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About SuperDrive Firmware Update 3.0

This update addresses noise made by the optical disk drive during wake from sleep on your Mac.

Learn how to apply the SuperDrive Firmware Update 3.0 to an Intel-based Macintosh computer.

This update requires that the following EFI Firmware updates be installed first:

iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.4

Mac mini EFI Firmware Update 1.2

MacBook EFI Firmware Update 1.4

MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.8

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 the disk image with an installer in your Downloads folder or in the location specified in the General tab under Safari > Preferences. If you downloaded the disk image via Safari, Safari will notify you that an application is in the image. Click OK to continue.

  3. 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.

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

  5. A welcome screen appears. Click Continue. If you receive the message "This computer does not need this update," your computer is not eligible for this update. Make sure you have applied the required EFI Firmware updates above. To check your EFI Firmware, see EFI and SMC firmware updates for Intel-based Macs.

  6. A standard install window appears. Click Install to install the SuperDrive Update in the /Application/Utilities folder.

  7. Enter the administrative password for your computer at the prompt. Click OK.

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

  9. Locate the SuperDrive Update window. If you have other items open on your screen, the window may be hidden behind others. Read the onscreen instructions and click Update to install the new firmware onto your optical disk drive.

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

  10. A progress bar appears in the SuperDrive Update window. When the update is complete, the SuperDrive update window disappears and a "The update was successful" window appears. Click Restart to restart your computer.

  11. If the update to your firmware was interrupted, your computer will attempt to reinstall the update by itself the next time it is powered on. Do not unplug your computer during this process. Your computer will restart by itself when the SuperDrive Firmware installation is complete.

  12. If your computer does not restart, contact support for more information.

    • 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 find out if your Mac requires this update and if the update is successfully installed:

  1. From the Apple () menu in the upper-left menu bar, choose About This Mac.

  2. Click More Info, then select Serial-ATA in the Hardware section of System Profiler.

  3. Select the DVD entry, and inspect the Revision field in the window below.

    • On an iMac, if you see Revision: KA15 or 2AHG, your iMac needs this update. If the update has been successfully applied to an iMac, the field will be KA16 or 2AHH.

    • On Mac mini computers, if you see Revision: 2AHF, your Mac mini needs this update. If the update has been successfully applied to a Mac mini computer, the field will be 2AH1.

    • On MacBook computers, if you see Revision: KA14, KA19, SA15, SA17, 1APF, KK07, or CP06 your MacBook needs this update. If the update has been successfully applied to a MacBook, the field will be KB19, SA18, 1APG, KK08, or CP08.

    • On MacBook Pro computers, if you see Revision: KA14, KA19 or SA17, your MacBook Pro needs this update. If the update has been successfully applied to a MacBook Pro, the field will be KB19 or SA18.

Learn what to do if you cannot install the SuperDrive Firmware Update 3.0 .

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