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APFS not compatible with OWC SSDs

U

unfrostedpoptar

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 29, 2010
173
11
Argh. I tried installing the public beta a few weeks ago and got a weird message about firmware verification failure and that I couldn't install it. I figured it would be fixed with the real release today. Nope!

APFS doesn't play with some 3rd-party SSDs - apparently including my OWC 6G 480GB in my 2012 rMBP. I've just been on a chat with their tech support. They know about this but haven't posted anything to warn their customers! And they don't have a fix yet or an estimate and suggested putting back my original drive :(

Anyone else hitting this? Any other non-Apple SSDs work with APFS?

David

ps - here's the lines in the install log (ia.log)

Sep 25 17:31:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[546]: Package Authoring Error: PackageInfo bundle reference found without top-level bundle definition. Bundle will be skipped: <bundle id="*"></bundle>
Sep 25 17:33:00 MacBook-Pro Unknown[521]: 2017-09-25 17:33:00.527 usbcupdater[592:50568] Error reading plist: No files to support boardID: Mac-C3EC7CD22292981F
Sep 25 17:33:01 MacBook-Pro Unknown[521]: Error while writing firmware updater for EFI
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: Package Authoring Error: PackageInfo bundle reference found without top-level bundle definition. Bundle will be skipped: <bundle id="*"></bundle>
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: OSIInstallElement <OSIVerifyROMElement: 0x7fbb30b97ee0> errored out:Error Domain=com.apple.osinstall Code=512 "An error occurred while verifying firmware." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=An error occurred while verifying firmware.}
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro storagekitd[548]: storagekitd: copyDiskForPath returned nil, error: -69808
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: Operation: Verify firmware failed, Failure Reason: Error Domain=com.apple.osinstall Code=512 "An error occurred while verifying firmware." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=An error occurred while verifying firmware.}
 
This is odd. A properly designed filesystem should be able to run any any type of disk (block device). There shouldn't be drives that are "incompatible" with APFS.

What is Apple trying to pull here?
 
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unfrostedpoptar said:
Argh. I tried installing the public beta a few weeks ago and got a weird message about firmware verification failure and that I couldn't install it. I figured it would be fixed with the real release today. Nope!

APFS doesn't play with some 3rd-party SSDs - apparently including my OWC 6G 480GB in my 2012 rMBP. I've just been on a chat with their tech support. They know about this but haven't posted anything to warn their customers! And they don't have a fix yet or an estimate and suggested putting back my original drive :(

Anyone else hitting this? Any other non-Apple SSDs work with APFS?

David

ps - here's the lines in the install log (ia.log)

Sep 25 17:31:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[546]: Package Authoring Error: PackageInfo bundle reference found without top-level bundle definition. Bundle will be skipped: <bundle id="*"></bundle>
Sep 25 17:33:00 MacBook-Pro Unknown[521]: 2017-09-25 17:33:00.527 usbcupdater[592:50568] Error reading plist: No files to support boardID: Mac-C3EC7CD22292981F
Sep 25 17:33:01 MacBook-Pro Unknown[521]: Error while writing firmware updater for EFI
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: Package Authoring Error: PackageInfo bundle reference found without top-level bundle definition. Bundle will be skipped: <bundle id="*"></bundle>
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: OSIInstallElement <OSIVerifyROMElement: 0x7fbb30b97ee0> errored out:Error Domain=com.apple.osinstall Code=512 "An error occurred while verifying firmware." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=An error occurred while verifying firmware.}
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro storagekitd[548]: storagekitd: copyDiskForPath returned nil, error: -69808
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: Operation: Verify firmware failed, Failure Reason: Error Domain=com.apple.osinstall Code=512 "An error occurred while verifying firmware." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=An error occurred while verifying firmware.}
Click to expand...
No problems with the Samsung EVO or Crucial SSDs in my experience. I've upgraded a 2011 MacBook Pro 17" and a 2012 Mac mini each upgraded to a Samsung EVO and Crucial SSDs respectively with no issues. I enabled TRIM support in both cases. macOS High Sierra converted both SSDs to APFS automatically. Have now installed final macOS High Sierra (build 17A365) on both and both are running smoothly as they did the GM candidate.
[doublepost=1506365365][/doublepost]
xgman said:
Anyone try an EVO 850 yet?
Click to expand...
Yes an EVO 850 500 GB. Converted to APFS automatically and enabled TRIM support manually. No issues whatsoever.
 
unfrostedpoptar said:
Argh. I tried installing the public beta a few weeks ago and got a weird message about firmware verification failure and that I couldn't install it. I figured it would be fixed with the real release today. Nope!

APFS doesn't play with some 3rd-party SSDs - apparently including my OWC 6G 480GB in my 2012 rMBP. I've just been on a chat with their tech support. They know about this but haven't posted anything to warn their customers! And they don't have a fix yet or an estimate and suggested putting back my original drive :(

Anyone else hitting this? Any other non-Apple SSDs work with APFS?

David

ps - here's the lines in the install log (ia.log)

Sep 25 17:31:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[546]: Package Authoring Error: PackageInfo bundle reference found without top-level bundle definition. Bundle will be skipped: <bundle id="*"></bundle>
Sep 25 17:33:00 MacBook-Pro Unknown[521]: 2017-09-25 17:33:00.527 usbcupdater[592:50568] Error reading plist: No files to support boardID: Mac-C3EC7CD22292981F
Sep 25 17:33:01 MacBook-Pro Unknown[521]: Error while writing firmware updater for EFI
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: Package Authoring Error: PackageInfo bundle reference found without top-level bundle definition. Bundle will be skipped: <bundle id="*"></bundle>
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: OSIInstallElement <OSIVerifyROMElement: 0x7fbb30b97ee0> errored out:Error Domain=com.apple.osinstall Code=512 "An error occurred while verifying firmware." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=An error occurred while verifying firmware.}
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro storagekitd[548]: storagekitd: copyDiskForPath returned nil, error: -69808
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: Operation: Verify firmware failed, Failure Reason: Error Domain=com.apple.osinstall Code=512 "An error occurred while verifying firmware." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=An error occurred while verifying firmware.}
Click to expand...

Well my Lacie Little Big Disk 2 doesnt let me convert it into APFS. I was wondering if it's because it's a software raid, and if APFS doesnt work with these, or maybe it's the same issue that you're having. Anybody knows about software raids?
 
I just upgraded to 10.13 from 10.11 on a 2012 Mac Mini with a OWC Mercury Electra 6G SSD. Is working fine and APFS is the file system now. System Info always showed the Medium Type as Solid State.
 
The bug affects some OWC SSD models but not others. If About This Mac—System Report—SATA/SATA Express shows spinning disk under Medium Type, you've been bitten by OWC.
 
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unfrostedpoptar said:
Argh. I tried installing the public beta a few weeks ago and got a weird message about firmware verification failure and that I couldn't install it. I figured it would be fixed with the real release today. Nope!

APFS doesn't play with some 3rd-party SSDs - apparently including my OWC 6G 480GB in my 2012 rMBP. I've just been on a chat with their tech support. They know about this but haven't posted anything to warn their customers! And they don't have a fix yet or an estimate and suggested putting back my original drive :(

Anyone else hitting this? Any other non-Apple SSDs work with APFS?

David

ps - here's the lines in the install log (ia.log)

Sep 25 17:31:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[546]: Package Authoring Error: PackageInfo bundle reference found without top-level bundle definition. Bundle will be skipped: <bundle id="*"></bundle>
Sep 25 17:33:00 MacBook-Pro Unknown[521]: 2017-09-25 17:33:00.527 usbcupdater[592:50568] Error reading plist: No files to support boardID: Mac-C3EC7CD22292981F
Sep 25 17:33:01 MacBook-Pro Unknown[521]: Error while writing firmware updater for EFI
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: Package Authoring Error: PackageInfo bundle reference found without top-level bundle definition. Bundle will be skipped: <bundle id="*"></bundle>
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: OSIInstallElement <OSIVerifyROMElement: 0x7fbb30b97ee0> errored out:Error Domain=com.apple.osinstall Code=512 "An error occurred while verifying firmware." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=An error occurred while verifying firmware.}
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro storagekitd[548]: storagekitd: copyDiskForPath returned nil, error: -69808
Sep 25 17:35:20 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: Operation: Verify firmware failed, Failure Reason: Error Domain=com.apple.osinstall Code=512 "An error occurred while verifying firmware." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=An error occurred while verifying firmware.}
Click to expand...

There is a workaround which may or may not work for you.

Basically, you put the original disk back and install High Sierra onto that. This updates the firmware.

Then put the owc one back in and install High Sierra. It shouldn’t complain about firmware this time because now it is already updated.

I got the workaround from here: https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/87008 and they said it worked.
 
tywebb13 said:
There is a workaround which may or may not work for you.

Basically, you put the original disk back and install High Sierra onto that. This updates the firmware.

Then put the owc one back in and install High Sierra. It shouldn’t complain about firmware this time because now it is already updated.

I got the workaround from here: https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/87008 and they said it worked.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure whether that's the same problem. The "solution" post states that it's a Mac Pro-specific firmware update for the 2013 MP, and it doesn't seem to be APFS-related. In fact, "APFS" isn't even mentioned in that thread.

Edit: After re-reading the original post, I now see that I'm talking gibberish :) - it seems that the problem in this thread isn't technically APFS-related either.
 
Last edited:
tywebb13 said:
There is a workaround which may or may not work for you.

Basically, you put the original disk back and install High Sierra onto that. This updates the firmware.

Then put the owc one back in and install High Sierra. It shouldn’t complain about firmware this time because now it is already updated.

I got the workaround from here: https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/87008 and they said it worked.
Click to expand...

Yeah - this is what the OWC folks said to do on Facebook. I'll try it later - if I can find my old SSD!
 
Nermal said:
I'm not sure whether that's the same problem. The "solution" post states that it's a Mac Pro-specific firmware update for the 2013 MP, and it doesn't seem to be APFS-related. In fact, "APFS" isn't even mentioned in that thread.
Click to expand...

The firmware verification failure unfrostedpoptar spoke about is not just because of apfs - or mac pro. It is a common error many have experienced. If in this instance it is caused by owc hardware preventing the firmware update, then the workaround simply gets the firmware updated and then lets you install onto the owc.

I'm not guaranteeing that it will work. But others have had success with it and so I think it is worth a try.
 
My Samsung EVO 850 didn't convert during install, but I'm not that bothered by it. My install was an unsupported one (2009 13" Macbook Pro) and an upgrade install, but I'm not sure if that had anything to do with the conversion not taking place.
 
I installed MacOS 10.13 today on my Late 2012 iMac with an internal OWC SSD
OWC Mercury EXTREME Pro 6G SSD (960GB).

It's been converted to APFS and seems to be working just fine.
 
This bug in OWC SSD firmware for some models bit developers at WWDC too. Apple and OWC have known about it this long but it seems OWC has done nothing to fix it, so far.
 
Last edited:
nekton1 said:
This bug in OWC SSD firmware for some models bit developers at WWDC too. Apple and OWC have know about it this long but it seems OWC has done nothing to fix it, so far.
Click to expand...

Hard to believe that they just ignored the problem. Not sure why they don't yet have a fix, but I doubt that's the reason why.
 
dlbmacfan said:
Hard to believe that they just ignored the problem. Not sure why they don't yet have a fix, but I doubt that's the reason why.
Click to expand...

It's possible a "fix" is a hardware thing, not a software thing - and that will be expensive to do. Maybe that's why. Lets hope I'm wrong and there can be a software fix.
 
zappaesque said:
My Samsung EVO 850 didn't convert during install, but I'm not that bothered by it. My install was an unsupported one (2009 13" Macbook Pro) and an upgrade install, but I'm not sure if that had anything to do with the conversion not taking place.
Click to expand...
If you boot off the patched installer an unmount the Samsung 850 EVO, you can convert it to APFS. However, then you need to run the patch again, and the boot process doesn't look as clean aesthetically, since APFS on unsupported Macs boots partially in verbose mode with scrolling text. For this reasons, I just stuck with HFS+ on my 2009 13" MacBook Pro and Samsung 840 EVO. (Actually, I installed on APFS by formatting it to APFS first and then installing High Sierra, but I didn't like the aesthetics of the boot process, so I reverted back to HFS+.)
 
EugW said:
If you boot off the patched installer an unmount the Samsung 850 EVO, you can convert it to APFS. However, then you need to run the patch again, and the boot process doesn't look as clean aesthetically, since APFS on unsupported Macs boots partially in verbose mode with scrolling text. For this reasons, I just stuck with HFS+ on my 2009 13" MacBook Pro and Samsung 840 EVO. (Actually, I installed on APFS by formatting it to APFS first and then installing High Sierra, but I didn't like the aesthetics of the boot process, so I reverted back to HFS+.)
Click to expand...

I see. Thanks for the explanation. I'm not bothered by HFS+, so I'll leave it alone.
 
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