Sunday, March 25, 200l

Numerous reports from a number of Web sites indicate that the latest Apple Firmware Updates may cause your Mac to not recognize any third-party (non-Apple) RAM and possibly render your computer inoperable.

The problem with the update is that it is less tolerant of minor imperfections in the RAM modules than earlier firmware versions, i.e. if you purchased RAM from anyone other than Apple and added it to your Mac, it may or may not work after you install the firmware update. Please read these reports from Mac Observer, Low End Mac, and MacFixIt -- then proceed with extreme caution! [Note: the latest word is that originally-installed Apple RAM is also turning up "missing"!] The firmware update is not required, as far as we know, and there may be no solution if you install the update and your RAM is no longer recognized.

UPDATE: 10:40 p.m. MST -- We apologize for the lack of hard information in our intial story. Our aim was to save some of you from making an expensive mistake.

• Since posting the above, we have learned that (among other things) the numbers for the firmware updates are different, depending on which Mac we're talking about. The iBook firmware update, for example, is 4.1.7, while another update may be 4.1.8, and so on. So be careful: earlier reports emphasizing version number 4.1.8 may mislead you into thinking you are safe when you are not!
• Disabling the startup memory tests in your Memory control panel (hold down command/option keys while opening it) may prevent your RAM from disappearing if you do install the firmware update for your particular machine.
• No one absolutely needs to install these firmware updates anyway.
• This is either a really big mess or another "new OS installation tempest-in-a-teapot." Remember the hard drive wipeouts of earlier operating system introductions?