Apple Working on Software Update for MacBook Pro Hard Drive Issues

CNET reports that Apple has officially acknowledged problems with some 500 GB, 7200 rpm MacBook Pro hard drives and promised that a software fix to address the issue is on the way, although no timeframe for a release of the update has been given.

"We are aware of the issue and are working on a software update," Apple representative Bill Evans, told CNET News on Monday. He gave no time frame for the release of the software update.

Users of the drives have been reporting for several months that their drives periodically make a "beeping" noise that is frequently accompanied by brief freezes of their systems.

A representative from Other World Computing reported to MacNN as the issue was first gaining attention that the beeping was likely stemming from the G-Force anti-shock protection mechanism found in the Seagate Momentus drives used by Apple, a feature which is essentially redundant to Apple's own Sudden Motion Sensor technology included in its notebook computers.

A member of storage maker Other World Computing observes that the issue may be with Seagate's Momentus 7200.4 G-Force hard drives, which in the case of MacBook Pros may be creating a conflict. Affected units are said to spin up and down frequently, which may be generating the sounds reported by users. Beyond hurting access times, the behavior could pose a risk to the lifespan of a drive by producing unnecessary strain. The G-Force technology is said to be mostly irrelevant on Macs in the first place, as a result of pre-existing anti-shock protection.