You are running macOS over APFS, no?
So, my post applies just to the incomplete info posted by @IndioX.
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MP 1,1-5,1 MacPro5,1: What you have to do to upgrade to Mojave (10.13/10.14 BootROM upgrades instructions thread)
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So, my post applies just to the incomplete info posted by @IndioX.
so I wrote that only for the firmwarupgrade no APFS would be necessary.
when i get a computer in, i start with a sierra
partition of a SSD, save the flashROM and update it afterwards with the HS installer to 089.
then i exchange the GPU and boot with the HS partition
on the SSD and bring the computer up to 144.0.0.0 with the mojave installer
both partitions are HFS+
what happens to the system on the computer afterwards is different.
usually a cleaninstall is done on a new SSD medium (then as APFS).
My point is, while APFS is not a requirement for firmware upgrades, when using Mojave you can only do upgrades, being Software Updates or Mac Pro firmware upgrades, with APFS.
A lot of people posted here in the past that they can't upgrade from 140.0.0.0.0 to 144.0.0.0.0 and when you investigate, it's a Mojave install hacked to run over HFS+.
You can upgrade to 144.0.0.0.0 from a High Sierra HFS+ install, but you can't do the same with Mojave.
Btw, since we are talking about firmware upgrade issues here, Catalina can't be used for MP5,1 firmware upgrades. Catalina don't have MP5,1 firmware at all, so you have to upgrade to 144.0.0.0.0 before installing Catalina.
tsialex,
So do you think I will run into any problems updating to 144.0.0.0.0 or installing Mojave from my SSD Boot drive on that PCI card (see Post #1470)?
Thanks!
Homework for you, read the first post again and see the note where is written why your config as is will fail to upgrade your Mac Pro firmware.
So I guess that Velocity 2x Solo PCI card falls into the category of a " SATA III card"? If so, I guess my original plan will not work?
What if I used disk utility to format one of my internal spinning hard disks to APFS, used Carbon Copy Cloner to copy my SSD boot drive files to that disk, then removed the PCI/SSD card and rebooted from the internal drive... would that work to perform the upgrades? Then reinstall the PCI/SSD card after the upgrade and use CCC to copy Mojave back to the SSD to make it the permanent boot drive?
Wouldn't make more sense to just put the SSD in a drive-bay instead of all that other hullabaloo?
For sure... just not sure what I would need to do that - never done anything like that before.
Pull out old drive from drive-bay, insert SSD in the open bay.
You can use Velcro, rubber band, double sided 3M tape, 2.5” drive sled, 3.5”-2.5” drive adaptor Etc... to support the drive temporarily for the upgrade. Some people are even just letting the drive hang from the connector. Personally I wouldn’t have it free hanging but others have.
Anyway, even though it’s related, it’s a little off topic and I don’t need for an Over zealous mod to warn me. You should do a search for that topic, there are numerous posts and some with pictures.
I am guessing that if I move my current SSD boot drive to something like this:
OWC Mount Pro: 2.5-Inch Drive Sled for Mac Pro 2009- 2012
Add any 2.5-inch hard drive or SSD to your 2009-2012 Apple Mac Pro. Includes a lifetime limited warranty from OWC.
install that sled in place of one of my current spinning internal disks and remove the Velocity PCI Card completely, that will allow me to perform the Mojave and BootROM upgrades?
Don't overthink things.I am guessing that if I move my current SSD boot drive to something like this:
OWC Mount Pro: 2.5-Inch Drive Sled for Mac Pro 2009- 2012
Add any 2.5-inch hard drive or SSD to your 2009-2012 Apple Mac Pro. Includes a lifetime limited warranty from OWC.eshop.macsales.com
install that sled in place of one of my current spinning internal disks and remove the Velocity PCI Card completely, that will allow me to perform the Mojave and BootROM upgrades?
You don't need to buy anything, put an old HDD on one of the original sleds, erase/format it as one partition of HFS+/GUID (the 10.13 installer will correctly convert it to APFS when reboots and the install process starts), download the 10.13.6 installer from Apple Support: How to upgrade to macOS High Sierra, open the installer, select the HDD, do the install.
Shutdown your Mac, remove your SATA III adapter, boot from your High Sierra HDD, download 10.14.6 installer from Apple Support: How to upgrade to macOS Mojave, open the Mojave installer, upgrade the firmware.
Done.
Newbie here, I have upgraded to Mojave 10.14.6 and my firmware version is MP51.007F.B03. My GPU is MSI Armor Radeon RX570. I have a SSD on OWC accelsior s. Can i do a firmware upgrade by opening the previously downloaded mojave installer? Thanks
No, you have to first upgrade to MP51.0089.B00, only then you can upgrade to 144.0.0.0.0.
Btw, you can't run unpatched Mojave with MP51.007F.B03 - this EFI release don't even has APFS support.
Read the first post, anything you will ever need is there.
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Thanks for the response @tsialex . Iam not sure how that was possible but i am now on 10.14.6 with firmware version is MP51.007F.B03. I was on El Capitan and then upgraded the firmware looking at ifixit manual and after the firmware upgrade directly upgraded to Mojave. Is there a way now to upgrade my firmware? Appreciate your help.
You can learn to upgrade the firmware reading the first post of the thread.
[automerge]1583186397[/automerge]
Hacked installs don't work for upgrading Mac Pro firmware. You will need to start with a Sierra clean install, you can see how to do it reading the If nothing above works for you, try this part of the 1st post.
High Sierra and Mojave don't work with MP51.007F.B03, unless hacked, only Sierra and earlier.
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Apple released 10.15.4 DP4 (19E250c) today. Since Apple released new EFICheck AllowListAll, there are new EFI firmwares for non-BridgeOS Macs.
I'll check all the firmwares tonight.
[automerge]1583267768[/automerge]
MP61:
I'll check all the firmwares tonight.
[automerge]1583267768[/automerge]
MP61:
Code:
$IBIOSI$ MP61.88Z.F000.B00.2002052032
Copyright (c) 2005-2020 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.
Apple ROM Version
Model: MP61
EFI Version: 135.0.0.0.0
Built by: root@saumon
Date: Wed Feb 5 20:32:36 PST 2020
Revision: 135 (B&I)
ROM Version: F000_B00
Build Type: Official Build, Release
Compiler: Apple clang version 3.0 (tags/Apple/clang-211.10.1) (based on LLVM 3.0svn)After trying to read through about 30+ pages of this thread, my eyes couldn't handle much more. So I apologize if the answer to my question exists in the thread and I didn't find it.
My question is--After successfully installing Mojave on my cMP I have several what appear to be mostly startup related issues that prevent the OS from running smoothly at all. I have tried reinstalling the OS from the recovery mode screen, doing the PRAM/NVRAM reset, etc. I am wondering if anyone knows what else I can try to get Mojave to work smoothly and not freeze at login screen or after "waking".
What happens is, after booting I get to the login screen and attempt to click my user name (I have 3 users: one admin, mine and my wife's) and enter my password and a plethora of errors strike.
On decent attempts, the screen greys out and after 10-15 seconds the cursor flashes and I can enter my password. The system goes into my user and things work ok, until the monitor sleeps. When it wakes, it freezes.
On attempts that really frustrate, trying to click my username can vary from spinning ball/freeze, weird GPU stuff like image sections shooting off into the corner of the screen, fully red screens, fully yellow screens, hanging at the end of the boot screen image (status bar is at the end with Apple in the screen but its frozen), etc.
My system is a 2009 4,1 flashed to 5,1, upgraded to 12 core with 2x X5680 3.33 CPU's, 48GB RAM, and a flashed HIS R9 280X 3gb GPU that shows boot screen. I am running 2x 24" Apple Cinema Displays from the two MiniDP on 280X and one LG 20" display off of the DVI port on the 280X. 1TB OWC Mercury Electra 3G SSD is my boot drive in bay 3, I have a 4TB HDD for storage in bay 1 and a 2TB HDD in bay 2 as a standalone Bootcamp drive with Windows 7 Ultimate on it. (FYI--When booting to Windows, Windows runs without any major issue, at least nothing new since the new GPU was installed.)
When upgrading from HS to Mojave, I made sure I had the correct BootROM version on HS -- MP51.0089.B00, and when I opened the installer for Mojave it asked me to update the firmware and as in HS I ran the process and it was successful. When checking I am 99.99% sure my BootROM now is 144.0.0.0.0.
After starting to experience these issues I did do the Pixlas Mod in case it was a power related issue.
I am hoping that someone can help point me in the direction to resolve the freeze issues and would be greatly appreciated.
My question is--After successfully installing Mojave on my cMP I have several what appear to be mostly startup related issues that prevent the OS from running smoothly at all. I have tried reinstalling the OS from the recovery mode screen, doing the PRAM/NVRAM reset, etc. I am wondering if anyone knows what else I can try to get Mojave to work smoothly and not freeze at login screen or after "waking".
What happens is, after booting I get to the login screen and attempt to click my user name (I have 3 users: one admin, mine and my wife's) and enter my password and a plethora of errors strike.
On decent attempts, the screen greys out and after 10-15 seconds the cursor flashes and I can enter my password. The system goes into my user and things work ok, until the monitor sleeps. When it wakes, it freezes.
On attempts that really frustrate, trying to click my username can vary from spinning ball/freeze, weird GPU stuff like image sections shooting off into the corner of the screen, fully red screens, fully yellow screens, hanging at the end of the boot screen image (status bar is at the end with Apple in the screen but its frozen), etc.
My system is a 2009 4,1 flashed to 5,1, upgraded to 12 core with 2x X5680 3.33 CPU's, 48GB RAM, and a flashed HIS R9 280X 3gb GPU that shows boot screen. I am running 2x 24" Apple Cinema Displays from the two MiniDP on 280X and one LG 20" display off of the DVI port on the 280X. 1TB OWC Mercury Electra 3G SSD is my boot drive in bay 3, I have a 4TB HDD for storage in bay 1 and a 2TB HDD in bay 2 as a standalone Bootcamp drive with Windows 7 Ultimate on it. (FYI--When booting to Windows, Windows runs without any major issue, at least nothing new since the new GPU was installed.)
When upgrading from HS to Mojave, I made sure I had the correct BootROM version on HS -- MP51.0089.B00, and when I opened the installer for Mojave it asked me to update the firmware and as in HS I ran the process and it was successful. When checking I am 99.99% sure my BootROM now is 144.0.0.0.0.
After starting to experience these issues I did do the Pixlas Mod in case it was a power related issue.
I am hoping that someone can help point me in the direction to resolve the freeze issues and would be greatly appreciated.
This has nothing to do with Mojave or firmware upgrade, what you are writing is more likely a dying/defective GPU than anything, AMD HD 79xx/R9 2xx GPUs are dying like flies after 8~9 years.
Install BinaryFruit DriveDX (14 day trial) to see if you don't have a problematic drive, won't matter if it's just a data disk. Even an unused, but installed, problematic drive can lock the SATA bus.
Start debugging with a clean install in a brand new disk and use another GPU. Remove anything else not needed.
Btw, Windows working correctly don't eliminate GPU problems, macOS and Windows use the GPU very differently. Windows don't use METAL at all.
Thank you. I had a strong suspicion that it was the GPU flaking out on me, but couldn't pinpoint it as i don't have another GPU right now other than my original Apple installed ATI Radeon 4870. Can I/would you recommend against swapping out the 280X for the 4870 and see if it runs normally with one screen?
First step is to install DriveDX and see if any of your drives have a problem. Then you can do a clean install of HighSierra with a new/perfect SMART report drive and test your Mac Pro with the HD 4870. HD 4870 is not supported with Mojave.
Download High Sierra from here:
How to download and install macOS - Apple Support
Download and install current or previous versions of the Mac operating system on compatible Mac computers.
Thank you very much. Yesterday I did try to run the Disk Utility First Aid in recovery mode on my drives and it said it couldn't un-mount the SSD boot drive. The other two HDD drives all were able to have First Aid run and gave a good report (at least in Disk Utility). Now that you mention checking the drives, something struck me as odd was that there was a disk image in disk utility that said something to the effect of "OS System..." and I can't remember right now exactly as I am not in front of the machine. Ugh.
I will run DriveDX and see what happens. My one HDD that is for storage (movies) has intermittent issues where it will unmount and then when I shut down the machine, pull it out, reinstall it, the cMP sees it again. But Disk Utility First Aid runs fine and says it is good.
I have two USB boot drives already, one with High Sierra and one with Mojave on it. The HS was from when I updated the firmware a few weeks ago.
Again, thank you very much. I will report back after DriveDX and see where to go from there.
I will run DriveDX and see what happens. My one HDD that is for storage (movies) has intermittent issues where it will unmount and then when I shut down the machine, pull it out, reinstall it, the cMP sees it again. But Disk Utility First Aid runs fine and says it is good.
I have two USB boot drives already, one with High Sierra and one with Mojave on it. The HS was from when I updated the firmware a few weeks ago.
Again, thank you very much. I will report back after DriveDX and see where to go from there.
You probably have more than just one problem. Seems you have a defective GPU and HDD intermittent problems.
Some problems are hard to track exactly because they are intermittent. DriveDX is very good to track SSD/Hard disks problems since it will make a notification when it happens. This makes very easy to track and will alert you of problems that you wouldn't notice unless paying attention while using the Mac Pro.