MP 1,1-5,1 Mac Pro 2010 5,1 Replaced Logic Board & failed Mojave install.

[Hershey52]

Hi Macrumours

This is my very first post about my My 2010 5,1. 2 x 3.46 GHz 2x6-Core Intel Xeon. Firmware updated to 144.0.0.0.0 with 64gig RAM and a 2 gig metal graphics card. Hopefully, I will get some answers here as the authors on the facebook 5,1 advised me contact you guys.

My Mid 2010 5,1. has a REPLACED Logic Board (same serial as me original and is updated to firmware 144.0.0.0.0. My original Logic board that came with the computer, has a broken cpu pin which was an unfortunate accident. So I bought this replacement on eBay and fitted it.
Installed High Sierra and it is working fine no issues.

The problem is OSX Mojave will not install on any drive.
I have tried direct install from Apple website OSX downloads, a usb installer created with & Terminal, Disk drill and dosdude All ultimately failed. Haven't tried open core yet.

1. I have tried to reinstall the osx on a re formatted (Mac OS journled) Samsung plus sata ssd 250 gig drive, it failed.
2. I tried to install on another Wetern Digital 1TB sata spinning drive, it failed.
3. Have tried to install on a Hitachi 250 gig sata external spinng drive, it failed.
4. I did manage to install Mojave using dosdudeon the data Samsung SSD . However, the install was fraught with problems, and when the
apple security update was knocking on me door, the security update FAILED to install and I had to go back to High Sierra using Time
machine.

Am back on High Sierra which I have installed 3 times with all updates successfully installed NO PROBLEMS.
However, I need to upgrade to Mojave, so I can use my current 2022/3 Protools music software.

So, if any body on maceumours can help me with some experienced solutions, I'd forever be in your debt...Mike in Australia

 

[tsialex]

Too many possibilities, you need to narrow it down. Where the install is failing? Expired signing certificate? RTC incorrect date? Kepler GPU that needs to be installed from macOS and not from USB createinstallmedia?

Start checking if your Mac Pro date is correct, then try a createinstallmedia USB installer and post a picture of the error.

Also, if the replacement backplane have the real serial number for your Mac Pro, the seller modified it someway. How do you know if they did the job correctly?

 

[tsialex]

Also, read all the notes of this first post of the thread below:

MP5,1: What you have to do to upgrade to Mojave (BootROM upgrade instructions thread)

 

[Hershey52]

Too many possibilities, you need to narrow it down. Where the install is failing? Expired signing certificate? RTC incorrect date? Kepler GPU that needs to be installed from macOS and not from USB createinstallmedia?

Start checking if your Mac Pro date is correct, then try a createinstallmedia USB installer and post a picture of the error.

Also, if the replacement backplane have the real serial number for your Mac Pro, the seller modified it someway. How do you know if they did the job correctly?

Hi mate

Thanks for getting back so quickly. To answer your questions.

1. Where the install is failing? - All the three installs would fail, about half way through.
2. Expired signing certificate? - Sorry, I don't know what that means.
3. incorrect date? - I did all the installs in the past 2 weeks. However Mac OSX came out on September 26th 2018.
So are you saying I should try back dating my computer using Terminal, if so, I can do that and try again...!
4. Kepler GPU that needs to be installed from macOS and not from USB createinstallmedia?
Not sure what you mean by "Kepler". My METAL GPU was installed B4 any installations. MacOS Mojave specifically
states that metal cards must be installed and FireVault disabled.
5. The seller of the replaced Backplane as far as I can tell, did NOT in any way modify the serial number as I checked
it before I installed it. I replaced it correctly. My 5,1 is working fine with High Sierra installed. See screenshot
below.

Cheers Mike

 

[tsialex]

Hi mate

Thanks for getting back so quickly. To answer your questions.

1. Where the install is failing? - All the three installs would fail, about half way through.

Upload a picture of the error.

2. Expired signing certificate? - Sorry, I don't know what that means.

macOS installers are signed with certificates that have minimum and maximum date validity, if the Mac Pro date is not within the expected date, the install will fail.

Delete your Mojave installer and download from Apple again to be sure that you have a valid signing certificate.

3. incorrect date? - I did all the installs in the past 2 weeks. However Mac OSX came out on September 26th 2018.
So are you saying I should try back dating my computer using Terminal, if so, I can do that and try again...!

Double check the Mac Pro clock.

4. Kepler GPU that needs to be installed from macOS and not from USB createinstallmedia?
Not sure what you mean by "Kepler". My METAL GPU was installed B4 any installations. MacOS Mojave specifically
states that metal cards must be installed and FireVault disabled.

You did not read the notes I've linked, no?

5. The seller of the replaced Backplane as far as I can tell, did NOT in any way modify the serial number as I checked
it before I installed it. I replaced it correctly. My 5,1 is working fine with High Sierra installed. See screenshot
below.

Cheers Mike

View attachment 2133649

You don't know that for sure, you are assuming it. If the seller just added the serial number from the case to the BootROM image without correctly modifying all the checksums, your BootROM image is not valid and will fail right when the macOS installer checks/query the firmware properties, easy to see if you enable the installer log.

 

[tsialex]

Read the notes I've linked before - you will learn why I've warned you about this:

 

[Hershey52]

Upload a picture of the error.

macOS installers are signed with certificates that have minimum and maximum date validity, if the Mac Pro date is not within the expected date, the install will fail.

Delete your Mojave installer and download from Apple again to be sure that you have a valid signing certificate.

Double check the Mac Pro clock.

You did not read the notes I've linked, no?

You don't know that for sure, you are assuming it. If the seller just added the serial number from the case to the BootROM image without correctly modifying all the checksums, your BootROM image is not valid and will fail right when the macOS installer checks/query the firmware properties, easy to see if you enable the installer log.

1. Upload a picture of the error. - Sorry Sir, there is NO available picture of the error.

2. macOS installers are signed with certificates that have minimum and maximum date validity, if the Mac Pro date is not within the expected date, the install will fail. - The MacOS Mojave were downloaded as current and were installed and failed.

3. You don't know that for sure, you are assuming it. If the seller just added the serial number from the case to the BootROM image without correctly modifying all the checksums, your BootROM image is not valid and will fail right when the macOS installer checks/query the firmware properties, easy to see if you enable the installer log.2. - I do NOT assume sir. I am an ex naval Vietnam Veteran. I assume nothing and make decisions only based on evidence. I checked the board when it arrived by post, and the evidence I saw, suggested that the Logic backplane had NOT been tampered with in any way, shape or form.

4. Double check the Mac Pro clock. - My mac pro clock is displaying todays date, Wednesday 2.30 pm 28th December
2022
5. You did not read the notes I've linked, no? - Sorry Sir, however, I did read all your notes above.

Thank you
Mike from Australia

 

[Hershey52]

I downloaded osx Mojave only 2 hours ago and it is installed in my Applications. Would this suffice ? Or would you insist on me downloading again ?

Also Please try to be patient, I did read your notes, however, and am learning new strategies very day. Thank you

 

[Hershey52]

Read the notes I've linked before - you will learn why I've warned you about this:

View attachment 2133651

The graphics card you have high-lighted in my "about mac" is a METAL 2gig card and was installed on the original SSD before the Logic board replacement. I am curious as to why you have highlighted this. Please explain ?

 

[tsialex]

1. Upload a picture of the error. - Sorry Sir, there is NO available picture of the error.

So, please take a picture of the error message or we will never progress to anything.

Enable the installer log with CMD-L and press CMD-3 to show all messages.

2. macOS installers are signed with certificates that have minimum and maximum date validity, if the Mac Pro date is not within the expected date, the install will fail. - The MacOS Mojave were downloaded as current and were installed and failed.

There are several different failures, if you don't help narrowing down, you will get nowhere.

3. You don't know that for sure, you are assuming it. If the seller just added the serial number from the case to the BootROM image without correctly modifying all the checksums, your BootROM image is not valid and will fail right when the macOS installer checks/query the firmware properties, easy to see if you enable the installer log.2. - I do NOT assume sir. I am an ex naval Vietnam Veteran. I assume nothing and make decisions only based on evidence. I checked the board when it arrived by post, and the evidence I saw, suggested that the Logic backplane had NOT been tampered with in any way, shape or form.

From your answer, seems that you didn't understood what I'm talking at all…

Do you even know for sure that the SSN that About My Mac shows, YM035056EUE on your screenshot, is the same as the one factory printed on the ESN label that is located on Mac Pro case near the video card outputs?

If is the same serial as the factory printed on the ESN label, the BootROM data was tampered since a replacement backplane will always have a different SSN or no SSN at all. Second hand backplanes always have the SSN from the Mac Pro case where the backplane originates. Apple bought replacement backplanes have no serial number at all and is the technician that will use a special Apple software called Blank Board Serializer that will write the Mac Pro case Serial Number to the blank backplane after the backplane is installed to the Mac Pro case.

Did you really checked it as you wrote on the first post here? The backplane seller asked you for the Mac Pro SSN?

4. Double check the Mac Pro clock. - My mac pro clock is displaying todays date, Wednesday 2.30 pm 28th December
2022
5. You did not read the notes I've linked, no? - Sorry Sir, however, I did read all your notes above.

Thank you
Mike from Australia

If you read all of them you would know that you can't install from a createinstallmedia USB installer with a NVIDIA Kepler GPU:

- Kepler NVIDIA GPUs (GT 630/640/740, GTX 650/660/670/680/780, Quadro K2000/K4000/K5000) note:

If you have a supported NVIDIA Kepler GPU like GTX 680 Mac Edition card, GTX 680 flashed with the Mac Edition firmware, GT 630/640/740, GTX 650/660/670/770/780 or a Quadro K2000/K4000/K5000 you can't do a USB clean install with it. The USB installer doesn't detect that the GPU is a Metal supported card and will fail to continue the install, it's a bug with Nvidia Kepler GPUs.

To do a clean install, do from macOS with two drives - just select your empty one when doing the install.

Your NVIDIA GT 630 is a NVIDIA Kepler GPU and you can't clean install Mojave from a USB createinstallmedia installer. You will always need to install from macOS to a secondary (and already prepared) disk.

 

[hirshnoc]

Have you tried OpenCore Legacy Patcher (OCLP)? I don't think the cMP supports Mojave without a Metal GPU. I think OCLP has a way around it.

 

[Hershey52]

Ok thanks again. I download another Mojave osx from the App Store To applications.

I changed the date of my machine to August 2018

Did NOT use a usb, just direct install from my applications, and it FAILED for the 4th time.

Have now tried to use Time Machine to go back to High Sierra and that for the first ever, has failed as well. I have said to you on two occasions, that I have a metal card. So thanks for all your help, I will try somebody else. Have a happy new Year.

 

[tsialex]

Ok thanks again. I download another Mojave osx from the App Store To applications.

Ok.

I changed the date of my machine to August 2018

Backdating is not necessary for a Mojave installer downloaded from Apple recently, Apple updates the macOS installers signing certificates as needed. I never wrote to you that it was needed.

You just need the clock set to the correct date (as in current date) and a Mojave installer recently downloaded from Apple servers.

Did NOT use a usb, just direct install from my applications, and it FAILED for the 4th time.

Posting that it failed does not help to narrow it down. You don't even specify what/why/when is failing.

The macOS installer have a log and the log messages greatly helps to narrow it down to the real problem, that's why I've asked for the picture of the installer completion log or even the error message that shows on the screen when it fails.

Have now tried to use Time Machine to go back to High Sierra and that for the first ever, has failed as well. I have said to you on two occasions, that I have a metal card.

@Hershey52 having a METAL card is not in any way a guarantee to install macOS since each macOS release have its own fine print requirements and Apple add/drop GPU support with each new release. For example, Apple dropped support for all METAL supported NVIDIA GPUs except the NVIDIA Kepler generation of GPUs with Mojave and dropped all NVIDIA GPUs, with no exceptions, after Big Sur.

Also with Mojave, one of the fine print requirements of the Mojave installer is that the card needs to be already supported with 10.13.6, which your GT 630 is, but it's a video card that only can only install Mojave from High Sierra to another disk or to upgrade an install and it's not possible to clean install via createinstallmedia USB or from directly booting the macOS installer - with your GT 630 you'll always have to install running the Mojave installer from macOS.

So thanks for all your help, I will try somebody else. Have a happy new Year.

Good luck, to you too.

 

[Hershey52]

Ok.



Backdating is not necessary for a Mojave installer downloaded from Apple recently, Apple updates the macOS installers signing certificates as needed. I never wrote to you that it was needed.

You just need the clock set to the correct date (as in current date) and a Mojave installer recently downloaded from Apple servers.



Posting that it failed does not help to narrow it down. You don't even specify what/why/when is failing.

The macOS installer have a log and the log messages greatly helps to narrow it down to the real problem, that's why I've asked for the picture of the installer completion log or even the error message that shows on the screen when it fails.



@Hershey52 having a METAL card is not in any way a guarantee to install macOS since each macOS release have its own fine print requirements and Apple add/drop GPU support with each new release. For example, Apple dropped support for all METAL supported NVIDIA GPUs except the NVIDIA Kepler generation of GPUs with Mojave and dropped all NVIDIA GPUs, with no exceptions, after Big Sur.

Also with Mojave, one of the fine print requirements of the Mojave installer is that the card needs to be already supported with 10.13.6, which your GT 630 is, but it's a video card that only can only install Mojave from High Sierra to another disk or to upgrade an install and it's not possible to clean install via createinstallmedia USB or from directly booting the macOS installer - with your GT 630 you'll always have to install running the Mojave installer from macOS.



Good luck, to you too.

Ps I know all about your comment above with my GPU. I have never tried to install directly have always tried from High Sierra and it FAILS every time. I hope you understand I have tried everything. And now open core suggests I try dosdude1, which i did and it FAILED. So now I can’t even seem to be able to download open core legacy patcher as they say there’s no patcher for Mojave. Am tired of being let down at every turn

 

[evbtfre56]

The new OC legacy patcher saves a lot of time, compared to (learning how to) manually installing and configuring OC. Frustration is a familiar experience, but it will pass when the macOS installer welcomes and allows you to select a drive.

i use the config files from these instructions for my cMP 4,1 which is running as iMac Pro:

Activate AMD hardware acceleration

I created a new "easy to install package" as per many requested (based on the official OpenCore). [The attached package updated to 1.0.0] For those who only need HWAccel, post #594 has everything you need. This new package mainly offer HWAccel + boot screen. Also, this package should work in...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[arw]

I hope you understand I have tried everything. (…) Am tired of being let down at every turn

I have to appreciate @tsialex‘ patience (and knowledge). But if you ignore his multiple requests for an error log, you will have a hard time getting to the bottom of your issue.

So, please take a picture of the error message or we will never progress to anything.

Enable the installer log with CMD-L and press CMD-3 to show all messages.

 

[Hershey52]

Sorry, you have been quite rude to me right from the start and I am not ignoring anything you say. However, you continue to chastise me which is not helpful. I cannot give error messages to you or anybody else because I don't know how. And for, all your knowledge you expect novices like me to just know what your talking about....I came here as advised for help, and all I get are instructions and acronyms from you which I don't understand. If you made your instructions simple for novices like me I may be able to do what you ask

 

[arw]

If you elaborate where an instruction is unclear, folks around here are happy to clarify. They just have to know about it.

So, during the install of the system you can display information which should be helpful to determine why it fails.
When you have started the install process:
CMD-L means: press the "cmd" key together with the "L" key
CMD-3 stands for "cmd" key together with the "3"

It should look sth like this:

Show the Installer Log During High Sierra Installation

In previous versions of macOS you could show the installer log during system installation with the keyboard shortcut ⌘L. Since macOS Sierra, much of the system installation process happens on a bla…

scriptingosx.com

 

[Hershey52]

Thank you sir I will try and do my best tomorrow as the opencore
installer failed. I have reverted back to High Sierra for the forth time
Thanks 4 your help

 

[Larsvonhier]

I have stumbled into the situation that Mojave won´t install with the GT630 card also. Error message in the installer reads "unable to install macOS Mojave on this Mac because metal capable graphics required" or similar.
As I just wanted to get the flash bootloader updated and installed Catalina (now Ventura) later, I used an ATI metal card just for that.
To the OP: If you do not really need the old 32bit App compatibility (that Apple ended after Mojave), I'd also advise to use OCLP with Monterey i.e.
Much more hassle free especially with the Nvidia GT630 - even if it's a metal capable Kepler version.

 

[Borowski]

Some GT630 and 640 (and perhaps others also) are from the older Fermi-gpu and don't support metal. Idendification w/ device-id is safer.

 

[ElRojito]

Many installation failures in my day as a technician were caused by faulty ram modules.

 

[Zdigital2015]

Sorry, you have been quite rude to me right from the start and I am not ignoring anything you say. However, you continue to chastise me which is not helpful. I cannot give error messages to you or anybody else because I don't know how. And for, all your knowledge you expect novices like me to just know what your talking about....I came here as advised for help, and all I get are instructions and acronyms from you which I don't understand. If you made your instructions simple for novices like me I may be able to do what you ask

You have to do the work and take the initiative to find solutions yourself. When somebody makes a suggestion about something you don’t know how to complete, Google it. No one who values their own time is going to hold your hand the whole way. Don’t complain people are rude when they give you a path to explore, do the work.

 

[Hershey52]

You have to do the work and take the initiative to find solutions yourself. When somebody makes a suggestion about something you don’t know how to complete, Google it. No one who values their own time is going to hold your hand the whole way. Don’t complain people are rude when they give you a path to explore, do the work.

Excuse me, you are not telling me anything I don't know. I am a Vietnam Veteran and despite "Tsialex" trying to help, he was also patronising and condescending. So unless you have something constructive and helpful to say, please refrain from comment.

 

[Hershey52]

I would go to an Apple Store and use one of their computers to install the OS an external drive. Then try booting to that drive and see what happens. Could be a hardware issue or it could be that you need a full erase and reinstall.

I’m not a hardware expert, but I do recall Mojave having install upgrade problems.

Thank you great suggestion, they may not allow it, but I will ask thanks