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MP 1,1-5,1 MacPro5,1: BootROM thread | 144.0.0.0.0

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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.
Where was that instruction on how to back up the Boot ROM, whats needed to be sent to you, the address, cost method of payment etc. I cant find the 1st links about it (causes, details , etc) I assume 4,1's & 5,1's, single CPU , 2 CPU 4 core & 6 cores all have different Boot ROM's ? I think my versions are reporting 9999999 ? I have OCLP on 4 of my 7 Mac Pro's (2 x 5,1's and 5 x 4,1's ) , but they all are flashed to 5,1. 3 of my CMP's run Hyper V only
but i'm starting to have issues on 2 of them (random Freeze and re boot once in a while) other than that they are running well thanx to you and others. I have not been able to get my Paralells Desktop to run on my OCLP patched CMP's & i want to Virtualize MacOS so I can get rid of 2 or 3. Im thinking of trying esxi or Proxmox any input ? ...
Great Computers, but electric bill is crazy when i have 3 or more left on 24-7 Thanx - dave
 
z0Nker said:
Where was that instruction on how to back up the Boot ROM
Click to expand...

First post of this thread have it.

z0Nker said:
, whats needed to be sent to you, the address, cost method of payment etc.
Click to expand...

I've sent you a PM (top right corner of the page, letter icon) with the instructions, service fee and turnaround time.

You upload the required files, the BootROM is validated, cleaned, upgraded to mid-2012 0x0d standard and reconstructed with 144.0.0.0.0 EFI, then it's tested.

After that, the never booted BootROM image is sent back to you ready to flash to the Mac Pro.

z0Nker said:
I cant find the 1st links about it (causes, details , etc) I assume 4,1's & 5,1's, single CPU , 2 CPU 4 core & 6 cores all have different Boot ROM's ?
Click to expand...

Each Mac have it's own BootROM that is unique to that Mac, but it's not the way you are thinking. Simplifying a lot, it's a base image, then there are several types of serialization (hardwareIDs), different models and etc.

z0Nker said:
I think my versions are reporting 9999999 ?
Click to expand...

Because you are using OCLP or a OpenCore pre-packaged solution that spoofs the System Firmware and SMC numbers to the maximum possible release to avoid unwanted firmware updates (firmware updates only happen when the firmware is newer than the current one installed) from the newer MacPro/iMacPro that is being spoofed to run unsupported macOS releases.

z0Nker said:
I have OCLP on 4 of my 7 Mac Pro's (2 x 5,1's and 5 x 4,1's ) , but they all are flashed to 5,1. 3 of my CMP's run Hyper V only
but i'm starting to have issues on 2 of them (random Freeze and re boot once in a while) other than that they are running well thanx to you and others.
Click to expand...

Hyper-V with Generation 2 VMs is known to mess with the NVRAM in the exact same way, probably even worse, as UEFI Windows 10/11 SecureBoot. It's a brick machine.

z0Nker said:
I have not been able to get my Paralells Desktop to run on my OCLP patched CMP's & i want to Virtualize MacOS so I can get rid of 2 or 3. Im thinking of trying esxi or Proxmox any input ? ...
Great Computers, but electric bill is crazy when i have 3 or more left on 24-7 Thanx - dave
Click to expand...

Nothing to do with the Mac Pro BootROM itself and I'm not really an expert on the topic. There are specific threads about it, please ask your questions on the correct threads, people will help you there.
 
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tsialex said:
First post of this thread have it.



I've sent you a PM (top right corner of the page, letter icon) with the instructions, service fee and turnaround time.

You upload the required files, the BootROM is validated, cleaned, upgraded to mid-2012 0x0d standard and reconstructed with 144.0.0.0.0 EFI, then it's tested.

After that, the never booted BootROM image is sent back to you ready to flash to the Mac Pro.



Each Mac have it's own BootROM that is unique to that Mac, but it's not the way you are thinking. Simplifying a lot, it's a base image, then there are several types of serialization (hardwareIDs), different models and etc.



Because you are using OCLP or a OpenCore pre-packaged solution that spoofs the System Firmware and SMC numbers to the maximum possible release to avoid unwanted firmware updates (firmware updates only happen when the firmware is newer than the current one installed) from the newer MacPro/iMacPro that is being spoofed to run unsupported macOS releases.



Hyper-V with Generation 2 VMs is known to mess with the NVRAM in the exact same way, probably even worse, as UEFI Windows 10/11 SecureBoot. It's a brick machine.



Nothing to do with the Mac Pro BootROM itself and I'm not really an expert on the topic. There are specific threads about it, please ask your questions on the correct threads, people will help you there.
Click to expand...
@tsialex, Please PM instructions, service fee and turnaround time for your bootROM reconstruction service. My MP4,1 has been cross-flashed to MP5,1
 
crjackson2134 said:
Alex just upgraded my 144.0.0.0.0 and gave me GOP enabled functionality. After years of no bootscreens, and no bootpicker, it’s almost like getting a new system again. My enthusiasm for my cMP 5,1 just leveled-up. Thanks for all the hard work and expertise.
Click to expand...
As I use to say, if you can afford only one software, a reconstructed ROM from @tsialex is my choice no doubt.
 
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@tsialex I hit your thread about MacPro5,1 BootROM the other day. Got a MacPro5,1 (2010) single core and a MacPro5,1 (2010) dual core, both on the latest version of Sonoma via OCLP. On the dual machine I encounter occasional inexplicable freezes (not a programmer myself, just a user).
After scanning the information on the 1st page of this thread and think it may have to do with the BootROM. Following your suggestion I did a BootROM dump of the single core: result Free Space in the VSS is less than 12000 on the single core. I will dump the BootROM of the dual core these days
What is the procedure, if I want to use your service? Can I flash the reconstructed BootROM back to the original BootROM chips (and if yes, is it possible with the ROMTool) or do I have to have new chips?
Would be grateful for any help, 'cause I love this old MacPro5,1 and would rather continue to use it instead buying a new Mac for thousands of euros.
 
MUsince1994 said:
@tsialex
What is the procedure, if I want to use your service?
Click to expand...

I've sent you a PM (top right corner of the page, letter icon) with the instructions, service fee and turnaround time.

You'll upload the required files, the dumped BootROM is validated, cleaned, upgraded to mid-2012 0x0d standard and reconstructed with 144.0.0.0.0 EFI, then it's tested.

After that, the never booted BootROM image is sent back to you ready to flash to the Mac Pro with ROMTool/flashrom/etc.

MUsince1994 said:
Can I flash the reconstructed BootROM back to the original BootROM chips (and if yes, is it possible with the ROMTool)
Click to expand...

Yes to both.

MUsince1994 said:
or do I have to have new chips?
Click to expand...

Sometime in the near future the SPI flash memory will fail, so, it's advised that you replace it whenever you can or have a SPI flash replacement board like a MATT card.

By now, it's at least a 11+ years old first generation SPI flash memory. It will fail, specially running modern (and unsupported) macOS releases.

MUsince1994 said:
Would be grateful for any help, 'cause I love this old MacPro5,1 and would rather continue to use it instead buying a new Mac for thousands of euros.
Click to expand...

If you don't need to run apps that require AVX 2.0 support to run, like several Adobe apps, you can continue to use your Mac Pro without too much trouble.

The issue is that each day apps are being re-compiled to run with Sonoma and then the requirement of AVX 2.0 will become insurmountable. So, be prepared.
 
Demigod Mac said:
With some difficulty I managed to take photos of the EEPROM chip without completely taking my Mac apart (during a routine interior dusting)
I'm 99% sure this is the case, but can the experts here confirm mine is the MX25L3205D chip?
(Macschrauber's backup tool seems to agree)
Click to expand...

Can you explain in more detail how you managed to get to the EEPROM chip? I've been trying to take my cMP5,1 for hours and I can't see it anywhere. The only place I can't get to is behind the bottom third compartment bracket that holds the CPU tray -- one of the six screws is stripped. Were you able to see the EEPROM chip without removing this compartment bracket from the backplane?

MacPro51-eeprom-location-help.png
 
brian.tully said:
Can you explain in more detail how you managed to get to the EEPROM chip? I've been trying to take my cMP5,1 for hours and I can't see it anywhere. The only place I can't get to is behind the bottom third compartment bracket that holds the CPU tray -- one of the six screws is stripped. Were you able to see the EEPROM chip without removing this compartment bracket from the backplane?

View attachment 2324604
Click to expand...
It´s behiind the card you have in slot 4.
 

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******* said:
It´s behiind the card you have in slot 4.
Click to expand...
It's PCIe slot 1, not slot 4. The slot 4 is on the opposite side, near the left edge side of the PCB (when looking from the front of the Mac Pro) and the SATA connectors.

The SPI flash memory is the 8-pin SOIC SMD chip next to the PCIe AUX-B power connector, label U8700.
 
Last edited:
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Thank you so much @******* and @tsialex !!! You guys are my heroes! Indeed once I removed the GPU and NVME cards I was able to see the EEPROM chip peek out from under the CPU/RAM tray bracket. Mission accomplished :)

Man do I love this community! 💙:apple:💙
 
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tsialex said:
It's PCIe slot 1, not slot 4. The slot 4 is on the opposite side, near the left edge side of the PCB (when looking from the front of the Mac Pro) and the SATA connectors.

The SPI flash memory is the 8-pin SOIC SMD chip next to the PCIe AUX-B power connector, label U8700.
Click to expand...
So sorry. My mistake.
 
@tsialex, Please PM me for instructions, service fee and turnaround time for your bootROM reconstruction service.

Mac Pro 4,1 cross-flashed bootROM is MP51.0089.B00
NVRAM free space: 11D5h (4565) Do you have a lowest low score board?

Sorry for my ignorance but will flashing to 144.0.0.0.0 have any good or disastrous effect on the free space left if upgrading to Mojave? The Mac Pro has great sentimental value, it was my first developer Mac bought in 2009 shortly after introduction.
 
Kasse said:
@tsialex, Please PM me for instructions, service fee and turnaround time for your bootROM reconstruction service.
Click to expand...

Sure, I'll send you a PM (top right corner of the page, letter icon).

Kasse said:
Mac Pro 4,1 cross-flashed bootROM is MP51.0089.B00
NVRAM free space: 11D5h (4565) Do you have a lowest low score board?
Click to expand...

The worst was literally zero bytes available, several on the low three digits, some with just two digits.

Kasse said:
Sorry for my ignorance but will flashing to 144.0.0.0.0 have any good or disastrous effect on the free space left if upgrading to Mojave? The Mac Pro has great sentimental value, it was my first developer Mac bought in 2009 shortly after introduction.
Click to expand...

The never Booted BootROM image is reconstructed with the 144.0.0.0.0 EFI, so, no need to do the firmware when later installing Mojave.

Older OS X releases (before iCloud) used the NVRAM very sparingly, this completely changed overtime. Also, doing a clean install/upgrade of a macOS releases and subsequently doing all the software updates will take considerable VSS store space to stage the install/upgrade and the software updates. You also have to think about that.

Once the cross-flashing issues are solved and you have a never booted and reconstructed BootROM image ready to flash whenever you need and do some preventive maintenance flashing the reconstructed image from time to time, won't be an issue.
 
Sorry for the brief off-topic. When Alex rebuilt my MP5,1 firmware, there were certain hardware identifiers (SSN, HWC, SON, LBSN, BD) in the Fsys store IIRC, which had to be put in the new firmware. Are these hardware identifiers in firmware consistent across Mac models from that era?

With the intermediate files, IIRC I could create any version firmware that had a .fd file. I am trying to downgrade the firmware of a MacBookPro11,4 (2015), but the structure looks totally different than the MP5,1 in UEFITool. I bought a cable to program the EEPROM through the motherboard diagnostic connector. I hoped to use a donor ROM or a .fd file from a macOS installer. I read that you need to replace the ME region with a clean one, replace the SSN, possibly LBSN, and I read something about ROM IDs and system UUIDs. I had a hard time positively determining which components need to be copied to the donor ROM (or if they exist in a whole section/store), and whether this might create checksum issues.
 
macsforme said:
Sorry for the brief off-topic. When Alex rebuilt my MP5,1 firmware, there were certain hardware identifiers (SSN, HWC, SON, LBSN, BD) in the Fsys store IIRC,
Click to expand...

MLB SN and BD are stored in the BootBlock sector, not in the Fsys store.

macsforme said:
which had to be put in the new firmware. Are these hardware identifiers in firmware consistent across Mac models from that era?
Click to expand...

Yes, but MacPro5,1 is the last of an era. Newer Macs are more complex.

macsforme said:
With the intermediate files, IIRC I could create any version firmware that had a .fd file. I am trying to downgrade the firmware of a MacBookPro11,4 (2015), but the structure looks totally different than the MP5,1 in UEFITool. I bought a cable to program the EEPROM through the motherboard diagnostic connector. I hoped to use a donor ROM or a .fd file from a macOS installer. I read that you need to replace the ME region with a clean one, replace the SSN, possibly LBSN, and I read something about ROM IDs and system UUIDs. I had a hard time positively determining which components need to be copied to the donor ROM (or if they exist in a whole section/store), and whether this might create checksum issues.
Click to expand...

If you are trying to remove MDM, I do not discuss such topic. I completely understand that sometimes it's completely legal to do it, but most of the time it's not. Too much grey area to my taste.

Anyway this completely off-topic here.
 
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Do modern MATT cards have the same read-write # lifetime issues as the onboard SPI flash memory or are they more durable?
 
Now I'm curious how activating the firmware programming mode works - does it simply open the BootROM to write operations from the OS or is there more to it?
 
Demigod Mac said:
Now I'm curious how activating the firmware programming mode works - does it simply open the BootROM to write operations from the OS or is there more to it?
Click to expand...

Yes, when you power on to the Firmware Programming mode, the southbridge enables writing for the whole BootROM.

Boot normal and the BootROM is not writable (excluding the VSS stores area). With more recent Macs, like the late-2013 Mac Pro, the PCH does the same thing as the southbridge and it's more granular.
 
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