PowerMac Superdrive firmware update

[bbloke]

Just to let everyone know, the firmware update for Superdrives in PowerMacs (as opposed to iMacs) has now been released. Apple states this update is only needed by the following models: "Power Mac G4 (Digital Audio), the Power Mac G4 (Quicksilver) and the Power Mac G4 (Quicksilver 2002) with an internal Apple SuperDrive." The download deals with both the 4x DVD-R/2x DVD-RW media issue and also the problems associated with the ejection of copy-protected CDs.

http://www.apple.com/hardware/superdrive/

 

[hazmat]

I ran it last night. Dumb install actually. It cleared the desktop, menu bar included, and said that to continue, I had to quit everything. Didn't allow me to do that while the install window was up, so I had to quit the install. Quite all my open apps, but how do I get back to the update? Software Update said that there were no new ones. After searching the drive, I found the package it downloaded, as well as an installer in /Applications/Utilities. Thanks for telling me.

 

[bbloke]

Sorry to hear about the problems you experienced! I noticed the need to close everything down too. Luckily, I always close all my applications when performing an installation anyway, so I didn't experience the same troubles you did. Perhaps the need for caution here was because there was the chance an open application could try to access the drive while its firmware is being updated? Anyway, all I was really afraid of was something like a power cut midway through!

 

[hazmat]

Wow, Microsoft has you well-trained, huh?

Well the install was fine in the end, but where they told me to quit all apps, they should have allowed me from the install, or at least pointed out an easy way to get back to the install if I quit it.

 

[bbloke]

Wow, Microsoft has you well-trained, huh?

Yes, indeed! I use a Windows XP machine at work. Plus, I was probably always cautious with the old Mac OS too... I also have informal responsibility for keeping computers in good working order within our research group, so I guess I tend to be cautious as a matter of habit.

Well the install was fine in the end, but where they told me to quit all apps, they should have allowed me from the install, or at least pointed out an easy way to get back to the install if I quit it.

I agree, the installer should have made that provision for the user. I thought that at the time and was relieved that I had, through my normal routine, quit everything else anyway.

I think quitting all open applications shouldn't be necessary under OS X, except perhaps in the case of firmware upgrades in general. Firmware updates really aren't things you want to have go wrong on you!