Hard Disk Update; to do or not to do???

[sunset]

For the past few weeks, the 'Software Updater' has wanted me to do an update on my hard disk.  Don't know which one as there are 2 in my G4 tower.

OS 9.2.2 is on the OEM drive and Jaguar's on a 6-month old, 80G, WD SE Cavier.  I ran the firmware update on the G4 in the early Spring before installing Jaguar.  I've been avoiding the hard drive update because, according to Apple, I'll need to back up all the data on the drive/s [?] and there are 10 partitions including the two on my OWC external Firewire drive.

So... the question is... how important is this? under what circumstances would it need to be done and... how can I tell which drive/s need updating.  Is just the first partition on each drive affected which is where I have the operating systems for both versions? i.e., can I just back up those two or what.  It would take forever,   , well, a long time to back up everything.  I'd just as soon not do it unless I 'have' to...

Has anyone been through this recently and what do you suggest??  Any comments would be appreciated.    in advance!!!  

[kelly]

Is it this one? I would ignore it.

About the Hard Drive Update 1

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120230

I think it was this one that actually caused some problems.  

Can't find where I saw that at the moment.

This would affect your whole Drive at once.

Not Partition by Partition.

[ljocampo]

Apple last Hard firmware update will only date certain OEM drives that had trouble.  You can run the firmware installer and if you don't own one of those drives, the install will just tell you "you don't this update."  People who did need the update did have problems after the firmware was installed.  That's why Apple informs everyone to backup their drives.  I was also afraid to use it.  But I got tried of software's automatic updater bringing it up. So run it and I didn't need the update.

[sunset]

Thanks for the info. Kelly and Ljocampo.  Sounds a little scary if one updates a drive that has no problems and then finds out that in fact the update causes a glitch somewhere.  Did read the Apple file you linked to, Kelly, and think I'll pass for a while.  May, at some time in the future, DL the update just to see if I need it.

Does the DL requirement of OS 9.xx mean that you have to run the program from OS9 or... that OS9 has to be installed on the OEM drive that might need to be updated???  That software update request is coming up on Jaguar...    

Wonder if the "if it's not broke, don't fix it" mindset applies here or not??  

[kelly]

Not sure what the OS 9.x requirement is about.

If this is in Software Update.

Highlight it and choose Make Inactive.

Mac OS X: How to Make a Software Update Inactive or Active

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106705

You won't have to look at it anymore.

[sunset]

Good idea, Kelly--didn't know you could do that.  There are a couple others I don't have a need for as well.  Thanks, again!!!