Intel-based Macs: Troubleshooting issues after using the SMC Firmware Updater

When upgrading the SMC (System Management Controller) firmware on an Intel-based Mac, you experience issues if power was interrupted during the update process, or if the firmware update installation did not work for other reasons. Issues may occur when starting up, displaying video, going to sleep, or there may be fan noise issues.

If you have issues installing firmware on an Intel-based Mac using the SMC Firmware Updater, or, if you experienced a power loss while attempting to install an SMC firmware update, you should attempt to re-run the installer again by double-clicking it and following the instructions. The SMC Firmware Updater is located in the Utilities folder, in the Applications folder.

Reset the SMC if necessary

If re-running the SMC Firmware Updater is not successful, you may need to reset the SMC before attempting to update it again.