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

[z0Nker]

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

 

[tsialex]

Where was that instruction on how to back up the Boot ROM

First post of this thread have it.

, whats needed to be sent to you, the address, cost method of payment etc.

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.

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 ?

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.

I think my versions are reporting 9999999 ?

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

 

[weberworkshop]

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.

@tsialex, Please PM instructions, service fee and turnaround time for your bootROM reconstruction service. My MP4,1 has been cross-flashed to MP5,1

 

[tsialex]

@tsialex, Please PM instructions, service fee and turnaround time for your bootROM reconstruction service. My MP4,1 has been cross-flashed to MP5,1

Sure, check your PMs (top right corner of the page, letter icon).

 

[crjackson2134]

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.

 

[trifero]

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.

As I use to say, if you can afford only one software, a reconstructed ROM from @tsialex is my choice no doubt.

 

[MUsince1994]

@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.

 

[tsialex]

@tsialex
What is the procedure, if I want to use your service?

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.

Can I flash the reconstructed BootROM back to the original BootROM chips (and if yes, is it possible with the ROMTool)

Yes to both.

or do I have to have new chips?

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.

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.

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.

 

[brian.tully]

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)

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?

 

[trifero]

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

It´s behiind the card you have in slot 4.

 

[tsialex]

It´s behiind the card you have in slot 4.

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.

 

[brian.tully]

Thank you so much @trifero 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! 💙💙

 

[trifero]

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.

So sorry. My mistake.

 

[Kasse]

@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.

 

[tsialex]

@tsialex, Please PM me for instructions, service fee and turnaround time for your bootROM reconstruction service.

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

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

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

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.

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.

 

[macsforme]

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.

 

[tsialex]

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,

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

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

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

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.

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.

 

[Demigod Mac]

Do modern MATT cards have the same read-write # lifetime issues as the onboard SPI flash memory or are they more durable?

 

[tsialex]

Do modern MATT cards have the same read-write # lifetime issues as the onboard SPI flash memory or are they more durable?

Exact same SPI flash as the mid-2010/mid-2012, exact same durability.

 

[Demigod Mac]

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?

 

[tsialex]

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?

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.

 

[expede]

Exact same SPI flash as the mid-2010/mid-2012, exact same durability.

Hi tsialex!

Q: Should I be proactive and get myself a MATT card before my SPI flash fails?

/Best regards Doc

 

[Borowski]

Better get a brandnew flash chip and exchange it. Ready for the next 10 years.

 

[crjackson2134]

Q: Should I be proactive and get myself a MATT card before my SPI flash fails?

/Best regards Doc

Couldn’t hurt. I just ordered one last night.

 

[crjackson2134]

Better get a brandnew flash chip and exchange it. Ready for the next 10 years.

Doubtful it’ll last 10 years with newer OS’s & OC, but it should greatly extend the workable lifespan discounting other points of failure.