MP 1,1-5,1 MacPro5,1: What you have to do to upgrade to Mojave (10.13/10.14 BootROM upgrades instructions thread)

[bfeagle]

Mojave will only install if you have upgraded your BootROM and your Mac Pro have a Metal capable GPU.

If you are trying to install Mojave on a Mac Pro 5,1 (2009 updated to 5,1 firmware, 2010 and 2012), you have first to upgrade your BootROM to version MP51.0089.B00 and to High Sierra 10.13.6, then you can install a Metal capable GPU and install Mojave.

You can read the Apple Support article here: Install macOS 10.14 Mojave on Mac Pro (Mid 2010) and Mac Pro (Mid 2012).

Remember: Apple Mojave recommend RX-560/580 cards do not have Mac EFI, so you need to install your original EFI GPU to upgrade your BootROM to MP51.0089.B00 using the Mac App Store 10.13.6 full installer. After that, Mojave installer can upgrade your firmware without the need of a Mac EFI GPU and requires that you only have Metal supported cards installed in your Mac Pro.

The Apple third-party graphics cards list identifies specific cards that are compatible:

• MSI Gaming Radeon RX 560 128-bit 4GB GDDR5
• SAPPHIRE Radeon PULSE RX 580 8GB GDDR5
• SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7950 Mac Edition
• NVIDIA Quadro K5000 for Mac
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 Mac Edition

The three cards listed in bold above have Mac EFI.
The list also identifies cards that might be compatible, none of which have Mac EFI:

• AMD Radeon RX 560
• AMD Radeon RX 570
• AMD Radeon RX 580
• AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100
• AMD Radeon RX Vega 56
• AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
• AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100
• AMD Radeon Frontier Edition

If you have a earlier than MP51.0089.B00 BootROM version, these are the steps to upgrade your BootROM to have Mojave support:

1. Disconnect any 4K or DP1.2 display. You can't update to MP51.0089.B00 with a 4K/DP1.2 screen connected to your Mac EFI card. It's a old bug that Apple corrected with MP6,1 and "forgot" to correct with the MP5,1. MP5,1 efiflasher don't support 4K screens or DP1.2, you can reconnect after you update your BootROM.
2. Disable FileVault2 if enabled, since FV2 is not supported anymore with a Mac Pro 5,1 running Mojave.
   
3. Install a Mac EFI64 card. Any original Apple card from 2008 to 2012 (HD 2600XT, 8800GT, Quadro FX 5600, GT120, HD 4870/5770/5870) or 3rd party Mac EFI cards like Sapphire HD 7950 Mac Edition, eVGA GTX 680 Mac Edition, NVIDIA Quadro 4000/K5000 or self-flashed/MVC flashed cards.
4. Download the full Mac App Store Installer for 10.13.6 (even if you already are on 10.13.6)View attachment 793503
5. Open the installer, do the firmware upgrade as asked.
6. After the firmware upgrade, 10.13.6 installer will open again, you can close it.
7. Now check if your Mac Pro BootROM is MP51.0089.B00, if yes you can shutdown and install your Metal capable GPU (any AMD equal or newer than HD 7xxx, NVIDIA GTX 680 Mac Edition, Quadro K5000 and other NVIDIA Kepler cards/newer). [If you have a NVIDIA card that need the web driver, Maxwell and Pascal ones, wait for NVIDIA release it for Mojave]
8. Download the full Mac App Store installer for Mojave.
9. Open the installer, do the firmware upgrade as asked.
10. After the reboot, open System Information and check if you have BootROM 138.0.0.0.0, if yes, you can do a createinstallmedia USB clean install (read NVIDIA GTX 680 note) or upgrade your previous High Sierra install.

Note, some people are getting black screens with Mojave when using RX-560/580 GPUs, if you are having it, do a clean install or debug your kexts, seems a problem with incompatible AirDisplay kexts.

NVIDIA GTX 680 note:

If you have a NVIDIA GTX 680 Mac Edition card, or a GTX 680 flashed with the Mac Edition firmware, you can't do a USB clean install with it at the moment. The USB installer don't detect that GTX 680 is a Metal supported card and don't continue the install, it's a bug.

To do a clean install, do from macOS with two drives - just select your empty one when doing the install.

[doublepost=1543133465][/doublepost]Thank you so much tsialex for all the help you are taking the time to provide. I have followed these instructions to the tee. Only to be thwarted. No matter what I do. Unplug everything. Remove all cards except for the GTX 680 Mac ver. I can never get pass ROM MP51.0087.B00.

When I run macOSUpdCombo10.13.6 it does not ask to update the firmware. It restarts several times and comes back up fine but no change in the ROM version.

If I just run the Mojave installer it never initiates the shutdown after I enter the admin password for the helper app. It just sits there. If I gto ahead and shut it down and boot with the button down. The lights blink, I let go and the tone sounds. Then a normal reboot back to 10.13.6.

What now?

 

[tsialex]

[doublepost=1543133465][/doublepost]Thank you so much tsialex for all the help you are taking the time to provide. I have followed these instructions to the tee. Only to be thwarted. No matter what I do. Unplug everything. Remove all cards except for the GTX 680 Mac ver. I can never get pass ROM MP51.0087.B00.

When I run macOSUpdCombo10.13.6 it does not ask to update the firmware. It restarts several times and comes back up fine but no change in the ROM version.

If I just run the Mojave installer it never initiates the shutdown after I enter the admin password for the helper app. It just sits there. If I gto ahead and shut it down and boot with the button down. The lights blink, I let go and the tone sounds. Then a normal reboot back to 10.13.6.

What now?

View attachment 806407 View attachment 806408

No, you don't followed the instructions - ComboUpdates don't upgrade MacPro5,1 firmware.

You have to use the MacAppStore full macOS installer for 10.13.6.

First upgrade to MP51.0089.B00, then you use the 10.14.1 full Mac App Store installer to upgrade to 140.0.0.0.0. It's a two step upgrade.

 

[krishnaM]

You have to use the MacAppStore full macOS installer for 10.13.6.

First upgrade to MP51.0089.B00, then you use the 10.14.1 full Mac App Store installer to upgrade to 140.0.0.0.0. It's a two step upgrade.

Hi tsialex,
My BootRom version is MP51.0084.B00 running osx Sierra, I tried to download the High Sierra installer from App store from the link you provided in page one, it does open the app store page but for some reason the installer file doesn't down load on pressing the 'open'. I had an old installer file in my applications folder and I did delete it before trying to download fresh installer.

Krishna

 

[tsialex]

Hi tsialex,
I tried to download the High Sierra installer from App store from the link you provided in page one, it does open the app store page but for some reason the installer file doesn't down load on pressing the 'open'. I had an old installer file in my applications folder and I did delete it before trying to download fresh installer.

Krishna

Remove all macOS installers from your Mac Pro, check every disk, erase the trash, reboot and try again.

 

[krishnaM]

Remove all macOS installers from your Mac Pro, check every disk, erase the trash, reboot and try again.

I tried it in my mac mini in the kitchen and it worked. I think it was looking at the time machine backup and not letting download in cMP as there was no other installer file.Thanks.

 

[bfeagle]

No, you don't followed the instructions - ComboUpdates don't upgrade MacPro5,1 firmware.

You have to use the MacAppStore full macOS installer for 10.13.6.

First upgrade to MP51.0089.B00, then you use the 10.14.1 full Mac App Store installer to upgrade to 140.0.0.0.0. It's a two step upgrade.

Thank you for catching that.

I still have a problem though. The MacAppStore full macOS installer for 10.13.6 stops after I put in the admin password for the helper app. It never shuts down. I left it today for an hour. Came back to it in the same state. If I shut it down and then attempt to hold the power button and do the firmware upgrade. Light flashes, the tone sounds and then boots straight to the old 10.13.6 with the old firmware still. :| I have removed all cards from the computer. Unplugged all devices except the keyboard and mouse. GTX 680 Mac is attached to a generic 1080 monitor via HDMI.

I even booted in safe mode to try the installer and had the same problem.

#stuckatMP51.0087.B00

 

[PianoPro]

Thank you for catching that.

I still have a problem though. The MacAppStore full macOS installer for 10.13.6 stops after I put in the admin password for the helper app. It never shuts down. I left it today for an hour. Came back to it in the same state. If I shut it down and then attempt to hold the power button and do the firmware upgrade. Light flashes, the tone sounds and then boots straight to the old 10.13.6 with the old firmware still. :| I have removed all cards from the computer. Unplugged all devices except the keyboard and mouse. GTX 680 Mac is attached to a generic 1080 monitor via HDMI.

I even booted in safe mode to try the installer and had the same problem.

#stuckatMP51.0087.B00

Are you holding the power button until you hear the long tone? For some people (including me) it is not enough to hold it until you see the LED flashes (even though the instructions say that is enough). Hold it until you hear the tone finish.

 

[crjackson2134]

Are you holding the power button until you hear the long tone? For some people (including me) it is not enough to hold it until you see the LED flashes (even though the instructions say that is enough). Hold it until you hear the tone finish.

It seems this varies from machine to machine. My original Mid-2102 Logic Board worked if you released the button when the light started flashing. If you continue to hold while waiting for long beep, it would power off.

I replaced my Logic Board (with another Mid-2012 that was only a few months older) last week however, and the replacement REQUIRES that I continue to press the power button until the long tone.

 

[bfeagle]

Are you holding the power button until you hear the long tone? For some people (including me) it is not enough to hold it until you see the LED flashes (even though the instructions say that is enough). Hold it until you hear the tone finish.

Thanks for the suggestion. I have tried both. Hold until light. Hold until tone. Same response.

My money is on something not working for the shutdown after you say go to the installer.

 

[AlexMaximus]

No, you don't followed the instructions - ComboUpdates don't upgrade MacPro5,1 firmware.

You have to use the MacAppStore full macOS installer for 10.13.6.

First upgrade to MP51.0089.B00, then you use the 10.14.1 full Mac App Store installer to upgrade to 140.0.0.0.0. It's a two step upgrade.

Thanks for the clarification on Mojave GPUs for the cMP. Reading multiple discussions on the non existent Nvidas Web drivers for Mojave, I have been flirting with AMD solutions. Finally a small hope came true, AMD released the 580 Special Edition as a 590. This one here:

https://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Bac...ywords=sapphire+radeon+pulse+rx+590+8gb+gddr5

I think the blue finish would really go very well with the 2012 Tower design. The PCB board design seems to be the same as the standard 580 as well as the HDMI/DP plate. I have read somewhere that the 590 uses the same driver, so it should work fine with Mojave. What's the risk on that one in your opinion, I think it should work. What's your opinion on that card for Mojave?

 

[tsialex]

Thanks for the clarification on Mojave GPUs for the cMP. Reading multiple discussions on the non existent Nvidas Web drivers for Mojave, I have been flirting with AMD solutions. Finally a small hope came true, AMD released the 580 Special Edition as a 590. This one here:

https://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Bac...ywords=sapphire+radeon+pulse+rx+590+8gb+gddr5

I think the blue finish would really go very well with the 2012 Tower design. The PCB board design seems to be the same as the standard 580 as well as the HDMI/DP plate. I have read somewhere that the 590 uses the same driver, so it should work fine with Mojave. What's the risk on that one in your opinion, I think it should work. What's your opinion on that card for Mojave?

Based on the price, I don’t think that RX-590 is a sensate GPU for Mac Pro 5,1. It’s near the same cost of Vega 56 and you can get a used Sapphire Pulse RX-580 for around $170 on eBay - I payed $175 early this month.

It’s the same driver, but maybe the power envelope is a little too high, wait for someone test it.

 

[FireBlade93RR]

Thanks tsialex,

with your detailed guide I successfully updated my bootrom to 140.0.0.0.0

 

[MIKX]

bfeagle

Thanks for the suggestion. I have tried both. Hold until light. Hold until tone. Same response.

My money is on something not working for the shutdown after you say go to the installer.

I would remove all hard drives. . install a spare spinner HDD then do a clean install of High Sierra up to 10.13.6 ..
then.. shut down and try starting up cold holding the power button 'til the flashing LED/ chime etc.

 

[dorianclive]

Mojave will only install if you have upgraded your BootROM and your Mac Pro have a Metal capable GPU.

If you are trying to install Mojave on a Mac Pro 5,1 (2009 updated to 5,1 firmware, 2010 and 2012), you have first to upgrade your BootROM to version MP51.0089.B00 and to High Sierra 10.13.6, then you can install a Metal capable GPU and install Mojave.

You can read the Apple Support article here: Install macOS 10.14 Mojave on Mac Pro (Mid 2010) and Mac Pro (Mid 2012).

Remember: Apple Mojave recommend RX-560/580 cards do not have Mac EFI, so you need to install your original EFI GPU to upgrade your BootROM to MP51.0089.B00 using the Mac App Store 10.13.6 full installer. After that, Mojave installer can upgrade your firmware without the need of a Mac EFI GPU and requires that you only have Metal supported cards installed in your Mac Pro.

The Apple third-party graphics cards list identifies specific cards that are compatible:

• MSI Gaming Radeon RX 560 128-bit 4GB GDDR5
• SAPPHIRE Radeon PULSE RX 580 8GB GDDR5
• SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7950 Mac Edition
• NVIDIA Quadro K5000 for Mac
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 Mac Edition

The three cards listed in bold above have Mac EFI.
The list also identifies cards that might be compatible, none of which have Mac EFI:

• AMD Radeon RX 560
• AMD Radeon RX 570
• AMD Radeon RX 580
• AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100
• AMD Radeon RX Vega 56
• AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
• AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100
• AMD Radeon Frontier Edition

If you have a earlier than MP51.0089.B00 BootROM version, these are the steps to upgrade your BootROM to have Mojave support:

1. Disconnect any 4K or DP1.2 display. You can't update to MP51.0089.B00 with a 4K/DP1.2 screen connected to your Mac EFI card. It's a old bug that Apple corrected with MP6,1 and "forgot" to correct with the MP5,1. MP5,1 efiflasher don't support 4K screens or DP1.2, you can reconnect after you update your BootROM.
2. Disable FileVault2 if enabled, since FV2 is not supported anymore with a Mac Pro 5,1 running Mojave.
   
3. Install a Mac EFI64 card. Any original Apple card from 2008 to 2012 (HD 2600XT, 8800GT, Quadro FX 5600, GT120, HD 4870/5770/5870) or 3rd party Mac EFI cards like Sapphire HD 7950 Mac Edition, eVGA GTX 680 Mac Edition, NVIDIA Quadro 4000/K5000 or self-flashed/MVC flashed cards.
4. Download the full Mac App Store Installer for 10.13.6 (even if you already are on 10.13.6)View attachment 793503
5. Open the installer, do the firmware upgrade as asked.
6. After the firmware upgrade, 10.13.6 installer will open again, you can close it.
7. Now check if your Mac Pro BootROM is MP51.0089.B00, if yes you can shutdown and install your Metal capable GPU (any AMD equal or newer than HD 7xxx, NVIDIA GTX 680 Mac Edition, Quadro K5000 and other NVIDIA Kepler cards/newer). [If you have a NVIDIA card that need the web driver, Maxwell and Pascal ones, wait for NVIDIA release it for Mojave]
8. Download the full Mac App Store installer for Mojave.
9. Open the installer, do the firmware upgrade as asked.
10. After the reboot, open System Information and check if you have BootROM 138.0.0.0.0, if yes, you can do a createinstallmedia USB clean install (read NVIDIA GTX 680 note) or upgrade your previous High Sierra install.

Note, some people are getting black screens with Mojave when using RX-560/580 GPUs, if you are having it, do a clean install or debug your kexts, seems a problem with incompatible AirDisplay kexts.

NVIDIA GTX 680 note:

If you have a NVIDIA GTX 680 Mac Edition card, or a GTX 680 flashed with the Mac Edition firmware, you can't do a USB clean install with it at the moment. The USB installer don't detect that GTX 680 is a Metal supported card and don't continue the install, it's a bug.

To do a clean install, do from macOS with two drives - just select your empty one when doing the install.

Hey, thanks for the information. I’ve tried everything since last night and I still cannot update my ROM. The shutdown button doesn’t work on the High Sierra installer and I’m in a loop at this point. I’ve manually shut down and held the power button until after the long tone but it just takes me back to the installer and tells me I need to do the firmware update. What am I doing wrong?

I have a 5770 Graphics Card installed, no PCie cards, and the 1TB spinner drive it came with. Please help! I’m desperate and super frustrated at this point.

 

[tsialex]

Hey, thanks for the information. I’ve tried everything since last night and I still cannot update my ROM. The shutdown button doesn’t work on the High Sierra installer and I’m in a loop at this point. I’ve manually shut down and held the power button until after the long tone but it just takes me back to the installer and tells me I need to do the firmware update. What am I doing wrong?

I have a 5770 Graphics Card installed, no PCie cards, and the 1TB spinner drive it came with. Please help! I’m desperate and super frustrated at this point.

Did you tried a clean install of 10.13.6?

 

[dorianclive]

Did you tried a clean install of 10.13.6?

Yes, I wiped the internal spinner and made a boot drive on an external with the fresh install on it. I restarted, held down option and I’m here now:

When I hit the shut down button, nothing happens. So I shut down by the menu on the top left then hold the power button and release at the end of the long tone. It just loads back up the installer.

 

[tsialex]

Yes, I wiped the internal spinner and made a boot drive on an external with the fresh install on it. I restarted, held down option and I’m here now:

When I hit the shut down button, nothing happens. So I shut down by the menu on the top left then hold the power button and release at the end of the long tone. It just loads back up the installer.

You’re doing it wrong.

You can’t update the firmware from the createinstallmedia USB key - don’t work.

Do a clean install onto another drive, but from macOS.

 

[dorianclive]

You’re doing it wrong.

You can’t update the firmware from the createinstallmedia USB key - don’t work.

Do a clean install onto another drive, but from macOS.

Ok, I’ll try again and let you know what happens. Thank you!

 

[dorianclive]

You’re doing it wrong.

You can’t update the firmware from the createinstallmedia USB key - don’t work.

Do a clean install onto another drive, but from macOS.

So installed fresh on a drive as you suggested and I’m still not able to update. What am I doing wrong?

 

[tsialex]

So installed fresh on a drive as you suggested and I’m still not able to update. What am I doing wrong?

How did you installed? What is your hardware config? No one else had this problem before…

 

[ibarnett]

Yes, I wiped the internal spinner and made a boot drive on an external with the fresh install on it. I restarted, held down option and I’m here now:

When I hit the shut down button, nothing happens. So I shut down by the menu on the top left then hold the power button and release at the end of the long tone. It just loads back up the installer.

In my case I have had, in each case I have done a firmware update, hold the power button past the pwr light flashing, past the tone, & keep it (the pwr button) pressed until the CD/DVD tray opens and/or a reboot initiates.
So give this a try.

 

[cageytiger]

I just dropped a Mac flashed 5770 into my backup 4,1>5,1 (tsialex - legend) that I had just firmware upgraded and accidentally booted into Mojave - I use it for Win10 mainly.

I've only opened a browser etc so far but it seems fine and can play video etc. Am I missing something? Is the metal card just needed for install and other cards work after?

 

[tsialex]

I just dropped a Mac flashed 5770 into my backup 4,1>5,1 (tsialex - legend) that I had just firmware upgraded and accidentally booted into Mojave - I use it for Win10 mainly.

I've only opened a browser etc so far but it seems fine and can play video etc. Am I missing something? Is the metal card just needed for install and other cards work after?

If the card has Mac EFI, it works un-accelerated.

 

[dorianclive]

How did you installed? What is your hardware config? No one else had this problem before…

I used another Mac to install a fresh copy of High Sierra on a hard drive. I then put the hard drive into the Pro. Once I did that I booted up to the desktop and opened up the Mac App Store using the link to High Sierra page. I then downloaded and opened it where I got the firmware update screen.

I have the 5770 stock card that it came with. 8-Core Machine, 16GB of RAM. That’s it. Current Firmware version is MP51.007F.B03

 

[dorianclive]

In my case I have had, in each case I have done a firmware update, hold the power button past the pwr light flashing, past the tone, & keep it (the pwr button) pressed until the CD/DVD tray opens and/or a reboot initiates.
So give this a try.

I’ll try this. Thank you