MBP 1,1-10,2 Force 2011 MacBook Pro 8,2 with failed AMD GPU to ALWAYS use Intel integrated GPU (EFI variable fix)

[deknow]

For what directory did you move the AMD kexts? /DisableExtensions directory?

I did this exactly

– make a kext-backup directory

mkdir -p /System/Library/Extensions-off

– only move ONE offending kext out of the way:

mv /System/Library/Extensions/AMDRadeonX3000.kext /System/Library/Extensions-off/

I know where the kext is I just don't know where to put it back

 

[nsgr]

I did this exactly

– make a kext-backup directory

mkdir -p /System/Library/Extensions-off

– only move ONE offending kext out of the way:

mv /System/Library/Extensions/AMDRadeonX3000.kext /System/Library/Extensions-off/

I know where the kext is I just don't know where to put it back

This is the problematic AMDRadeonX3000.kext. If it is back in the /System/Library/Extensions directory, it will freeze the Macbook Pro at boot time.

This AMDRadeonX3000.kext must be in the directory created by The Guide MikeN - /System/Library/Extensions-off.

Do these two procedures and copy and paste in your answer - My example:

0 - Open Finder -> Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal

1 - List the files inside the /System/Library/Extensions-off/

ls -la /System/Library/Extensions-off/

total 0
drwxr-xr-x   4 root  wheel  128 Feb  6 23:23 .
drwxr-xr-x  29 root  wheel  928 Feb  8 01:30 ..
drwxr-xr-x@  3 root  wheel   96 Dec 20 23:33 AMDRadeonX3000.kext
drwxr-xr-x@  3 root  wheel   96 Nov 10 01:01 AMDRadeonX3000.kext.old-1

2 - List the loaded AMD kexts:

kextstat | grep AMD

com.apple.kext.AMDLegacySupport (1.6.0) 595D9BF9-EC9E-3441-A191-3446E3CF78AA
com.apple.kext.AMD6000Controller (1.6.0) 20C07AFC-249A-387D-9F54-CECD9B14B762
com.apple.kext.AMDLegacyFramebuffer (1.6.0) 153C1052-E16D-3E8B-9747-E394CF3DF0C3
com.apple.kext.AMDRadeonX3000 (1.6.0) 0C8E4DE5-A1FE-3FF2-ACD6-EF6EA3B9BD8F

 

[deknow]

This is the problematic AMDRadeonX3000.kext. If it is back in the /System/Library/Extensions directory, it will freeze the Macbook Pro at boot time.

This AMDRadeonX3000.kext must be in the directory created by The Guide MikeN - /System/Library/Extensions-off.

Do these two procedures and copy and paste in your answer - My example:

0 - Open Finder -> Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal

1 - List the files inside the /System/Library/Extensions-off/

ls -la /System/Library/Extensions-off/

total 0
drwxr-xr-x   4 root  wheel  128 Feb  6 23:23 .
drwxr-xr-x  29 root  wheel  928 Feb  8 01:30 ..
drwxr-xr-x@  3 root  wheel   96 Dec 20 23:33 AMDRadeonX3000.kext
drwxr-xr-x@  3 root  wheel   96 Nov 10 01:01 AMDRadeonX3000.kext.old-1

2 - List the loaded AMD kexts:

kextstat | grep AMD

com.apple.kext.AMDLegacySupport (1.6.0) 595D9BF9-EC9E-3441-A191-3446E3CF78AA
com.apple.kext.AMD6000Controller (1.6.0) 20C07AFC-249A-387D-9F54-CECD9B14B762
com.apple.kext.AMDLegacyFramebuffer (1.6.0) 153C1052-E16D-3E8B-9747-E394CF3DF0C3
com.apple.kext.AMDRadeonX3000 (1.6.0) 0C8E4DE5-A1FE-3FF2-ACD6-EF6EA3B9BD8F

1.
ls -la /System/Library/Extensions-off/

ls: /System/Library/Extensions-off/: No such file or directory

Denniss-MBP:~ dennispassley$ total 0

2.
Denniss-MBP:~ dennispassley$ kextstat | grep AMD

121 2 0xffffff7f83509000 0x122000 0x122000 com.apple.kext.AMDLegacySupport (1.5.1) 756475CD-6AB0-3EC2-BA80-CD34D6BA4676 <107 12 11 7 5 4 3 1>

129 0 0xffffff7f8366e000 0x12e000 0x12e000 com.apple.kext.AMD6000Controller (1.5.1) 29857658-91D6-3AFE-84CE-309AE7FBEB4D <121 107 12 11 5 4 3 1>

140 0 0xffffff7f83638000 0x22000 0x22000 com.apple.kext.AMDLegacyFramebuffer (1.5.1) AEEB4606-16B0-3682-8AE7-E8ED9242F5DE <121 107 12 11 7 5 4 3 1>

Denniss-MBP:~ dennispassley$ com.apple.kext.AMDLegacySupport (1.6.0) 595D9BF9-EC9E-3441-A191-3446E3CF78AA

-bash: syntax error near unexpected token `1.6.0'

Denniss-MBP:~ dennispassley$ com.apple.kext.AMD6000Controller (1.6.0) 20C07AFC-249A-387D-9F54-CECD9B14B762

-bash: syntax error near unexpected token `1.6.0'

Denniss-MBP:~ dennispassley$ com.apple.kext.AMDLegacyFramebuffer (1.6.0) 153C1052-E16D-3E8B-9747-E394CF3DF0C3

-bash: syntax error near unexpected token `1.6.0'

Denniss-MBP:~ dennispassley$ com.apple.kext.AMDRadeonX3000 (1.6.0) 0C8E4DE5-A1FE-3FF2-ACD6-EF6EA3B9BD8F

 

[nsgr]

1.
ls -la /System/Library/Extensions-off/

ls: /System/Library/Extensions-off/: No such file or directory

Denniss-MBP:~ dennispassley$ total 0

2.
Denniss-MBP:~ dennispassley$ kextstat | grep AMD

121 2 0xffffff7f83509000 0x122000 0x122000 com.apple.kext.AMDLegacySupport (1.5.1) 756475CD-6AB0-3EC2-BA80-CD34D6BA4676 <107 12 11 7 5 4 3 1>

129 0 0xffffff7f8366e000 0x12e000 0x12e000 com.apple.kext.AMD6000Controller (1.5.1) 29857658-91D6-3AFE-84CE-309AE7FBEB4D <121 107 12 11 5 4 3 1>

140 0 0xffffff7f83638000 0x22000 0x22000 com.apple.kext.AMDLegacyFramebuffer (1.5.1) AEEB4606-16B0-3682-8AE7-E8ED9242F5DE <121 107 12 11 7 5 4 3 1>

Denniss-MBP:~ dennispassley$ com.apple.kext.AMDLegacySupport (1.6.0) 595D9BF9-EC9E-3441-A191-3446E3CF78AA

-bash: syntax error near unexpected token `1.6.0'

Denniss-MBP:~ dennispassley$ com.apple.kext.AMD6000Controller (1.6.0) 20C07AFC-249A-387D-9F54-CECD9B14B762

-bash: syntax error near unexpected token `1.6.0'

Denniss-MBP:~ dennispassley$ com.apple.kext.AMDLegacyFramebuffer (1.6.0) 153C1052-E16D-3E8B-9747-E394CF3DF0C3

-bash: syntax error near unexpected token `1.6.0'

Denniss-MBP:~ dennispassley$ com.apple.kext.AMDRadeonX3000 (1.6.0) 0C8E4DE5-A1FE-3FF2-ACD6-EF6EA3B9BD8F

There is no /System/Library/Extensions-off/ directory on your system or there is no file AMDRadeonX3000.kext inside.

Copy and paste the answer from this command to see where AMDRadeonX3000.kext is - My example:

sudo find / -name AMDRadeonX3000.kext
Password:

/DisableExtensions/AMDRadeonX3000.kext

 

[deknow]

There is no /System/Library/Extensions-off/ directory on your system or there is no file AMDRadeonX3000.kext inside.

Copy and paste the answer from this command to see where AMDRadeonX3000.kext is - My example:

sudo find / -name AMDRadeonX3000.kext
Password:

/DisableExtensions/AMDRadeonX3000.kext

Its right here. Where should I move it in order to get it back into the right place?

 

[nsgr]

Its right here. Where should I move it in order to get it back into the right place?

He is in the "right place". Out of /System/Library/Extensions.

Copy and past this:

ls -la /backup

You've made a mix of procedures. If you had just followed The MikeN Guide, then your AMDRadeonX3000.kext would be in another directory - /System/Library/Extensions-off/

 

[deknow]

He is in the "right place". Out of /System/Library/Extensions.

Copy and past this:

ls -la /backup

You've made a mix of procedures. If you had just followed The MikeN Guide, then your AMDRadeonX3000.kext would be in another directory - /System/Library/Extensions-off/

total 0

drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 8 Feb 10:25 .

drwxr-xr-x 34 root wheel 1224 9 Feb 16:27 ..

drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 102 11 Jan 2017 AMDRadeonX3000.kext

 

[nsgr]

total 0

drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 8 Feb 10:25 .

drwxr-xr-x 34 root wheel 1224 9 Feb 16:27 ..

drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 102 11 Jan 2017 AMDRadeonX3000.kext

Did you create the file for MikeN's LoginHook?

Automate this with the following LoginHook:
sudo mkdir -p /Library/LoginHook
sudo nano /Library/LoginHook/LoadX3000.sh

If yes, copy and paste the answer for:

cat /Library/LoginHook/LoadX3000.sh

 

[deknow]

Did you create the file for MikeN's LoginHook?

Automate this with the following LoginHook:
sudo mkdir -p /Library/LoginHook
sudo nano /Library/LoginHook/LoadX3000.sh

If yes, copy and paste the answer for:

cat /Library/LoginHook/LoadX3000.sh

I did not because when I logged into the computer I couldn't move the AMD kext so I stopped right there.
[doublepost=1518212962][/doublepost]This is what I got

 

[nsgr]

I did not because when I logged into the computer I couldn't move the AMD kext so I stopped right there.

No, you were able to move the AMDRadeonX3000.kext at some point. The right move would be in Single User Mode (Command + S at boot).

AMDRadeonX3000.kext is inside the /backup directory.
The factory default would be in /System/Library/Extensions.
So at some point you managed to move it.

In its previous answer to the kextstat command | grep AMD appears:
-bash: syntax error near unexpected token `1.6.0'

You must have created LoginHook at some point. This response is relative to a batch file.

When you log in, do you manually load AMDRadeonX3000.kext? It appears listed, so you loaded it somehow.

 

[deknow]

No, you were able to move the AMDRadeonX3000.kext at some point. The right move would be in Single User Mode (Command + S at boot).

AMDRadeonX3000.kext is inside the /backup directory.
The factory default would be in /System/Library/Extensions.
So at some point you managed to move it.

In its previous answer to the kextstat command | grep AMD appears:
-bash: syntax error near unexpected token `1.6.0'

You must have created LoginHook at some point. This response is relative to a batch file.

When you log in, do you manually load AMDRadeonX3000.kext? It appears listed, so you loaded it somehow.

Ya I tried but I got this message

/System/Library/Extensions-off/AMDRadeonX3000.kext failed to load - (libkern/kext) not found; check the system/kernel logs for errors or try kextutil(8).

is that because the AMD kext is in the backup folder?

 

[nsgr]

Ya I tried but I got this message

/System/Library/Extensions-off/AMDRadeonX3000.kext failed to load - (libkern/kext) not found; check the system/kernel logs for errors or try kextutil(8).

is that because the AMD kext is in the backup folder?

This error message is in relation to attempting to load AMDRadeonX3000 into /System/Library/Extensions-off/. As this AMDRadeonX3000.kext is inside the /backup, then the message "not found".

copy and past the answer:

ls -la /Library/LoginHook/

 

[deknow]

This error message is in relation to attempting to load AMDRadeonX3000 into /System/Library/Extensions-off/. As this AMDRadeonX3000.kext is inside the /backup, then the message "not found".

copy and past the answer:

ls -la /Library/LoginHook/

total 0

drwxr-xr-x 2 root wheel 68 9 Feb 16:47 .

drwxr-xr-x+ 66 root wheel 2244 9 Feb 16:47 ..

 

[nsgr]

Your system is like a mixed system. You have mixed several procedures.

1 - Close all applications and open only Active Monitor and Terminal.

Try this and see iff temperature decrease:
If AMDRadeonX3000.kext was loaded correctly (kextload), then no error message will appear.

sudo kextload /backup/AMDRadeonX3000.kext

Wait 4 minutes and see if temperature decrease.

 

[deknow]

Your system is like a mixed system. You have mixed several procedures.

1 - Close all applications and open only Active Monitor and Terminal.

If AMDRadeonX3000.kext was loaded correctly (kextload), then no error message will appear.

Try this and see iff temperature decrease:

sudo kextload /backup/AMDRadeonX3000.kext

Wait 4 minutes and see if temperature decrease.

hahahaha I'm just desperate to get it to work man. I tried almost every suggestion in this thread, I guess a few of them didn't reset.

I got no error message so I assume its working? YESSS!

My computer is still idling at about 52c... Not sure if this is normal or if it due to perhaps my battery which needs replacing. I've been needing to service the battery for quite some time now! Do you think its worth it to buy a new battery for this machine considering the condition it is in? If yes which one should I buy?

And by the way thank you so much for your help! You've been incredibly patient and I greatly appreciate it!

 

[nsgr]

hahahaha I'm just desperate to get it to work man. I tried almost every suggestion in this thread, I guess a few of them didn't reset.

I got no error message so I assume its working? YESSS!

My computer is still idling at about 52c... Not sure if this is normal or if it due to perhaps my battery which needs replacing. I've been needing to service the battery for quite some time now! Do you think its worth it to buy a new battery for this machine considering the condition it is in? If yes which one should I buy?

And by the way thank you so much for your help! You've been incredibly patient and I greatly appreciate it!

The problem is not the battery.

Did you do this with the battery only or did you plug in MagSafe?
If the AMD kexts have been loaded correctly, then the battery life time increases.
For example, with AMD GPU being the main GPU, then the battery lasts 3 hours.
With the Intel GPU being the main GPU, then the battery lasts for 5 to 8 hours.

Do you use which application to measure the temperature?

The problem is that with nvram gpu-power-prefs for Intel GPU does not turn off the AMD GPU.
Then you have to load these kexts during the boot (AMD6000Controller.kext, AMDLegacySupport.kext and AMDLegacyFramebuffer.kext) to activate some AMD GPU settings.

After login you load AMDRadeonX3000.kext to lower the AMD GPU temperature. It does not turn off completely (standby mode).
This simulates the normal procedure when you enable System Preferences -> Energy Saver -> Automatic Graphics Switching -> Intel GPU as the primary GPU -> battery saving.

To completely turn off AMD GPU, you must use GRUB SOLUTIOIN. Except the High Sierra that has problems with this method (without control of brightness, etc).

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-on-a-2011-macbook-pro-grub-solution.2087527/

The temperature in idle should be between 40 degrees Celsius. But that depends on the temperature of your weather.

Now i open only Active Monitor, Terminal and Safari (3 tabs) -> system temperarute 48-50 degrees Celsius - GPU die Analog 15 degrees Celsius - fans 2000 RPM - Istat Menu.

 

[deknow]

The problem is not the battery.

Did you do this with the battery only or did you plug in MagSafe?
If the AMD kexts have been loaded correctly, then the battery life time increases.
For example, with AMD GPU being the main GPU, then the battery lasts 3 hours.
With the Intel GPU being the main GPU, then the battery lasts for 5 to 8 hours.

Do you use which application to measure the temperature?

The problem is that with nvram gpu-power-prefs for Intel GPU does not turn off the AMD GPU.
Then you have to load these kexts during the boot (AMD6000Controller.kext, AMDLegacySupport.kext and AMDLegacyFramebuffer.kext) to activate some AMD GPU settings.

After login you load AMDRadeonX3000.kext to lower the AMD GPU temperature. It does not turn off completely (standby mode).
This simulates the normal procedure when you enable System Preferences -> Energy Saver -> Automatic Graphics Switching -> Intel GPU as the primary GPU -> battery saving.

To completely turn off AMD GPU, you must use GRUB SOLUTIOIN. Except the High Sierra that has problems with this method (without control of brightness, etc).

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-on-a-2011-macbook-pro-grub-solution.2087527/

The temperature in idle should be between 40 degrees Celsius. But that depends on the temperature of your weather.

Now i open only Active Monitor, Terminal and Safari (3 tabs) -> system temperarute 48-50 degrees Celsius - GPU die Analog 15 degrees Celsius - fans 2000 RPM - Istat Menu.

I had Magsafe plugged in.

I use iStat menus for the temperature sensor.

Ya I don't know why its so hot then... What are your thoughts on replacing the battery? Is it worth it?

 

[nsgr]

I had Magsafe plugged in.

I use iStat menus for the temperature sensor.

Ya I don't know why its so hot then... What are your thoughts on replacing the battery? Is it worth it?

My battery cycle count is 630. Limit life is 1000 cycles (by Apple).

System Information -> Power -> Cycle Count.
You have to see the amount of cycle count and see if it is in the limit according to your model of Macbook Pro.

 

[deknow]

My battery cycle count is 630. Limit life is 1000 cycles (by Apple).

System Information -> Power -> Cycle Count.

I'm at 917...

 

[nsgr]

I'm at 917...

Determine battery cycle count for Mac notebooks

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201585

 

[deknow]

Determine battery cycle count for Mac notebooks

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201585

ya i'm supposed to have 1000 but without magsafe I can barely hold a charge for longer than an hr and a bit. I just don't know if spending $200 on a new battery is worth it for a computer that is on its last legs figuratively speaking.

 

[nsgr]

ya i'm supposed to have 1000 but without magsafe I can barely hold a charge for longer than an hr and a bit. I just don't know if spending $200 on a new battery is worth it for a computer that is on its last legs figuratively speaking.

For me the future is Macbook Pro only with Intel GPU and another External GPU via Thunderbolt.

Apple could have made our life a lot easier by providing all the information on how to solve this problem yourself. But it did not.

From now on, Macbook Pro with two GPUs never again. Apple put the only wire in the AMD GPU was a giant design mistake.

Apple knows how to load Mac OS without having to move the kexts. But prefers to remain silent to force the consumer to buy a new Macbook Pro.

The Recall program was replaced by other GPUs that would fail again.

 

[AppleMacFinder]

ya i'm supposed to have 1000 but without magsafe I can barely hold a charge for longer than an hr and a bit. I just don't know if spending $200 on a new battery is worth it for a computer that is on its last legs figuratively speaking.

You could get a new battery for about $40 with free shipping directly from China (e.g. aliexpress), just make sure to read the reviews from buyers before getting it, and also get a special screwdriver for removing those 'triangular' screws. "$200" is probably the official price at your local Apple store, which includes the labour of Apple technician + Apple tax

 

[deknow]

You could get a new battery for about $40 with free shipping directly from China (e.g. aliexpress), just make sure to read the reviews from buyers before getting it, and also get a special screwdriver for removing those 'triangular' screws. "$200" is probably the official price at your local Apple store, which includes the labour of Apple technician + Apple tax

It is exactly that but my worry is buying the battery from AliExpress and it not being very good. peace of mind is valuable... btw the battery advertised on aliexpress doesn't deliver to canada where I am from.

 

[brianself]

SIMPLE FIX to get a 2011 15" MacBook Pro running after the discrete GPU has failed using a second working Mac.

1) Remove the hard drive from the 2011 15" MacBook Pro.
2) Put the drive into an external drive housing
3) Connect the drive to a working Mac running Sierra (I assume other versions would work too.) Because I had a backup of the data on the 2011 MacBook Pro, I reformatted the hard drive and installed a fresh copy of Sierra.
4) From the working Mac, go onto the external drive with the 2011's hard drive in it to the following directory of Sierra: System/Library/Extensions. Inside of the "Extensions" folder are hundreds of kexts. These are instructions the Mac uses for it's hardware, and this is where you can fix the problem very simply by removing the instructions for the bad AMD discrete video card.
5) Create a folder ~AMD_KEXTS, or some similar memorable name.
6) Put all the kexts starting with "AMD" in the "Extensions" folder (I counted 28) that relate to the discrete video card into this new folder. If the files only copy into the ~AMD_KEXTS folder instead of being moved, then after making sure they are copied into the folder, delete the same AMD files inside the Extension folder so they are in the Trash. (When doing the Alternative Method mentioned below, sliding the files into the ~AMD_KEXTS folder copied the files instead of moving the files.)
7) You're done. It's that simple. By putting the AMD kexts into a folder you are changing the path name for the AMD kexts so the Mac can't find them, and won't use the AMD card.
8) Now reinstall the "fixed" hard drive into the 2011 15" MacBook Pro
9) Boot normally

The 2011 MacBook Pro that I thought was dead forever, and confirmed dead by Apple, booted first try after following the above. None of the other methods I've read were successful. It required a working Mac to perform the operation, otherwise your doomed to do trying this in Terminal which is a nightmare and requires learning a whole new skill and potentially messing the OS up. This method was as simple as drag-and-drop with the standard Mac interface of the second Mac. The "hardest" part was removing and reinstalling the hard drive from the 2011 MacBook Pro.

While the video performance is slow, and perhaps some optimization is possible or by upgrading (again) to a SD card. The machine had one previously but I moved it to a "new" 2012 MacBook Pro computer I purchased to get back to work when I thought the 2011 MacBook Pro was certainly dead. It was just mostly dead.

This was the third logic board failure for this machine. I learned the hard way that Apple ended the logic board replacement program, December 31, 2016. I thought it was hosed. But the machine may still be useful to run peripherals such as scanners, printers, or serving files. The 4-cores under the hood can still crank away on things. At least it's not bricked like I thought it was. Apple should definitely have known how to do this, and could easily have told users how to at least get their machine to boot, even if it isn't as fast as before – at least it works.

I don't know if this will work for everyone, but it worked in this case. I like simple solutions. This took less than a minute besides the hard drive removal and reinstall. One-star difficulty.

I haven't used it long, but can add to this if there is anything additional to report. It's booted several times successfully now without any errors. Screen redraw is slow, however.

ALTERNATE METHOD:
Rather than uninstalling and reinstalling the 2011 MacBook Pro's hard drive, you can install Sierra onto a standard 64Gb SD card. A card can be purchased for around $25. Because the 2011 MacBook Pro came with a built-in SD card slot, and can boot from it, this may be a much faster option.

Just install Sierra onto the SD card using a working Mac, and then follow the above modifications to the Sierra installation, putting the AMD kexts into a different folder as described. When you're finished, simply insert the SD card into the built-in SD card reader in the side of the MacBook Pro and boot holding down the option key. Then select the SD card and boot.

The SD card's performance is much faster than the stock mechanical hard drive that came with the machine. You may want to do this alternative method and use this SD card as a backup boot drive since the machine can no longer use a stock vanilla MacOS installation. It requires a modded version. You now essentially have a Hackintosh. The SD card would give you an emergency boot drive for the machine.