Apple Releases iMac Graphics Firmware Update to Address Freezing Issues

imacApple today released iMac Graphic FW Update 3.0, a new firmware update to address issues which could cause users' machines to freeze up.

About iMac Graphic FW Update 3.0

This firmware update fixes a graphics issue that may cause an iMac to hang under certain conditions.

Do not shut off the power on your iMac during this update. Loss of power could result in your iMac failing to start up.

The update weighs in at 482 KB and requires OS X Lion. Apple does not specify exactly which iMac models require the update, so users should run Software Update to see if the download appears for their specific machines.

Discussion forums on Apple's site and elsewhere have been filling with numerous reports of freezing issues on iMac models under OS X Lion. It is unclear if this update is designed to target the exact issues being reported in those complaints, but it seems reasonable to speculate that Apple is indeed looking to solve at least some of those problems.

Related Roundup: iMac
Buyer's Guide: iMac (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iMac

Top Rated Comments

sinisterdesign Avatar
151 months ago
huh, 10.7.1 fixed this for me. it was playing video content, any video that locked it down hard. add the added new "feature" of restoring windows on restart and you can find yourself in some furious curse-laden rants.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rjc101 Avatar
151 months ago
From the installer script, this only applies only to iMac Model ID "iMac12,1" which I think is the current 21.5" iMac (Mid 2011) ?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
devianter Avatar
151 months ago
I have a 24" iMac. First generation aluminum 2.8GHz with Radeon 2600HD. Those machines had major graphics card freezing issues that were addressed by 2 firmware updates. Anytime I woke my machine from sleep I would see the last screensaver image and a cursor but couldn't get back to the desktop. Other times it would just freeze up. Only way out of it was to hard boot it by holding down the power button to shut down and then reboot it.

oh god i hear ya. i remember i bought the first aluminum imac 24" in august 2007, it had tiger back then. then leopard came out, and EVERY goddamn animation would just freeze the machine. mouse not moving, nothing. and by animation i mean anything, even minimizing or opening a stack folder in dock, or the dock magnifier. it had to be hard resetted. after 2 weeks they released the firmware update and it works well till this day (4 years).
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roland.g Avatar
151 months ago
I have a 24" iMac. First generation aluminum 2.8GHz with Radeon 2600HD. Those machines had major graphics card freezing issues that were addressed by 2 firmware updates. Anytime I woke my machine from sleep I would see the last screensaver image and a cursor but couldn't get back to the desktop. Other times it would just freeze up. Only way out of it was to hard boot it by holding down the power button to shut down and then reboot it.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mbarriault Avatar
151 months ago
Early 2010, 27" with Core i5 and Radeon 4850. Nothing in Software Update.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rjc101 Avatar
151 months ago
Apparently not. Mine didn't need an update. Maybe it's just for the low-end 6750M models?
The installer script checks for Mac ID "iMac12,1", Graphics Card ROM "113-C2950K-193" and an OS X version of 10.7 with a build of 11A511 so it reads as though it won't run on 10.7.1

Must be for one of them!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2023 Event Taking Place June 5 to 9

Wednesday March 29, 2023 9:58 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 34th annual Worldwide Developers Conference will take place from Monday, June 5 to Friday, June 9. Like WWDC 2020, 2021, and 2022, WWDC 2023 will be an online event for the most part, and it will be open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple will provide online sessions and labs, which will allow...
iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Low-Energy Chip to Allow Solid-State Buttons to Work When Device is Off or Out of Battery

Wednesday March 29, 2023 1:54 am PDT by
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums. CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models The source of this rumor is ...
CarPlay Phone Call

General Motors to Phase Out Apple CarPlay Starting This Year in EV Transition

Friday March 31, 2023 8:43 am PDT by
General Motors (GM) will phase out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its vehicles starting this year, shifting to a built-in infotainment system co-developed with Google (via Reuters). GM owns Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC in the United States. It will stop offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, which goes on sale this summer. The company plans ...
iPhone 15 Pro Multi Purpose button Mute Switch Feature Green 2

iPhone 15 Pro Rumored to Feature Multi-Use Action Button Instead of Mute Switch

Wednesday March 29, 2023 7:28 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are rumored to feature a customizable Action button like the Apple Watch Ultra, according to a MacRumors forum member who leaked accurate details about the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro models last year. The source claimed the Action button will replace the Ring/Silent switch that has been included on every iPhone model since 2007. They did not...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Now Available for Your iPhone With These 8 New Features

Friday March 31, 2023 8:55 am PDT by
Following six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 was released to the public this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and changes added with iOS 16.4,...
iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Three New iOS Features Coming to Your iPhone Following Apple Music Classical

Thursday March 30, 2023 7:13 am PDT by
With the Apple Music Classical app and an Apple Pay Later early access program now available, the list of previously-announced iOS features that have yet to launch is beginning to shrink. However, there are still a few features we are waiting for. Below, we have recapped three more iOS features that are expected to launch in 2023, including an Apple Card savings account for Daily Cash,...
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Kuo: Apple Mixed-Reality Headset May Not Appear at WWDC as Mass Production Pushed Back Yet Again

Thursday March 30, 2023 4:50 am PDT by
Apple has again pushed back mass production of its mixed-reality headset and the device may not appear at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane In a tweet, Kuo explained that Apple "isn't very optimistic" about whether the headset will be able to create an "iPhone moment." As a result,...