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macOS 11 Big Sur on Unsupported Macs Thread

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The first post of this thread is a WikiPost and can be edited by anyone with the appropiate permissions. Your edits will be public.
TA 455SD said:
Hi I have a question , I have a 2012 mac mini with Big Sur 11.0 installed , it has worked great ever since install a few weeks back , the SSD originally came from a Windows machine and I used mac utilities to erase it and format it . The BS 11.0 option key boot EFI has a yellow color EFI and there is also a grey color EFI , but the problem is when I shut down computer or restart it will not boot unless I use option key and manually select the Mac HD to get it to boot then all is fine . I have tried selecting the yellow EFI but has no effect on restart .

I also have a drive with BS 11.1 and when selecting it at option key and it has a red EFI choice but it has no effect either .....is there a way to resolve this to get it to start and restart without having to use option key to manually select the Mac HD ?
When I try to boot normally it comes up with the Windows BSOD, this machine does not have Windows OS on it , this is strange since I used Mac utilities to erase it and format it
Click to expand...
You’ll have to manually delete the windows efi partition. There’s a good article here on how to do it through terminal:

www.macobserver.com

macOS: Getting Rid of the Windows EFI Boot Entry - The Mac Observer

When you delete your Windows partition from your Mac manually, it leaves its EFI Boot entry. Let's get rid of that, shall we?
www.macobserver.com www.macobserver.com

I would do the following:

1. Delete the Windows EFI first
2. Reset NVRAM
3. Re-patch the system by booting off the “EFI Boot” partition on the micropatched usb
4. Set the Startup Disk to 11.1 installation
 
Pascal Baillargeau said:
Did you downloaded Opencore-Legacy-Patcher 0.0.7 before 12/2020?
If it's the case, BlacklistAppleUpdate wasn't set, then firmware updates were not disabled. And you were spoofing iMac15,1 ID, isn't it?
Click to expand...
Yes that was the story. After flashing EFI ROM firmware, deactivated Opencore-Legacy-Patcher by PRAM and upgraded EFI ROM firmware by Catalina installer, then continued to install Bir Sur wiht success with Opencore-Legacy-Patcher activated again. I might be wrong but accidently somehow I have found that my iMac 27' late 2013 can run Big Sur 11.1 without opencore support at all. Now I am running three systems (Catalina, Big Sur and EFI Win 10) by using option key to choose and no opencore in any drive at all (I use USB EFI and it is out). I will keep run it and see what is going to happen.
 
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naylom11 said:
You’ll have to manually delete the windows efi partition. There’s a good article here on how to do it through terminal:

www.macobserver.com

macOS: Getting Rid of the Windows EFI Boot Entry - The Mac Observer

When you delete your Windows partition from your Mac manually, it leaves its EFI Boot entry. Let's get rid of that, shall we?
www.macobserver.com www.macobserver.com

I would do the following:

1. Delete the Windows EFI first
2. Reset NVRAM
3. Re-patch the system by booting off the “EFI Boot” partition on the micropatched usb
4. Set the Startup Disk to 11.1 installation
Click to expand...
Thank you , I did find a video on removing the windows boot entry , but it did not include your helpful tips of reset NVRAM and Startup Disk , it would make the audio tone of mac starting up but blank screen and was wondering why it would not start the OS , Thanks again 👍
 
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paul.zhu said:
Yes that was the story. After flashing EFI ROM firmware, deactivated Opencore-Legacy-Patcher by PRAM and upgraded EFI ROM firmware by Catalina installer, then continued to install Bir Sur wiht success with Opencore-Legacy-Patcher activated again. I might be wrong but accidently somehow I have found that my iMac 27' late 2013 can run Big Sur 11.1 without opencore support at all. Now I am running three systems (Catalina, Big Sur and EFI Win 10) by using option key to choose and no opencore in any drive at all (I use USB EFI and it is out). I will keep run it and see what is going to happen.
Click to expand...
You can use your iMac 2013 unpatched, so there is no need to spoof another ID unless you want OTA upgrades back. As I wrote several times all OC users should use the @dosdude1 romtool software from his server to backup the Mac firmware just in case this happens again.
 
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I'm sorry, but I had been looking for an update to macos big sur 11.2 and I can't find any link on this forum. I was lucky to find every previous version in some posts. 11.2 is not available via software update when I click on my imac late 2012, with developer profile for beta testing installed. Who has the link?
 
Cogitarian said:
I'm sorry, but I had been looking for an update to macos big sur 11.2 and I can't find any link on this forum. I was lucky to find every previous version in some posts. 11.2 is not available via software update when I click on my imac late 2012, with developer profile for beta testing installed. Who has the link?
Click to expand...
Apple has not released a full installer for 11.2 beta and they probably will not, preventing patched sur and big sur micropatcher users from upgrading to the beta. :(

OpenCore would be the only way.
 
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Guys apple will no longer be releasing standalone installers for future versions of macOS, so FORGET about waiting. OpenCore is pretty much the only way.
 
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Jack Neill said:
I understand not doing the combos and deltas. But I doubt that they won't release the full installer as .x updates roll out.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I guess. Combos and deltas are dead tho.
appleinsider.com

Apple has stopped providing standalone updaters in macOS Big Sur | AppleInsider

Apple has stopped providing standalone updater versions of its macOS system software, starting with macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 — but is still providing them for Catalina and Mojave as recently as December 16.
appleinsider.com appleinsider.com
 
Ausdauersportler said:
You can use your iMac 2013 unpatched, so there is no need to spoof another ID unless you want OTA upgrades back. As I wrote several times all OC users should use the @dosdude1 romtool software from his server to backup the Mac firmware just in case this happens again.
Click to expand...
Wise words! Especially take the way of opencore, with difficulties to access the EFI chip! I will backup all my Mac firmwares very soon. Cheers.
 
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Bustycat said:
What is the reason to use both methods?
Click to expand...

Micropatcher allows me to install the system on unsupported macs, however an NVRAM reset leaves the system unusable until you have a USB stick nearby, using OpenCore, you can reset the NVRAM and whenever you start the system, it will always be available, there is no no concern with NVRAM reset, I can leave SIP enabled.
 
When I try to backup the ROM it says there are multiple different chips for this model. Not sure which is the right one.
 
mdgm said:
When I try to backup the ROM it says there are multiple different chips for this model. Not sure which is the right one.
Click to expand...
There should be no difference by choosing any chip listed in reading the BOOTROM. It wouldn’t destroy your Mac. You may choose all of them one at a time and compare the dumped content for any difference in a hex editor. I found none no matter what I chose.

The romtool CANNOT flash your Mac rom. No fear in ruining your Mac due to the protection from Apple. You need a BIOS clip to flash it back.

You may open your Mac and locate your BIOS chip for its identity. But usually the chip programmer would recognise the chip for you during flashing.
 
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So dump copies of the bootrom and then if down the line a problem is suspected with the bootrom try to read up on how to fix it? If you have a good backup is reprogramming it difficult if it is needed?

Wanting to try running Big Sur if the rumoured drivers for the AMD GPU in 2011 iMacs are genuine. Also want to try booting Windows 10 UEFI (not sure about using OpenCore).
 
mdgm said:
So dump copies of the bootrom and then if down the line a problem is suspected with the bootrom try to read up on how to fix it? If you have a good backup is reprogramming it difficult if it is needed?

Wanting to try running Big Sur if the rumoured drivers for the AMD GPU in 2011 iMacs are genuine. Also want to try booting Windows 10 UEFI (not sure about using OpenCore).
Click to expand...
If your BOOTROM EFI is corrupted, just flash your backup good one back with a EEPROM clip programmer (a few $) connected to another Mac or PC. Store your BOOTROM copy in another device.

Instead of waiting for the vapourware, just get the cheapest AMD WX4130 if you got an iMac that can have it POST. It would be more realistic for BigSur installation but definitely Catalina. Windows 10 doesn’t need OpenCore (except for the sound issue but some find other solutions).

Or better still, save some $ and get yourself a Christmas present of M1 MacMini to avoid all the coming headaches 😂
 
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@Pascal Baillargeau Are you saying that if someone ran the Legacy OC or 0.0.6 it was allowing firmware updates if the user installed the OTA 11.1 update? Is this how that iMac got messed up and other reports of MBPros's having a black screen needing to disconnect the battery to get it to boot again?
 
Hi All,

I have seen recent discussion about OTA updates with a patched Big Sur. I am running a late 2013 iMac 27 with micropatched 11.1. I have gone into preferences and disable automatic updates. Is this the correct thing to do? Is there a danger that if my iMac attempts to do an update I could brick it? I am trying to gather whether OTA updates will simply not work (as in device cannot update and is stuck on the version it has) or if they may work at high risk of bricking?

I don't mind micropatching for each update. It was not that bigger deal (assuming in future we can get the install packages). I'm just wondering what the best practise is for updates once I have gone the micropatch direction.

Cheers!
 
vosadrian said:
Hi All,

I have seen recent discussion about OTA updates with a patched Big Sur. I am running a late 2013 iMac 27 with micropatched 11.1. I have gone into preferences and disable automatic updates. Is this the correct thing to do? Is there a danger that if my iMac attempts to do an update I could brick it? I am trying to gather whether OTA updates will simply not work (as in device cannot update and is stuck on the version it has) or if they may work at high risk of bricking?

I don't mind micropatching for each update. It was not that bigger deal (assuming in future we can get the install packages). I'm just wondering what the best practise is for updates once I have gone the micropatch direction.

Cheers!
Click to expand...
If you are running the micropatcher it doesn't matter. Your machine won't receive any OTA updates, firmware or otherwise. Depending on what you do have installed, you'll obviously still receive Safari, Xcode Tools, and other non-system updates... The only people that need to be concerned with OTA updates are those with OpenCore installed. Unless you plan on doing that, I wouldn't worry about it
 
Hello everybody. Recently I installed MacOS Big Sur on my poppy. And now I ran into a problem, my brightness is not fully adjustable, it feels like the brightness is set to 50%. How to fix it.
 
KennyW said:
Why don't you look back at the 2011 iMac Graphics Card Upgrade where your K4100M vBIOS was downloaded ?

All the answers are pretty much there ....
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice. I've certainly watched this post before. But as far as I know, the micropatcher has all the necessary kext files for the system to work properly, including the corrected AppleBacklight.kext file. Maybe I missed something?
 
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