UPDATE/FIX: The OEM SSD I bought (Toshiba 661-7459 for MbAir 13-14) was not compatible with my MP6,1. Replaced it with a Samsung SSAUX 661-8136 and was able to update the firmware, allowing me to install the EVO as APFS. Not sure if dosdude1 installation broke anything in the first place... sorry Collin. Everything running very smooth now and headache finally subsiding
Sorry for the upcoming novel; I've just been at this for almost a week now with no luck.
TL;DR: Clean installs not working on my 6,1, but do work on my brother's 6,1. Is there any way to "undo" a Dosdude1 installation? I want to clean install 10.14.6 but every time I run the installer, it restarts to the OSX Utilities from the USB. I'm using an Apple OEM SSD (661-7459).
Background:
This 6,1 originally had the gen1 OWC Aura SSD inside with Sierra installed. I used dosdude1's High Sierra patcher to install 10.13.6 and his BootROM patcher - this worked well and the OWC Aura will still run HS when used. Some programs I use require 10.14+, so I tried dosdude's Mojave patcher with no luck. I bought a Samsung 970 EVO + OEM SSD and would like to upgrade to 10.14.6 using these from now on. So far, I think I'm getting stuck at the firmware update stage.
Current BootROM: MP61.0116.B16
SMC ver: 2.20f18
Attempts:
- Install OEM SSD, use USB "createinstallmedia" to install High Sierra after NVRAM reset; HS begins installation, reboots to USB OSX Utilities menu. Question mark folder when rebooting w/no USB.
- Install OEM SSD, use USB "createinstallmedia" to install Catalina after NVRAM reset; Catalina begins installation, reboots to USB OSX Utilities menu. Question mark folder when rebooting w/no USB.
- Install EVO SSD, use USB "createinstallmedia" to install Catalina after NVRAM reset; begins installation, reboots to "error occured while verifying firmware".
- Install OEM SSD, use USB "createinstallmedia" to install El Capitan after NVRAM reset; El Cap begins installation, reboots to USB OSX Utilities, sometimes not showing OEM SSD unless I reboot + reset NVRAM again
- Here's the kicker: Install OEM SSD on my brother's 6,1 (which has updated BootROM), use USB "createinstallmedia" to install El Cap/HS/Catalina; everything works as it should. Reinstall working OEM SSD in my 6,1, boots to question mark folder.
Guesses:
- I definitely need to update the firmware/BootROM, but it's skipping/getting hung up on that process. Maybe this is has to do with the BootROM package I used from dosdude1's HS+Mojave page? Is there a way to undo whatever this package does?
- The OEM SSD is too "new" for the hardware/firmware that's currently installed? I read the 661-7459 is meant for the 2013-14 MacBook Air, but it should be compatible with the 6,1 right?
- The OWC Aura is configured to APFS and will still run HS - maybe the dosdude1 APFS patch is still running? I used his script to remove patches, but maybe something is still messing with the fresh OEM install?
- This is a hardware problem and I need to replace something somewhere.
Thanks to anyone willing to take this on with me. I've lost almost a week of work at this point and am feeling very defeated.
Edit 1: Recovery mode + internet recovery boot with the Mavericks installer - they both don't seem to recognize the OEM or EVO. No drives show up in Disk Utility or "diskutil list"
Sorry for the upcoming novel; I've just been at this for almost a week now with no luck.
TL;DR: Clean installs not working on my 6,1, but do work on my brother's 6,1. Is there any way to "undo" a Dosdude1 installation? I want to clean install 10.14.6 but every time I run the installer, it restarts to the OSX Utilities from the USB. I'm using an Apple OEM SSD (661-7459).
Background:
This 6,1 originally had the gen1 OWC Aura SSD inside with Sierra installed. I used dosdude1's High Sierra patcher to install 10.13.6 and his BootROM patcher - this worked well and the OWC Aura will still run HS when used. Some programs I use require 10.14+, so I tried dosdude's Mojave patcher with no luck. I bought a Samsung 970 EVO + OEM SSD and would like to upgrade to 10.14.6 using these from now on. So far, I think I'm getting stuck at the firmware update stage.
Current BootROM: MP61.0116.B16
SMC ver: 2.20f18
Attempts:
- Install OEM SSD, use USB "createinstallmedia" to install High Sierra after NVRAM reset; HS begins installation, reboots to USB OSX Utilities menu. Question mark folder when rebooting w/no USB.
- Install OEM SSD, use USB "createinstallmedia" to install Catalina after NVRAM reset; Catalina begins installation, reboots to USB OSX Utilities menu. Question mark folder when rebooting w/no USB.
- Install EVO SSD, use USB "createinstallmedia" to install Catalina after NVRAM reset; begins installation, reboots to "error occured while verifying firmware".
- Install OEM SSD, use USB "createinstallmedia" to install El Capitan after NVRAM reset; El Cap begins installation, reboots to USB OSX Utilities, sometimes not showing OEM SSD unless I reboot + reset NVRAM again
- Here's the kicker: Install OEM SSD on my brother's 6,1 (which has updated BootROM), use USB "createinstallmedia" to install El Cap/HS/Catalina; everything works as it should. Reinstall working OEM SSD in my 6,1, boots to question mark folder.
Guesses:
- I definitely need to update the firmware/BootROM, but it's skipping/getting hung up on that process. Maybe this is has to do with the BootROM package I used from dosdude1's HS+Mojave page? Is there a way to undo whatever this package does?
- The OEM SSD is too "new" for the hardware/firmware that's currently installed? I read the 661-7459 is meant for the 2013-14 MacBook Air, but it should be compatible with the 6,1 right?
- The OWC Aura is configured to APFS and will still run HS - maybe the dosdude1 APFS patch is still running? I used his script to remove patches, but maybe something is still messing with the fresh OEM install?
- This is a hardware problem and I need to replace something somewhere.
Thanks to anyone willing to take this on with me. I've lost almost a week of work at this point and am feeling very defeated.
Edit 1: Recovery mode + internet recovery boot with the Mavericks installer - they both don't seem to recognize the OEM or EVO. No drives show up in Disk Utility or "diskutil list"
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