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Firmware Update Utility Instructions:

- Choose from the list of languages. In this example, when the application restarts in DOS, the language will be in English.
- At the Welcome screen, be sure to inspect the title, which gives a description of what products and firmware versions are supported by this package
- The next screen contains an important warning to remind you to backup your system.
- The End User License Agreement appears. Read it and select Next.
- Very important instructions and warnings display. DO NOT run this firmware update on RAID systems and DO NOT turn the power off during the firmware update procedure.
- Please read them and select Proceed.
- At this point, Windows will shut down and your system will reboot. You will see a new boot message "Seagate Loading". Do not interrupt this procedure.
- These are the first screens you will see after the reboot. DO NOT interrupt this procedure.
- The SeaTools Express utility will scan your system for hard disk drives and display the Model Number, Serial Number and current Firmware Revision for each drive.
- The firmware update utility loads the new firmware on your Seagate disk drive. This process can take a few minutes. Once the firmware update is complete, the utility will exit and reboot your system. If the utility cannot automatically reboot your system, you must reboot the system yourself.

Procedure for firmware update via bootable CD (Mac):

- Download and burn the firmware .iso image from its download page.
- Burn the .iso image to a CD.
- Insert the freshly burned CD back in to your Mac's CD drive.
- Reboot the Mac.
- After the chime, press and hold the Option key on the keyboard.
- Once you see the Apple with the spinning gear beneath, release the Option key.
- At this point, the system will display a screen with images of hard drives and a CD. The CD should be named Seagate.
- Click on the CD.
- Click on the arrow pointing to the right.
- At this point FreeDOS will boot. Follow the on-screen instructions.
- If your keyboard does not respond within FreeDOS, use a wired rather than a wireless keyboard.

Procedure for firmware update via bootable CD (Windows):

- Download the firmware .iso image that you need from its download page.
- Burn the .iso image to a CD.
- Boot up to the CD. Most systems will automatically boot to the CD if it is bootable. If it does not, please consult your system documentation on how to modify the system boot sequence.
- After the system boots to the CD, you will be presented with a README file.
- Press ESC or F10 to proceed to the next step.
- To select the appropriate drive, press the corresponding key. In this example, the letter C will start the download for the ST31000340AS. Please note that there are different versions of the firmware for each drive model.
- Once the firmware update is complete, you will be prompted to power off your computer by pressing any key.
- Turn on your computer and remove the firmware CD to allow your system to boot normally into your operating system. Your drive has been updated.

About HDD Firmware:

Updating the HDD’s (Hard Disk Drive) firmware version can fix various problems that might occur, enhance some of the features available or add support for new ones, and improve the unit’s overall performance.

However, as this task can be very risky, applying a different firmware is recommended only when the newer version specifically resolves an issue that bothers you, or brings about changes that you can make full use of.

In addition to that, make sure you perform this task only in a steady power environment (such as the one ensured by a UPS unit).

As for the update process, due to the wide variety of HDDs and various methods provided by each manufacturer for installing a new firmware, it would be best if you carefully read and understand the installation steps.

About HDD Firmware Updater:

The Hard Disk Drive (HDD) firmware updater is an update utility that properly recognizes the HDD unit(s) installed on your system. It also displays various pieces of information regarding the connected storage devices and searches for a new suitable firmware version.

When it comes to installing this software, the steps are very easy because all you have to do is get the downloadable package (extract it if necessary) and run the available setup. Once the installation is complete, run the Toolbox and follow the instructions for updating the HDD.

That being said, make sure this Toolbox version has a new firmware version available for your drive and, if so, hit the download button, and install the software.