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MP 6,1 Mac Pro 6,1 - A required firmware update could not be installed. Compatible internal storage is required in order to update

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djwoody2492

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 14, 2023
9
0
I have just purchased a trashcan Mac Pro 6,1 (12 core, D700), this already had Monterey 12.0 installed on the default Apple 256gb SSD.

As this was already at Monterey, I assumed that the required firmware was OK so installed the OWC Aura Pro X2 SSD and attempted a clean install.

Got the "A required firmware update could not be installed. Compatible internal storage is required in order to update." error!

Put back the original SSD and started with a clean install of High Sierra and then upgraded to every version until Big Sur - all went OK.

I then tried the upgrade to Monterey and got the same error, this is on the original Apple SSD!!!

So now I am stuck!! I can't go past Big Sur and I can't install my new expensive OWC SSD!!!

Been trawling the Web all night, but no real solutions seem to be out there apart from doing what I've just done.

Firmware seems to be stuck at 132.0.0.0 which doesn't seem right but have also seen that people have successfully done this with such a version.

Really bugging me now and need a solution soon or I'll have to return the item.


Can anyone please offer any kind of help???? PLEASE!
 
tsialex

tsialex

Contributor
Jun 13, 2016
13,437
13,581
djwoody2492 said:
I have just purchased a trashcan Mac Pro 6,1 (12 core, D700), this already had Monterey 12.0 installed on the default Apple 256gb SSD.

As this was already at Monterey, I assumed that the required firmware was OK so installed the OWC Aura Pro X2 SSD and attempted a clean install.

Got the "A required firmware update could not be installed. Compatible internal storage is required in order to update." error!

Put back the original SSD and started with a clean install of High Sierra and then upgraded to every version until Big Sur - all went OK.

I then tried the upgrade to Monterey and got the same error, this is on the original Apple SSD!!!

So now I am stuck!! I can't go past Big Sur and I can't install my new expensive OWC SSD!!!

Been trawling the Web all night, but no real solutions seem to be out there apart from doing what I've just done.

Firmware seems to be stuck at 132.0.0.0 which doesn't seem right but have also seen that people have successfully done this with such a version.

Really bugging me now and need a solution soon or I'll have to return the item.


Can anyone please offer any kind of help???? PLEASE!
Click to expand...

132.0.0.0.0 is the last EFI firmware where Apple imposed an obligatory requirement that the SSD must be an AppleOEM AHCI blade. After upgraded from 132.0.0.0.0, you can use any non AppleOEM AHCI blade/Mac Pro compatible NVMe blade.

Are you sure that the 12+16 Apple blade is really an AppleOEM AHCI blade and it's not a later NVMe model (like SSPOLARIS)?

Check if it's the original SSUAX or SSUBX with the original Mac Pro heatsink. See below two SSUBX blades, the blade with a heatsink is the SSUBX 256GB from a 2018 made MacPro6,1, while the non-heatsinked 128GB is from an early-2015 13" rMBP (also works fine for upgrading late-2013 Mac Pro firmware).

tempImageOMhJN4.png


tempImageiw7ov1.png
 
Last edited:
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djwoody2492

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 14, 2023
9
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Damn, guess this isn't original then!!
 

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tsialex

tsialex

Contributor
Jun 13, 2016
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Probably the last Mac Pro batch made right before the 2019 production started, and any factory refurbs made after, could have a SSPOLARIS right from the factory, I don't doubt it, but then the firmware would be a lot newer than 132.0.0.0.0 - a version from High Sierra - and Mojave would be the factory installed macOS release.

Btw, my personal late-2013 was made back in the second half of 2018 and you saw the SSUBX from it in the pictures. So, Apple used SSUAX & SSUBX at least until that.
 
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tsialex

tsialex

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Jun 13, 2016
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Forgot another thing, all Mac Pro blades are heat-sinked from the factory. SSPOLARIS if installed by the factory to a Mac Pro would have a heatsink.
 
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tsialex

tsialex

Contributor
Jun 13, 2016
13,437
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djwoody2492 said:
Used the. scap file, completed successfully but still on 132!!! Guess I'll have to get a disk off ebay!
Click to expand...
Maybe you can borrow a 2013/2014/2015 era Air/Retina MBP/Mac mini with SSD and use the blade just to upgrade the firmware.
 
tsialex

tsialex

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Jun 13, 2016
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djwoody2492

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 14, 2023
9
0
I have it working on my OWC Aura Pro using OpenCore but as these SSIBX drives are so cheap I want to do it the "correct way" - at least to get the firmware updated

Thanks all for the help
 
tsialex

tsialex

Contributor
Jun 13, 2016
13,437
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Yep, doesn't make any sense to workaround the firmware upgrade when a small AppleOEM AHCI blade is so cheap.

You can also use the AppleOEM blades to keep past macOS releases, I have Mavericks with the 128GB blade and re-install it whenever I need to recover/edit old files, like FCP7 stuff.

Also installed Windows 10 to the original 256GB, this one helped me recover my Fluke 289 that had a firmware issue and needed a JTAG app that only works with non-virtualized Windows. I'm glad that I kept it, very handy.
 
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