• EXTREME™ Pro
• EXTREME™ Pro 3G
• EXTREME™ Pro RE

• EXTREME™ Pro 3G RE
• Aura Pro Express

• Aura Pro MBA
• Aura Pro 1.8

Your SSD update is just a click away.
(File size is: 95.2MB)

Upgrade Details

Along with general improvements and fixes, this update will solve all known hibernation issues associated with prior firmware revisions of OWC Mercury SSDs. Please see FAQ at the bottom of this page for more information about the differences between sleep and hibernation.

This firmware is current as of March 18, 2011. If you received your drive with an invoice dated prior to this date, the firmware update is highly recommended.

To Run the Update Tool (Mac running Bootcamp):

1. Back up data to an alternate drive.  This update is non-destructive for any SSD already containing an NTFS or FAT32 Partition (Bootcamp automatically does this). OWC has updated numerous drives without data loss, however we strongly recommended backing up all data on the SSD before performing this update.
2. Connect SSD to a native internal SATA port.
3. Boot into Windows XP/Vista/7
4. All applications should be closed prior to updating the firmware.
5. Launch the ssdupdate.exe application. Upon launch, the Update Tool will automatically scan for connected drives. All discovered drives would be displayed in the drive list with a checkbox. Select the checkbox of the drive you would like to update. Only one drive can be updated/selected at a time.
6. Once the target drive has been selected click the open button (...) and select the MP4-360.pkg file located in the OWC SSD Firmware Update Tool folder.
7. Initiate the download by clicking "Download Firmware to Selected Drive." A pop-up window will be displayed suggesting back up of data and reminding that the computer will be restarted after the update. Click "OK" if ready or "Cancel" to stop the update.
8. After your computer restarts, open the ssdupdate.exe application and verify that your Firmware Rev shows 360A13F0.

To Run the Update Tool on a PC (Non-Mac users):

1. Back up data to an alternate drive. OWC has updated several drives without data loss, however we strongly recommended backing up all data on the SSD before performing this update.
2. Connect SSD to a native internal SATA port.
3. Boot into Windows XP/Vista/7
4. All applications should be closed prior to updating the firmware.
5. Launch the ssdupdate.exe application. Upon launch, the Update Tool will automatically scan for connected drives. All discovered drives will be displayed in the drive list with a checkbox. Select the checkbox of the drive you would like to update. Only one drive can be updated/selected at a time.
6. Once the target drive has been selected click the open button (...) and select the MP4-360.pkg file located in the OWC SSD Firmware Update Tool folder.
7. Initiate the download by clicking "Download Firmware to Selected Drive." A pop-up window will be displayed suggesting back-up of data and reminding that the computer will be restarted after the update. Click "OK" if ready or "Cancel" to stop the update.
8. After your computer restarts, open the ssdupdate.exe application and verify that your Firmware Rev shows 360A13F0.

To Run the Update Tool on a PC (Mac users):

1. Boot into Mac OS
2. Back up all data to an alternate drive.
3. Open the Disk Utility application by typing Disk Utility into the Spotlight search bar.
4. Select your OWC Mercury EXTREME Pro or Pro RE SSD from the list.
5. Navigate to the Partition tab
6. Click the + button to add a partition
7. Under Volume Information select MS-DOS (FAT) Format
8. Click Apply, this will add the FAT32 partition.
9. Remove your SSD and connect to a PC with a native internal SATA port.
10. Boot into Windows XP/Vista/7.
11. Download and save the update to your desktop.
12. All applications should be closed prior to updating the firmware.
13. Launch the ssdupdate.exe application. Upon launch, the Update Tool will automatically scan for connected drives. All discovered drives will be displayed in the drive list with a checkbox. Select the checkbox of the drive you would like to update. Only one drive can be updated/selected at a time.
14. Once the target drive has been selected click the open button (...) and select the MP4-360.pkg file located in the OWC SSD Firmware Update Tool folder.
15. Initiate the download by clicking "Download Firmware to Selected Drive." A pop-up window will be displayed suggesting back-up of data and reminding that the computer will be restarted after the update. Click "OK" if ready or "Cancel" to stop the update.
16. After your computer restarts, open the ssdupdate.exe application and verify that your Firmware Rev shows 360A13F0.
17. Reinstall SSD in your Mac.
18. Open the Disk Utility app by typing Disk Utility into the Spotlight search bar.
19. Select your OWC Mercury 3G SSD from the list.
20. Navigate to the Partition tab
21. Select the FAT32 partition you previously created.
22. Click the - button to delete the partition
23. Click Apply.

FAQ

No drives are discovered when I run the firmware update tool.

The Update Tool requires administrator privileges. No drives will be discovered if administrator privileges are not enabled.

If your account does not have administrator privileges enabled, please read the following:
Windows XP users: Log into an account with administrator privileges or contact system administrator.

Windows Vista/7 users: Right click on the ssdupdate.exe icon and select "Run as administrator."

Make sure you are using a native internal SATA port. The updater cannot see SSD drives attached to 3rd party SATA expansion cards or enclosures.

I am trying to update the SSD in Parallels or VMware and it is not working.

The SSD firmware update will not work in a virtual machine environment. You must be booted into Windows in order to run the update at this time.

Why is it important that the SSD be partitioned for MBR or have a Boot Camp partition?

The firmware updater will only detect the SSD if it is partitioned for MBR. Applying a Windows partition using the Boot Camp Assistant will convince Windows that the drive is partitioned for MBR even when it is not, and the firmware updater will function normally.

What is the difference between hibernation and sleep and does the firmware update fix them both?

SLEEP INFO:
In a sleep state, the machine is still getting power and data remains in the memory (which is temporary). You know a machine is sleeping when you see the slow pulse of the sleep indicator. When you close the lid of a laptop or you have a period of inactivity, the machine goes to sleep. Wake from sleep is nearly instant.

On 1/31/11, we made a parameter change (which was and is completely independent of any firmware update) to address some sleep issues that persisted with specific Mac notebook models. This change must be done on our premises.

You may have read or seen references to MacBook Pro model identifiers 5,1 - 5,4. These are the models primarily affected by sleep related issues, NOT hibernation issues. If you purchased your SSD BEFORE 1/31/11 AND YOU OWN one of these Model ID machines, we need you to send your SSD in to us so we can apply the parameter update (for sleep issues) and at the same time we can update it to MP4 (to address any potential hibernation issue) if you have not already done so. Please note this will destroy any data on the SSD so make sure you back up that data before sending.

HIBERNATION INFO:
In hibernation, all contents of the RAM are written to the drive (which is permanent) and the machine is completely powered off so there is no pulsing light. When a machine in hibernation is woken, you see a gray screen with a status bar as it resumes the activity that was taking place when it went into hibernation. It takes longer to wake from hibernation than from sleep.

On 3/18/11, SandForce released firmware update MP4 that fixed known hibernation issues. You can update your drive's firmware as long as you have access to a PC or have Bootcamp on your Mac.

Are there any known incompatibilities with the firmware?

The firmware UPDATER TOOL itself has been determined to be incompatible with Mac Pro model ID MacPro1,1; MacPro 2,1; MacPro 3,1

View how to determine your Model ID

If you do not have access to a different machine, you have the option of having us update the firmware on your drive OR choosing not to update the firmware. Please note that the primary update to this latest firmware revision corrected a hibernation issue for MacBook and MacBook Pro owners. Hibernation is not an Apple supported mode with Mac Pro/iMac/Mac mini models and therefore the firmware update is not an absolute requirement for Mac Pro/iMac/Mac mini owners. Should you wish for us to update the firmware, please contact our Customer Service department at 800-275-4576.

Requirements

• Booted into Windows XP/Vista/7 (Bootcamp or PC)
• Wired USB Mouse
• Administrative access in Windows.
• Available internal motherboard SATA port (expansion cards not supported).
• SSD must either be initialized with an MBR partition table or have a Windows partition applied through Apple's Boot Camp Assistant.
• OWC Mercury 3G SSD.

Supported

• EXTREME™ Pro
• EXTREME™ Pro 3G
• EXTREME™ Pro RE
• EXTREME™ Pro 3G RE
• Aura Pro Express
• Aura Pro MBA
• Aura Pro 1.8

Not Supported

• EXTREME™ Pro 6G
• Electra 6G
• Legacy Models

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT YOUR DATA:
It is always highly recommended that you backup your data. Your data must exist in multiple locations to be qualified as having a back up. Anytime a drive is being updated, upgraded or moved, there is a potential for data loss. This update is non-destructive for any SSD already partitioned for NTFS or FAT32 and while OWC has updated several drives with no data loss, we strongly recommended backing up all data on the SSD before performing this update. See the FAQ at the bottom if you are unsure if your drive is currently set for NTFS/FAT32.
PLEASE READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING.