MacBook – Updating SSD firmware in old Macbooks

firmwaremacbook prossd

I'm upgrading the HDD in a MacBook7,1 (the white 13" unibody one) to a SSD.

I read somewhere that it's important to be able to update SSD firmware, but that some SSD makers don't offer update software that runs on Mac OS.

What's the story with this? Is operating system support for firmware updates an actual problem, and if so how can I tell which SSDs are Mac-friendly?

Best Answer

If you have a CD drive, you can update the firmware of Samsung's Sold State Drives (SSD). Samsung provide bootable disk images to update an SSD drive installed within a Mac:

Samsung SSD Firmware Updates for Mac Users

Below you will find the latest firmware downloads for recent Samsung-branded SSDs. ISO files may be used only via DOS using a bootable CD/DVD.

… 840 EVO, 840 PRO, 840, 830 Series, and 470 Series …

The process is not friendly but it works. The disk image needs to be burnt to a CD, then you boot your Mac from the disc. The updating process takes seconds and is not complex.

The disc contains a cut down edition of Linux. The result is a text based interface:

Top of the screen running Samsung's updater

I recently applied the 840 EVO update and while my update was not destructive, you must back-up first. The update process explicitly warns that it could wipe the drive.