MP 1,1-5,1 Help with getting a 2010 Mac Pro reset for sale.

[bb_mac]

So, I'm selling my Old Mac Pro 5.1 - but I cannot for the life of me 'restore' it - and I've been doing this kinda thing for years.

Over those years, I've upgraded this Mac with an NVmE drive, a metal compatible GPU, new processors - yada yada, the normal stuff we do.

I don't want to sell the Mac with some of that stuff I've paid good money for, as I don't think I'll recoup the value - it may add $50 on, but there's no ways I'm going to part with a 1TB NvMe and a Radeon RX580 that I can use elsewhere - not for $50 extra on the sale, that's for sure!

I digress.

I installed the old ATi card that came with the machine - it's still good.
I've slapped in a 500gb SSD - good to go.

It boots - of course it does, I've been using it for 5 years.

But I *Cannot* get the right install media for it.

It refuses to boot of a USB disk - nothing I can do will make it do that. It just doesn't work.
The DVD drive is so old, it just doesn't read a disk anymore, so I can't even install Snow Leopard on it.

I've tried creating an internal install disk using a hard drive - it just says "corrupted install disk" every time.

After reading a bit about this, it does seem I need to find compatible *original* install media in order to 'reset' the Mac.
There's some pretty cool projects out there, one of which is :

GitHub - munki/macadmin-scripts: Scripts of possible interest to macOS admins

Scripts of possible interest to macOS admins. Contribute to munki/macadmin-scripts development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

This will grab and build a compatible install image from Apple - but it *must* be done on the same machine that supports the version you are choosing, or it will not work.

I'm stumped - totally stumped.

I've spent about 6 hours today trying to get this working - and I would appreciate any ideas at this point.

It's a Mac Pro 5.1, Mid 2010 model, that I believe shipped with Snow Leopard originally - I have an install DVD ... which is so old, or the DVD player is so old, it just will not boot of it.

How the hell do I get original media?

What possible tricks can I perform to get an OS on this Mac now I've pulled all my data off and (manually) migrated to a Mac mini M1 ?


Heeeelp.

EDIT:

So, what have I tried?

Creating a USB install disk from a High Sierra install I had on file - no dice, won't even boot of it.
Creating an internal HD disk from the same source - nope - corrupted.
Ok, so, yeah, this *isn't* the original install media - it is expecting a Snow Leopard install that came *with* the computer - at least, that's what I figure?

I tried booting with a backup disk, but that had Mojave on it - and of course, it moans about incompatible video card. It will *not* install - with some more knowledge, I could probably *patch* it somehow so it will work of the non-metal compatible ATi GPU? - god knows how, beyond my skill level.
I cannot boot of the metal compatible GPU I do have ... because, no kext's - it isn't Mac compatible for boot.
It just ain't gonna boot into install mode for love nor money ... unless, again, I have the knowledge to inject some Kext's to get it to do that - heh - again, massively above my skill level.

To add insult to injury, I was actually able to boot off the NvME I had removed ... but only once and ironically with the ATi card, despite the fact it was Mojave - yep, I know you can do this.
So, I figured I could use that python script I posted up there ^^^ in this post.
Now the Mac *Refuses* to boot off the NvME - what the heck?

I have *one* last option I could try - I do have another Mac Pro 5.1, lurking about - just not sure whether it's even got an OS on it. I guess I could try and boot that and run the python script (posted above in this thread), to pull down a compatible installer?
Or better still, if it *does* have a bootable OS, slap in the SSD into a drive bay and do a re-install onto it, then swap it out to the 5.1 I want to sell?

Sheesh - this is getting desperate ...

Wow, this is complicated ... I figured it would take me an hour tops to prep the Mac, take photo's and get it on eBay - hah - yeah, right...

 

[minifridge1138]

There was an issue a while ago that certificate that Apple used to sign their OS installers had expired. So if you tried to boot off of an old download, you got the “corrupt” error message.
They have updated the certificates, so try re-downloading the installer of choice from Apple now.

 

[bb_mac]

Hi, thanks! - good info there!
Sadly, I can't seem to find High Sierra in the App Store.
No worries, I've figured out what I need to do and should've done that in the first instance.
Grab a copy of High Sierra using the python script above, hook up the SSD externally and install it to the external SSD, then transfer into the 5.1. (The firmware was patched ages ago)
That should do the trick ?

 

[minifridge1138]

https://itunes.apple.com/app/macos-high-sierra/id1246284741?mt=12

And you don’t need a python script. Use the terminal command:

Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

You can use a USB flash drive or other secondary volume as a startup disk from which to install the Mac operating system.

support.apple.com

 

[bb_mac]

Yep, done that - but I don't have a compatible installer anymore.
The one I have is corrupt with the reason that you gave - thanks for that info!

The python command grabs compatible installers from Apple.

I can't recall ever having struggled so much with a Mac before - usually it's such a quick process.
I guess, with various firmware patches over the years and given the age of the installer I need, this was never going to be easy.

So, I have a few options open - if I can't get a compatible High Sierra or Sierra install, I'll have to put Mojave on an external disk. I know it'll operate *without* a metal compatible GPU - but not sure the final setup and install process will?
Clearly I have to sell this with an OS installed but *not* setup, as you'd expect.
The last thing I want is for the buyer to be stuck like I am - but then again, anyone buying a 2010 5.1 these days is going to know what they are doing.

The final option is to do an install over network in recovery mode, assuming the machine can still fetch what it needs from Apple.

I need to get this done pretty quick, as the 5.1's are a niche market anyway and I'm sure people are thinking - "Hmm, $350 for an ancient MacPro 5.1 or ... $699 for a brand new Mac mini M1" - it's becoming an even more niche market.

It may turn out I end up putting the NVMe drive and the RX580 in the rig and selling like that - I guess it'll attract buyers more... but heck, those purchases are only like 4 months old and are perfect to upgrade my windows gaming rig.

Maybe I'll just turn it into a plant pot or something ?

 

[minifridge1138]

Did you try the iTunes link in my comment?
It’s to the High Sierra installer from Apple (which should be signed with a valid certificate)

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

Yep, done that - but I don't have a compatible installer anymore.


Maybe I'll just turn it into a plant pot or something ?

You said you have another cMP 5,1.
I would just power-up that cMP 5,1. If it's still running, I would just clone the whole disk to a new one, and put the disk back to the up-for-sale cMP 5,1 to see if it still boot.

 

[Dayo]

I don't have a compatible installer anymore.

Issue is because you can't run installers for older versions after you have installed a newer version.

I recently had to recreate my El Capitan Drive and wrote a script from information I got on doing the process from Mojave/Catalina. You can get the script here: https://gist.github.com/dakanji/1ab88389c7aaffe4b156db9741687b3a

You could use it to install El Capitan and then upgrade El Capitan or just sell with El Capitan and let the buyer upgrade.

 

[bb_mac]

Thanks guys.

Got this sorted a day or so back.

I used that python script I posted up there and *it was GOOD* - I pulled down an install on my trusty 2012 macBook pro - that comes with a SD card reader! - oh, what a wonderful bit of kit it is! - after my new mac mini, it is the best Apple computer I have *ever* owned - a lowly 13" 2012 macBook Pro, that with some extra RAM and an SSD - make that 2 SSD's, as with this old rig, you can replace the superdrive with another SSD so easily. It is the perfect casual "sitting in my pyjama's surfing" computer. It's a mini-tank. Pretty sure it'll run another 2 or 3 years.
Those days are done though, we're now in the realm of incredible performance, but zero upgrade. Sad times.

Attached an SSD to the USB port, installed via the SD, transferred to the Mac Pro 5.1 - Bang. Done.

So, I've never had to do this before - and as I've said, this is the *most* I've struggled with installing on a Mac in ... heck, I guess a decade now?

I just drew a blank for some reason - and then it came back to me, all those many many posts - *USE ANOTHER MAC* - boom, done.

I used a Mojave installer. The item on eBay includes the details about needing a metal compatible GPU - but, that's up to the bidders to figure out. This isn't a rig for noobs.

Thanks anyway folks, all good, item on eBay and surprisingly, given the new M1 macs are out, is going great guns.
Of course... the auction hasn't finished yet and it remains to be seen if the winning bidder actually stays with it and doesn't bail, but fingers crossed.

Quite why someone would choose a 10 year old machine that will end up costing almost as much as a mac mini with new apple silicon, that KICKS that mac pro 5.1 into the dust, is beyond me - but to each their own.

Although, I have noticed, 70% of the bidders are "long haul" eBayers with either entire old Macs for sale, or parts of them - with some crazy prices. I guess they have the storage space and the time to play that long game. I don't!
And I've had 10 emails so far "Are you offering a buy now price?" - Hell, no, whaddaya you think I am, an eBay n00b? - stick with the auction or go elsewhere

I'm well on my way to covering the cost of my mac mini m1 with a 10 year old rig ... that I did love dearly ... but not that much. Goodbye, old girl, we had some good times ...

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

Buyers of cMP are aiming for collectibles, or some casual gaming on windows, I guess. The case is quite beautiful to my eye.

 

[bb_mac]

Buyers of cMP are aiming for collectibles, or some casual gaming on windows, I guess. The case is quite beautiful to my eye.

I doubt very much it will be either. If you want casual gaming on windows, you are going to get a cheap PC - brand new or specced from parts, half the price.
Collectibles? Possibly?

Heck, I was drawn to them for using as a Mac, but that was years back, when they were a bargain worth having.
I guess some people still see the desire in this - but I seriously wouldn't spend more than about $200 on a base 5.1 these days.

I have this dread fear I'm going to get the winning bidder backing out, as the price has climbed pretty high and just stalled for the last 24hours - it is already overpriced for what it is.

I really don't understand why people bid so furiously when there are days to go on an auction - nuts. But there you go.

To me, an auction is furious bidding in the last 10 to 20 minutes - and all the days the product is there before that, are for research and seeing what the item is you are bidding on - discoverability.
I always wait till the end, assuming some dingbats haven't got there early and ramped the price stupidly - and then think "Oh damn, I appear to have gone insane and have got carried away" - then bail.

Heck, I've sold second hand stuff that reaches within a few dollars of the price of a new item! - ?

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

I doubt very much it will be either. If you want casual gaming on windows, you are going to get a cheap PC - brand new or specced from parts, half the price.
Collectibles? Possibly?

For $350~400, I would not hesitate a bit to buy your duo CPUs cMP 5,1, locally.
You still leave quite decent upgraded parts inside it.