MP 1,1-5,1 Mac pro 2.1

[Tets67]

Hi there.. ..just inherited a Mac pro 2.1 that I've been trying unsuccessfully to revive.it's missing the original GPU so I obviously can't install any os directly from it but I have an iMac mid 2007 that is running el capitan. I guess what I would like to know is what are my options in terms of the Operating system I can install in there and how would I go about installing ? I have a GT 620 and 710 cards..

Thank you

 

[rm5]

It's funny I pulled up this thread right after watching a video about a 2,1 Mac Pro! Anyway, the Mac Pro 2,1 can NOT run El Capitan officially, because it has 32-bit firmware. SO... you'll need to find an alternative OTHER THAN macOS for the time being, until you can patch around the 32-bit firmware limitation with OS X Patcher or the like. You could use Windows or Linux, really anything goes... but if you wanted to get some use out of it, macOS is NOT the way to go with that machine... also because it's limited to 10.7 Lion which is an unusable OS that you can't do much with.

 

[Jaapnieland]

Hi there.. ..just inherited a Mac pro 2.1 that I've been trying unsuccessfully to revive.it's missing the original GPU so I obviously can't install any os directly from it but I have an iMac mid 2007 that is running el capitan. I guess what I would like to know is what are my options in terms of the Operating system I can install in there and how would I go about installing ? I have a GT 620 and 710 cards..

Thank you

Hey, there is another option by downloading the following image attached to this YouTube video:

.
Then restore that image to an ssd or hdd.
You can do that from another Mac, or windows pc using the program transmac:

For the gpu, if I remember it correctly the gt620 should work, for the gt710 I’m not sure to be honest.

 

[Tets67]

Hey, there is another option by downloading the following image attached to this YouTube video:

.
Then restore that image to an ssd or hdd.
You can do that from another Mac, or windows pc using the program transmac:

For the gpu, if I remember it correctly the gt620 should work, for the gt710 I’m not sure to be honest.

Hey, there is another option by downloading the following image attached to this YouTube video:

.
Then restore that image to an ssd or hdd.
You can do that from another Mac, or windows pc using the program transmac:

For the gpu, if I remember it correctly the gt620 should work, for the gt710 I’m not sure to be honest.

Okay the video instructs to restore using disk utility but the image won't open with disk utility..it just creates a thing that looks like a hard drive on my desktop

 

[Jaapnieland]

Okay the video instructs to restore using disk utility but the image won't open with disk utility..it just creates a thing that looks like a hard drive on my desktop

If you have the external drive ready, just click the volume of it and choose restore from the top bar. Now choose in the drop down menu the el capitain volume and the restore should start.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

Hi there.. ..just inherited a Mac pro 2.1 that I've been trying unsuccessfully to revive.it's missing the original GPU so I obviously can't install any os directly from it but I have an iMac mid 2007 that is running el capitan. I guess what I would like to know is what are my options in terms of the Operating system I can install in there and how would I go about installing ? I have a GT 620 and 710 cards..

Thank you

Just plug in an SSD with Windows 10 pre-installed in legacy (MBR) mode. Done deal.

 

[Jaapnieland]

Just plug in an SSD with Windows 10 pre-installed in legacy (MBR) mode. Done deal.

Also possible yes, but if you want the most recent Mac OS version on the 2,1 that works.
This is the easiest way.

 

[Tets67]

If you have the external drive ready, just click the volume of it and choose restore from the top bar. Now choose in the drop down menu the el capitain volume and the restore should start.

If you have the external drive ready, just click the volume of it and choose restore from the top bar. Now choose in the drop down menu the el capitain volume and the restore should start.

If you have the external drive ready, just click the volume of it and choose restore from the top bar. Now choose in the drop down menu the el capitain volume and the restore should start.

Okay thanks.. .before you replied I was thinking of cloning it from the el Capitan volume using carbon copy cloner.would that have worked ?

 

[Tets67]

Just plug in an SSD with Windows 10 pre-installed in legacy (MBR) mode. Done deal.

And this won't work with a HDD?

 

[joevt]

And this won't work with a HDD?

HDD will work no problem. SSDs are faster and pretty cheap these days.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

And this won't work with a HDD?

Try it to see if it works on your Windows pre-installed HDD.
Actually it wouldn't work by installing a pre-installed Windows HDD/SSD.
I had to create a Windows installer disk, then plug it in the SATA slot on the MP, then install Windows on the same disk.
So when booting, it will boot from the installer first, then let you select to boot Windows desktop from the menu.
This is a solution to go around the 32-bit EFI on the MP1,1 and still have 64-bit Windows 10.

Okay thanks.. .before you replied I was thinking of cloning it from the el Capitan volume using carbon copy cloner.would that have worked ?

No it would not work with Mac OS X Elcapitan.
Restoring the dmg file from that Youtube video is the easiest and most convenient method I know.
It worked for my MP1,1.
But my MP1,1 has a HDD of Mac OS X Lion running.

 

[Jaapnieland]

Try it to see if it works on your Windows pre-installed HDD.
Actually it wouldn't work by installing a pre-installed Windows HDD/SSD.
I had to create a Windows installer disk, then plug it in the SATA slot on the MP, then install Windows on the same disk.
So when booting, it will boot from the installer first, then let you select to boot Windows desktop from the menu.
This is a solution to go around the 32-bit EFI on the MP1,1 and still have 64-bit Windows 10.



No it would not work with Mac OS X Elcapitan.
Restoring the dmg file from that Youtube video is the easiest and most convenient method I know.
It worked for my MP1,1.
But my MP1,1 has a HDD of Mac OS X Lion running.

Same for me, the copy from the YouTube video worked without any problem.
On a windows desktop i have it restored to an ssd/hdd using transmac once and also once using disk utility on another 1,1.
If you want to use Mac OS this is by far the easiest way to go.

 

[Tets67]

Also possible yes, but if you want the most recent Mac OS version on the 2,1 that works.
This is the easiest way.

Thanks alot guys.. the pre - installed win 10 worked..