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Macschrauber

macrumors 68030
Dec 27, 2015
2,987
1,494
Germany
I have a different take, if anything is out of expected inside the Fsys store besides hardware descriptor blob/overrides swap with early-2009s, the BootROM warrants deep investigation and validation of hardwareIDs with ESN/MLB labels.

95% of the time I found other things wrong and while most are just backplane replacements gone wrong or botched third repairs, sometimes there are user tampering.

I agree, in every case it is a thing to look closer.

That is the intension to check it and write a note if it is in unusual order.
 

adspguy

macrumors newbie
Oct 20, 2021
1
0
my macpro 4,1-> 5,1 also has this same message:
Fsys: 0 override-version, 1 ssn, 2 hwc, 3 son, 4 overrides, 5 EOF (unusual)

I bought this macpro directly from Apple as a refurbished unit back in 2009. It has never booted windows or anything other than a Mac OS or been flashed other than Apple firmware updates and the 5,1 update. It is running monterey using Martin's opencore package. It has no problem booting or running apple stuff. I wonder if this "unusual order" has to do with it being a refurbished device from Apple.

I just found your romdump tool looking to put in the EnableGop functionality.

Do you think it is save to proceed with the EnableGop without fixing this order thing?
 

Macschrauber

macrumors 68030
Dec 27, 2015
2,987
1,494
Germany
my macpro 4,1-> 5,1 also has this same message:
Fsys: 0 override-version, 1 ssn, 2 hwc, 3 son, 4 overrides, 5 EOF (unusual)

I bought this macpro directly from Apple as a refurbished unit back in 2009. It has never booted windows or anything other than a Mac OS or been flashed other than Apple firmware updates and the 5,1 update. It is running monterey using Martin's opencore package. It has no problem booting or running apple stuff. I wonder if this "unusual order" has to do with it being a refurbished device from Apple.

I just found your romdump tool looking to put in the EnableGop functionality.

Do you think it is save to proceed with the EnableGop without fixing this order thing?
As it is a 4.1 to 5.1 crossflash (I assume, if it's a reconstructed real 5,1 firmware it writes bootblock of 144.0.0.0.0), it is recommended to do a reconstruction.

Not only for that mixed order in Fsys. That mixed order does no harm at all, but if one part is wrong I would not be 100% sure, that there are no more glitches.

Plus, as said, such a crossflash is not the best way to go for modern OS, heavy use of NVRAM running OpenCore or multiple OS.
 

Noot

macrumors member
Mar 7, 2022
52
35
I got this info on my mac pro 4.1 to 5.1. Do I need to change something?

1721300411808.png
 

Noot

macrumors member
Mar 7, 2022
52
35
I want to install windows on my mac pro and was checking the nvram.

And then i saw this message and I was woried something is wrong? Should I be or not?

The sentence that something is "likely to break in the future" is not good? So I thought I needed to change some settings?
 

Macschrauber

macrumors 68030
Dec 27, 2015
2,987
1,494
Germany
I guess, you read the hint about that Netkas crossflash 4.1->5.1 - what sometime tends to break in OpenCore / multiboot configurations with heavy use of NVRAM, when some other things come in play.

The solution for this is not to change some sip settings, the solution is to get a prestine, rebuilt firmware. You can read several posts about this in this forum. Also you have seen the contact possibility...
 

Noot

macrumors member
Mar 7, 2022
52
35
Thank you for the info @Macschrauber

I have done some reading on this subject and I now understand I currently have a crossflash firmware (4.1 -> 5.1), which works, but could fail in the future.

Best way would be to rebuild the firmware. I did a rom dump, but only after I installed OCLP already. Probably I should have done it before, or this does not matter?
 

Macschrauber

macrumors 68030
Dec 27, 2015
2,987
1,494
Germany
Thank you for the info @Macschrauber

I have done some reading on this subject and I now understand I currently have a crossflash firmware (4.1 -> 5.1), which works, but could fail in the future.

Best way would be to rebuild the firmware. I did a rom dump, but only after I installed OCLP already. Probably I should have done it before, or this does not matter?
For a rebuild it is important to have the IDs, this works on an OCLP OS.

If one wants a clean as possible romfile of the particular Mac Pro, it is the best to make a deep nvram reset and boot into a supported Os without OpenCore. I prefer Mavericks in this case, as I dont need to lower sip settings to dump the rom.
 
Last edited:

Macschrauber

macrumors 68030
Dec 27, 2015
2,987
1,494
Germany

New version of the Dumper (5-8-2024):​



  • Added recognition for Matt Card.
  • Added recognition for more errors found by UEFIExtract.
  • Implemented dynamic $IBIOSI$ scan to retrieve BIOS versions of "unknown" machines' firmware and unnamed .fd files.
  • Revisited OpenCore LauncherOption: Full presentation.
  • Fixed: ASCII values in csr-active-config were not interpreted correctly.
  • Fixed: Usernames with special characters, such as spaces, no longer cause privilege errors.

Extra Tools (ESP tools, Repair preboot, etc.):​


  • Enlarged dialog buttons for wider dialogs.
  • Improved recognition of dark and light mode for rendering icons of ESPs and System volumes.
  • Revisited most of the tools, more robust recognition of OS' and bootloader variants.
  • Revisited Bless OpenCore ESP tool.
  • Check ESP for MS certificates: added a setup option to live in the login items to scan for Windows ESPs. Also deactivates them by request or automatically.
    Optionally checks NVRAM for certificates when csr values are set as needed.
setup.png

deactivate Windows ESP dialog.png

new tool: Macschrauber's System Version Scanner​


  • Scans for MacOs and Windows versions
  • Presents sealed status ( yes / broken ) for MacOS
  • Presents UEFI / Bios variant for Windows
Seal broken.png

Sealed.png

Various OS.png

With Windows.png
 
Last edited:

Macschrauber

macrumors 68030
Dec 27, 2015
2,987
1,494
Germany

new version of the Dumper 1-9-2024​


Dumper:​

- Various fixes for running the Dumper as a non admin user.
- Added iMac 12,1 dumping via Eficheck.
- Adds MacOs version and CPU configuration to the analyse window and log file.
- Added detailed boot block info, with version and release date.
- Detect more empty .fd firmware files for MP41 and MP51.
- Added scanning dump files file system wide via the cli tool.
- Read and decode NVRAM variables directly from NVRAM via the cli tool.


example nvram readout for csr-active-config

Code:
test_nvram '-nvram csr-active-config'
NVRAM output:
csr-active-config    w%00%00%00
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Decoded:
77000000
Decoded (little-endian representation):
00000077
-------------------------------------------------------------------
0x001 CSR_ALLOW_UNTRUSTED_KEXTS
0x002 CSR_ALLOW_UNRESTRICTED_FS
0x004 CSR_ALLOW_TASK_FOR_PID
0x010 CSR_ALLOW_APPLE_INTERNAL
0x020 CSR_ALLOW_UNRESTRICTED_DTRACE
0x040 CSR_ALLOW_UNRESTRICTED_NVRAM
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Hexadecimal encoding:
00000000: 3737 3030 3030 3030                      77000000
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Raw XML data:
dwAAAA==
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Base64 encoding:
w
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Hexadecimal conversion:
6477414141413d3d
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Extra Tools (ESP tools, Repair preboot, etc.):​

- boot-args: edit boot-args got a vertical list of boot-args.
- Various fixes for running the extra tools as a non admin user.



Github site: https://github.com/Macschrauber/Macschrauber-s-Rom-Dump
changelog: https://github.com/Macschrauber/Macschrauber-s-Rom-Dump/blob/main/changelog.txt
download: https://github.com/Macschrauber/Mac...d/Release/Download.the.Dumper.from.github.zip
 

AVID-MEDIA

macrumors newbie
Dec 13, 2023
16
1
Hi
I want to try to reflash my Mac Pro 5.1 with EnableGOP added
I downloaded the Dumper from here v5-8-2024
Well when I tried to save the Rom Dump, I got a message
"This tool i can read and write the bootrom of your <Mac Pro 2010>
Tell me what to do in this case
 

Attachments

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Macschrauber

macrumors 68030
Dec 27, 2015
2,987
1,494
Germany
Hi
I want to try to reflash my Mac Pro 5.1 with EnableGOP added
I downloaded the Dumper from here v5-8-2024
Well when I tried to save the Rom Dump, I got a message
"This tool i can read and write the bootrom of your <Mac Pro 2010>
Tell me what to do in this case
[backup firmware] makes a dump.
 

Macschrauber

macrumors 68030
Dec 27, 2015
2,987
1,494
Germany

The Dumper update 19-10-2024​


The Dumper:
-> Detects if running on a T2 or Silicon Mac and removes the button accordingly.
-> Added a dialog for missing LBSN/BD sector.
-> Decodes board-id to Mac model in log file.
-> tells the user if the assigned FireWire address does not match the firmware MAC address.
This may indicate that firmware from another machine was flashed on an MP41 or MP51.
Bildschirmfoto 2024-10-05 um 21.18.57.png

test_nvram:
-> Dumping IM121 is forced to use eficheck (available from High Sierra to Ventura) due to a crash when loading DirectHW.kext.
-> "FW MAC matches not with LBSN" or "FW MAC matches with LBSN" line, when the Mac has Firewire and LBSN sector has a firmware MAC address.
-> A catch when Eficheck is not available (before 10.13, after 13).
-> A catch for an empty EFI Version string.
-> CRC32 check for the main firmware volumes for MP41 and MP51 firmwares.


ESP Tools:
-> Detect amdvbflash ESP.
unmount all ESPs, Mount ESP from list, Mount ESP from list and show bootloader:
-> Unmounting has an option to handle busy status of ESPs.
copy ESP:
-> Sets script into a loop, to work on more than one ESP in a row.



Macschrauber's System Version Scanner:
-> more sealed status report.
-> more progress bar steps for multiple MacOS on one machine.
Bildschirmfoto 2024-09-15 um 13.35.40 os versions with windows.png

Select Wi-Fi from found networks and Select Wi-Fi from preferred networks:
-> Message and workaround if Airport Utility cli tool is not working anymore on OS since Ventura.

Boot-Args:
-> edit boot-args got into a loop, so editing more options is more comfortable.

Preboot Fixer:
-> mount ESP needs admin privileges if user is not in admin group, fixed when using stored admin / password data.



Github site: https://github.com/Macschrauber/Macschrauber-s-Rom-Dump
Download: https://github.com/Macschrauber/Mac...d/Release/Download.the.Dumper.from.github.zip
 
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