MP 1,1-5,1 Mac Pro 2009 (How to erase HD and reinstall Catalina)?

[Ashton1]

Hi,
I have an upgraded / patched Mac Pro (was 4,1 now 5,1) and has the Dosdude patch to allow Catalina run. It's all running great but I want to erase the HD to give it to someone else and I'm not quite clear on how to do it...
When I restart I always get a black screen for a few seconds with two icons and an arrow (Mac HD and Recovery 10.15.7) ...but I can't seem to find how to select the recovery icon. I can't get the arrow under Mac HD to move (I have a wired keyboard and mouse)?

What's the best way to do this erase of HD and reinstall Catalina?

Thank you!!

 

[Macschrauber]

Try another wired keyboard or mouse on an onboard usb port, no third party usb 3 card.

 

[Ashton1]

Thanks....that worked (plugged in to original 2.0 USB on front)....BUT now when I click on Recovery 10.15.7, screen goes black as if it going to start from that but then a few seconds later the same screen comes back to chose either Mac HD or Recovery..? Each time I choose Recovery it reverts to that screen after a few seconds.
Any ideas what I can do to get into recovery?
Thanks again!
Alan.

 

[Soba]

Because you're giving the system to someone else, you might be better off (in that you will need to answer fewer questions and telephone calls for help) if you install a fully supported version of macOS. Did you consider installing Mojave? It should run without any mods on that system and shouldn't give the recipient (or you!) any trouble.

 

[Benjaminnn]

Hi,
I just bought Mac pro 4.1 upgraded to 5.1 with (CPU X5690 and GPU Nvidia Gt 710) OSX Mojave.
i wanted to do a fresh install by myself on the main ssd and i just totally wiped out the main ssd. so now i cant boot the machine and i cant reinstall OS. did i erase the firmware upgrade as well? what do i need to do to bring back the mac to life?
thanks

 

[Macschrauber]

You cant erase a firmware (Upgrade).

you should have made an USB Installer of Mojave High Sierra.

But you cant install Mojave from a USB Installer with a Kepler GPU, there comes a false error the Kepler is not Metal.

so you need to install High Sierra, load the Mojave installer and run it directly.

 

[Benjaminnn]

You cant erase a firmware (Upgrade).

you should have made an USB Installer of Mojave High Sierra.

But you cant install Mojave from a USB Installer with a Kepler GPU, there comes a false error the Kepler is not Metal.

so you need to install High Sierra, load the Mojave installer and run it directly.

Thanks for reply
the thing is i cant see the boot picker when i push Option key to choose the usb installer . it is just no video. i had a mojave usb installer back then which i could manage to enter to recovery mode with the usb installer, but option key doesnt work due to kepler gpu i think.

 

[tsialex]

The MacPro5,1 firmware search/scan for bootable disks in this order below:

1. SATA,
2. all types of PCIe connected drives (like AHCI, NVMe, PCIe SATA controllers and etc),
3. FireWire,
4. Finally after all other types, the USB connected disks/pendrives/etc.

Even if you don't have a GPU with pre-boot configuration support, if you erase the SSD/HDD with another Mac/PC and then connect just the createinstamedia USB installer and the nuked SSD/HDD, after 5 minutes or so since powering on the Mac Pro, the firmware will complete scanning all interfaces for bootable disks and the USB createinstallmedia will be loaded. After all the waiting, you will have the macOS installer on the screen.

If you let anything else bootable connected in/on the Mac Pro, the createinstallmedia USB installer will not load, since USB connected drives have the least priority at boot.

 

[Benjaminnn]

The MacPro5,1 firmware search/scan for bootable disks in this order below:

1. SATA,
2. all types of PCIe connected drives (like AHCI, NVMe, PCIe SATA controllers and etc),
3. FireWire,
4. Finally after all other types, the USB connected disks/pendrives/etc.

Even if you don't have a GPU with pre-boot configuration support, if you erase the SSD/HDD with another Mac/PC and then connect just the createinstamedia USB installer and the nuked SSD/HDD, after 5 minutes or so since powering on the Mac Pro, the firmware will complete scanning all interfaces for bootable disks and the USB createinstallmedia will be loaded. After all the waiting, you will have the macOS installer on the screen.

If you let anything else bootable connected in/on the Mac Pro, the createinstallmedia USB installer will not load, since USB connected drives have the least priority at boot.

Thanks for info,

So do you think if i make a high sierra USb installer and clean ssd it will work?

 

[tsialex]

Thanks for info,

So do you think if i make a high sierra USb installer and clean ssd it will work?

Yes.

 

[Benjaminnn]

Yes.

Ok, im going to try. thanks alot