A licensing agreement appears. Click Continue, then click Agree.

8. A standard install window appears. Click Install to install the Hard Drive Firmware Update in the /Application/Utilities folder.

9. Enter the administrative password for your computer, then click OK.

10. An "Installation completed successfully" window appears. Click Close.

11. The Hard Drive Firmware Update will start automatically.

    • Note: Your battery must be charged at least 50% to apply this update. You will receive an alert message with that message if your battery is not charged to the required level. You can locate the update in /Applications/Utilities to try to apply the update again when your battery is charged; if you restart your computer, you'll be offered the opportunity to apply the update.

12. Read the onscreen instructions and click Restart to install the new firmware onto your hard disk drive.

13. A gray screen with a hard drive icon and a status bar underneath it appears.

    • Important: Do not unplug, shut down, or restart your computer while the update is taking place.

14. The computer will shut down after the firmware is updated.

15. Press the power button to restart your computer.

    • Important: The hard disk in an Intel-based Mac must be formatted with the GUID partition scheme to apply a firmware update. Intel-based iMac computers are shipped this way from the factory. If you have reformatted your hard disk, you should check which scheme your hard disk is currently using before applying a firmware update. See Firmware updates for Intel-based Macs require a GUID partition scheme for more information. If you try to apply the update to a hard disk that utilizes any formatting scheme other than the GUID partition, the update will be unsuccessful.

Learn more

Follow these steps to tell if the update has been applied to your computer:

1. From the Apple () menu choose About this Mac.

2. Click More Info.

3. In the Hardware section of System Profiler, select Serial-ATA

4. Locate the Revision field. It should read 0007APM2 if the update has been applied successfully.