OWC SSD Firmware won't update

M

MacInWin

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I have an OWC Mercury EXTREME Pro 6G SSD as my boot drive (500GB). It's at firmware revision 502ABBF0. I got an email from OWC suggesting strongly that I update the firmware to the latest revision and with a link to their software to do that. Got the software, installed it as directed on a USB Stick and booted from it. Boot worked, got a desktop and a legal disclaimer, then the firmware update utility started and reported there was no SSD installed. Called OWC, was told to move the SSD to the Optical bay and repeat the update. Did that, still No SSD installed. Called OWC, got a technician who said that moving it to the optical bay was useless, so I moved it back to the original location and tried again. Still no luck.

I then booted from the USB stick and after the legal disclaimer, exited the firmware update program to the desktop, but there were no folders, no menus, no access to anything (skinny Linux, I suppose). Just on a lark, I double-tapped on the desktop and a new folder appeared. When I opened the new folder, I had access to the file structure, where I found the SSD was mounted! So much for the utility not finding an SSD...

So I tried unmounting the SSD and re-running the update utility with the exact same results. No SSD found (even though it mounted). Called OWC again, got another technician, went through the drill and history and ended up nowhere. He again emphasized that if I wanted to upgrade to Mavericks, I REALLY, REALLY needed the firmware updated. He had me wait online while he passed what I had found about the SSD being mounted to the "Programmers" and when he returned he indicated that they had no fix. He offered that if they didn't get it fixed, they would send me a new SSD, with the firmware at the right level, and I could send back the older one.

Today I tried OWC again, got a tech on their chat system, went through the drill, got nowhere, but she indicated that they would NOT replace the drive, that I could send it to them to update and return to me. When I complained that to do that would leave me with no machine for whatever time they took, she refused to send out a replacement and let me return the old one.

If I simply mount the USB Stick, it looks like it's a version of Ubuntu without any of the typical tools for Ubuntu. It boots to the one legal disclaimer and then the utility, nothing else seems to be available.

Anybody else have this setup? Anybody get the firmware update to run?Anybody got any ideas how to get the update on my SSD? It's a MBP 8,3, early 2011 17". Run latest Mountain Lion version. I still have the USB stick with the OWC Linux and updater software, it still doesn't detect the SSD.

I could just buy a new SSD, but thought that before I took that route I'd ask here.

One thing for sure, if I buy a new one it definitely isn't coming from OWC.
 
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Send an email to OWC Larry. Had identical problem with that drive and had to return it to OWC who replaced it f.o.c.
 
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MacInWin

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What's an OWC Larry? I've talked to an OWC Morgan and OWC Cynthia, both of which were useless. How do I get to OWC Larry?
 
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MacInWin

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No luck with OWC. They want me to send them the drive to update, no offer of any way to keep me going while they mess with it. So I've bought a replacement SSD from Crucial, will install that as the boot drive, then send the OWC one to them to update the firmware, then move it to the data doubler when it returns. That should make this thing fly!
 

chscag

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Now I understand your other post a bit better. Make sure you backup everything on that SSD before you send it back to OWC. That drive may be heading south and instead of OWC updating the firmware, they may just replace it.
 
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A year later and the problem persists

I also have a 17" 8,3 with an Extreme Pro 6G and I am getting the same problem. It looks like this problem might be specific to this particular combination.

Has anyone found a resolution to this yet? The OWC support is hopeless on this. The best they could offer is that I use a different browser to download the update file.

I believe that if the zip unpacks and the linux system boots then there is no problem with the download. Except that the download does not work for this particular machine. Which is old, discontinued and not sold in large numbers.

In other words, there is a problem with the updater and they do not see any value in fixing it.

So - if you still have a 17" MBP that you love (and I know you do), probably you should avoid OWC SSDs. (I actually have two - I bought a spare from the refurb store when they discontinued it.)

The email (which i found recently when I cleaned out the 6,500 messages in my mailbox - by george, that felt good) said:

We encourage and recommend updating if any firmware version other than '520ABBF0', '521ABBF0', or '522ABBF0' is reported. This update is especially recommended if a firmware version of '504ABBF0' or lower is being shown.​

My drive has firmware version 502, so updating is "Especially recommended" but apparently not possible without removing the drive and posting it in, or perhaps installing it in another Mac, which is nasty surgery involving a lot of tiny screws.

Moral of story - buy your SSDs from Apple.
PG
 
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I have the OWC Mercury EXTREME Pro 6G SSD 507ABBF0 Firmware, and I have not had a single issue with it what so ever. I really like the OWC brand, as they make SSD's for Macs, and that one thing, takes away from a lot of issue's with other makers and compatibility.
Cant find anything to help your issue apart from sending it back to them, to load the Firmware . .
 
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I think my problem is lack of support for the machine...

Tattooed,
I believe that my problem is related to the machine - there FW updater is not equipped to detect drives in this hardware.

What machine do you have, and have you tried to update the drive firmware lately?
Version 507 is pretty old - I have seen numbers like 543 bandied around with last year's date on them.
OG
 
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I got 13" (mid 2012), and doesn't seem to be a firmware update for me. But still, there isn't very much via google either showing this issue.
 
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MacInWin

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The only solution I found to the original problem was to ship the drive back to OWC and have them apply the upgrade to the firmware. They never figured out why the installer wouldn't work on my 8,3. But now it's in and runs just fine. My firmware is 522ABBF0 now. They got the drive back to me in under a week, as I recall.
 

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