MBP did software update "critical" & guess what???

Hello-
I have a 3 year-old MBP 15" 2.4, 4gbram and I have not liked it from day one but I ran into some problems. Applecare has no idea what I should do so I am going to see what the experts say.

I downloaded and installed a firmware critical update for the fan functioning. It was for OS Tiger

Now my fans I never hear come on and the bottom near or above the battery and the top above the keyboard get hot. I would say hot because I touch it and it is amazing something does not burn. I would definitely think plastic if left there for a while it would start to bend.

I know the downloads are on apple/support but I will just damage it more. has anybody heard of this, did anybody download this update? It said what it was before it started downloaded it.

Thanks in advance.

 

try smc fan control, and manually set you fan speed to something a bit higher, this should reduce temps back to something your happy with.
a

p.s on a side note, 3 years is a v.long time with something you dislike, why did you not return it for something else? A restock fee is a small price for happiness no?

 

Hi Kooler,

Could you be a little more specific?

For example:

-Which version of Tiger are you running?
-What version of firmware did you update to?
-What did Applecare say when you spoke to them?
-Are you able to monitor fan speeds and temps? (if not get istat; google it)
-What do you mean when you say:

Is there some new firmware download or...?

Just need some clarifications before we might be able to help.

 

This was actually pretty normal for the Flambébook Pros of the time. They ran way too hot - and this would have been before any firmware updates too.

smcFancontrol will help, but at the expense of the machine ending up far noisier (than any competing machine such as an HP p/w-series notebook under the same load). 3000rpm is the most 'silent' compromise if I remember correctly, but you really need 4000+ to dump useful amounts of air.

As the above guy said, if you're not in a situation like me where you have to use OS X and the attendant pieces of pretty yet **** hardware that come with it, it's worth ditching it (and we all know that you can sell that machine for a really good price because it's a Mac, right? Good luck with that) and going back to non-Apple hardware that is actually Pro - especially as Windows 7 is now on the horizon.

Alternatively, you could push for a replacement if the machine is still under Applecare. The current MBP's have different problems, but the 'excessive heat under perfectly normal use' is definitely lessened. I'd get a cheap infrared thermometer off ebay (like this for example - don't bother with the ear/baby/etc ones), really crank up the CPU/GPU (Boot Camp / Parallels / Games would do it and there are lots of other options) and take some readings (+photos when reading) off the top strip above the keyboard. Take several readings along the top alloy strip at different locations - you'll quickly see that temps vary quite a bit, and record the highest one. If that temp matches or exceeds 50C/ 122F, then you have a good case to claim a potential low-temperature burn.

 

did you try a SMC reset after the update? other than that SMCfancontrol should be a decent work around.

surprised you care and use something so long that you never liked.

 

This is the main problem! apple notebooks run bad for people who doesn't like them!

 

lol thats very true and the existence of apple is an alternative for those dislike msft OS.

 

You could on the other hand say Apples run fine for people who don't notice.

Oh yeah - Add an !

 

Ahaha, I love that eBay link you posted. "Great for ghosthunting," nice.

I happen to use my own infrared thermometer extensively for both computer benchmarking as well as coffeemaking/painting/baking/gardening/fountain pen repairing. It's a rather nifty and versatile tool.

On topic, I agree that smc is the way to go. My brother has the exact same MBP as you do, and indeed it does overheat even while idling. Maintaining a higher rpm even at idle will help loads in preventing both overheating and the need for high rpm fan throttling. Though he loves his MBP for its durability, lush screen, and user environment, my brother really is getting bothered by its fans revving up for takeoff.

@vogel: in the interest of open discussion, try not to argue semantics, ad hominem, etc. lest you disserve your message.

 

Oh..... I thought judging by the thread title that maybe Apple released a "critical update" to fix the SATA 1.5 problem....

 

I wonder if I will ever get just an e-mail that is helpful without some mean or stupid comment.

Thanks for the help on the fan bro. I will have to try it.

On the other side normally I would ignore the mean comment or question but sometimes you just have to try and try and hope and try and read and try and ask questions and try and form an opinion.

It is called the process of learning. I am a slow learner I guess.

To help you out a bit, try to customize a Mac and then try to send it back. See how far you get. Does that help you understand why I did not do what you stated? If not, sorry.

 

Sure, I do not know much and I do not have the notebook here. I have a MBP OS 10.4.11 2.4 GHz c2D 4 GB 667 RAM. It says something it never use to say so I hope I did not mess things up trying to run Disk Utility. Under Memory after going to the Apple icon (top left of desktop), About This Mac... and I just noticed under Processor and Memory it has Startup Disk Macintosh HD. I know it seems like it could very easily say that but I have never noticed it before and I am pretty observant. I have no idea the firmware version. I started the Mac up and it said updates available. I looked at them and saw one was a firmware update for functioning of the fan. It had something like smg firmware but I am so unsure of that do not give it much weight. The first girl said, what did you update and I was hoping they would know about the critical updates so I said the machine told me there was an update and it had the install or quit screen that said it was a firmware update for the functioning of the fan due to complaints of fan overheating. She had no idea what I was talking about so I asked if she could give me someone else but I had to jet. I said thanks--call ya back. I set the new feature where you put your phone number and a time for them to call. A guy called and he was aware of the update. He said it was a required update so I can't believe the young lady did not know.

He wanted to boot with a CD and I had never made the proper CD because I am so stupid, I do not even know what kind of CDs/DVDs to get when I want to write something from the website to a disk. I do not know how to monitor tat stuff. When I got the machine, part of my research I explained to the other guy who posted right below me is I had to have the machine sent back to I think TX. The machine would get really hot. They sent it back saying nothing was wrong. Every once in awhile I could hear a fan noise and after the Required download that I am trying to explain how the problem started was installed 2 days ago, I never hear anything and it gets really hot. I do not have a temp to give you.

I was trying to say in case people wanted to tell me to go to the Apple website and download the update again. I was just saying, I know there is a place where the updates (both required and general updates or apps) are, but I tried once to download one that was a program for Mac maintenance but I never got the program to work so I figured I did not download and install it right. Since that happened and I did not want to damage my notebook more.

Yes the download was a new critical firmware download.

I see the POST is attracting a bunch of lost souls so I best say good bye!!

 

most people were doing nothing but trying to help you... I think we all assumed you knew more than you did, so you didn't understand what was asked of you, and assumed it was negative about you or your situation.

You ran a SMC firmware update for fixing fans, I know exactly which one you are talking about as I ran it on 2 laptops myself. The SMC is the thing that controls your temperature and fan speeds, trying to keep your system cool. If updating the firmware of the SMC made the fans stop changing, you probably just need to reset the SMC like i mentioned earlier. i assumed if you didn't know what that meant or how to do it you would have searched Apples support site for how to reset SMC, but I'll put a link below to the instructions. It will most likely make the fans start working correctly again.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1411

 

You assumed I would have searched apple support???? Well, I assumed the guy would have known about this update since it was not that long ago, was a rare update, and something that anybody who received it and could get help from it would have remembered this update. I am not sure I would have been able to give anymore info. about the update. See this assuming you are stating and used to put me down can go both ways with the way you read things.

I am not here to waste time or play games. I post something, try to not be too wordy or I get nailed, but get my question across.

So, since you know what I am talking about (I hope) I will see what this link says. I hope it did not take too much out of you sending it to me, but it sounded like it did. Sorry, but thanks!

 

are you serious? Maybe there's some language barrier going on... thats definitely not an attitude to get help with when no one did anything to you. People asking questions, or stating something they think sounds weird, isn't attacking you. You are definitely good at assuming, thinking everyone is attacking you for some reason. I think maybe you are just frustrated about the computer so are being overly sensitive and overacting to what people say. No one responding to you works for Apple or makes any money responding to you, so if you somehow think your entitled to free support from other people who are nice enough to volunteer help to you, maybe you would be happier hiring your own personal IT tech support person. and not using forums on the internet.

 

so how can I tell if the first 3 steps do not work? the fans do not always run. If I do the 1.Force Quit (Option-Command-Escape)
2.Restart (Control-Command-Power)
3.Force Shut Down (press the power button for 10 seconds)
I will not know if these work because the fans do not always turn on. Should I get the MBP hot and then do these 3 steps?

Thanks

 

Just as entitled as you are bro. Find someone else to try and intimidate. You’re not hurting me bro. Nobody ever asked you to reply to my post.

 

Thread has gone OT, therefore is now closed.

Johnny T - NBR Moderation Team