Mac Pro 4,1 won't chime after upgrading firmware to 5,1.

[h9826790]

Stupid question - where the firmware lies physically in the mac pro 4.1?
thanx

Logic board (not CPU tray), is this what you want to know?
[doublepost=1514334562][/doublepost]

Can you reflash original firmware and test ?
[doublepost=1514334235][/doublepost]Perhaps create a Usb firmware flasher tool or maybe use one that already exists and put the original firmware back ?

Lastly maybe take to a Apple Store if it's just firmware they may fix for free

If his Mac can't even POST, and the firmware restoration tool doesn't work. I don't think it's possible to flash the original firmware back in.

In fact, we don't know if it's possible for his Mac to downgrade even there is no fault (the original firmware version should be B07, otherwise, the firmware upgrade tool won't work. However, there are small amount 4,1 with the B08 firmware, which can also upgrade to 5,1. But cannot downgrade back to 4,1).

 

[golip]

In that case Apple Store or aht and see if it will pass

 

[h9826790]

In that case Apple Store or aht and see if it will pass

2009 Mac Pro is in the obsolete list. No repair service available in Apple Store.

That Mac Pro CANNOT POST, if the Firmware Restoration Disc doesn't work. There is no way to flash anything, or run AHT, or run ASD, or boot from any disc, HDD, SSD, USB drive......

 

[Seshpenguin]

I ended up giving the Mac to an Apple Authorized Service Provider near me, they said they'll get it back by tomorrow, so fingers crossed it will be fixed!

 

[vworks]

Let us know!
....
h9826790,

thanx! And where exatcly in the logic board?

 

[VanneDC]

I recon Inteli was spot on , you should have just grabbed a mac oem vid card, mine refused to finish the firmware install from 4,1 to 5,1 with my flashed card installed.

 

[rawweb]

I recon Inteli was spot on , you should have just grabbed a mac oem vid card, mine refused to finish the firmware install from 4,1 to 5,1 with my flashed card installed.

Agree, OP needs EFI Apple video card for the procedure to finish up. I’d stop monkeying with it until one is installed.

Shame, I have a spare ATI Radeon HD 4870 laying in my closet.

 

[Seshpenguin]

Hey guys: quick update.
I got the mac back from the repair guys, and they couldn't fix it
They said that there is a bent pin or something on the CPU Tray and that i'll have to replace it. After I got it back I noticed the CPU A OVRTMP led was on (but only sometimes, not everytime). Also the Sys Tray diag led was yellow. Finally, there was a single red LED on the right side of cpu tray.

 

[h9826790]

Hey guys: quick update.
I got the mac back from the repair guys, and they couldn't fix it
They said that there is a bent pin or something on the CPU Tray and that i'll have to replace it. After I got it back I noticed the CPU A OVRTMP led was on (but only sometimes, not everytime). Also the Sys Tray diag led was yellow. Finally, there was a single red LED on the right side of cpu tray.

So, they can boot your Mac with another CPU tray? If yes, then it's not the firmware's problem.

Sorry to hear that they can't fix it. But, do you mean they can't give you a CPU tray replacement?

Or they can't fix your Mac's firmware issue, but on top of that, they found a bent pin?

TBH, it sounds a bit strange to me that your Mac suddenly has a bent pin.

 

[RandomInsano]

FWIW, the original video card makes no difference. I have the original GT 120 and have identical symptoms.

The SPI flash that holds the EFI is labelled as ROM (U8700) on the motherboard and is an MX25L3205d SPI flash chip. If you can find a dump of that flash and someone smart enough to reprogram it for you, you might be able to get it back (if the Mac repair shop doesn't break your computer).

FYI, looks like the firmware is on this dmg:
https://support.apple.com/kb/dl976?locale=en_US
http://www.amibay.com/archive/index.php/t-52171.html

 

[tsialex]

FWIW, the original video card makes no difference. I have the original GT 120 and have identical symptoms.

The SPI flash that holds the EFI is labelled as ROM (U8700) on the motherboard and is an MX25L3205d SPI flash chip. If you can find a dump of that flash and someone smart enough to reprogram it for you, you might be able to get it back (if the Mac repair shop doesn't break your computer).

FYI, looks like the firmware is on this dmg:
https://support.apple.com/kb/dl976?locale=en_US
http://www.amibay.com/archive/index.php/t-52171.html

It's not enough.

The Apple Firmware Upgrade dmg contains not the full firmware, but a BootROM upgrade image without NVRAM volume, BootBlock and the last sector of the BootROM.

It's enough to boot again, but then your Mac will not work for iCloud/iMessage/FaceTime or anything else that depends on hardwareIDs for identification.

 

[RandomInsano]

Gooood to know. I saw that the file was 4MB (the size of the EEPROM) so I have to assume the upgrader must skip over some parts and the NVRAM is in there too.

I noticed a tutorial somewhere for changing the hardware IDs, so if I attempt to fix this (surface-mount still scares me) I’ll see if I can write some software that takes the old firmware and the new image to try and save the keys.

At the very least I know that keeping a backup of what exists on the EEROM is important!