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

[cgoing86]

You can't upgrade firmware from USB, you have to do from macOS. Install Sierra, then download the High Sierra MAS installer, open it to upgrade the firmware. Use standard SATA disk with HFS+ partition.

Btw, you need a real AppleOEM GPU.

Here's my flow thus far:

Downloaded Sierra installer from the link on Page 1 on separate computer.
Made a Sierra bootable USB via Dosdudes Sierra Patcher
Installed Sierra from USB onto Sata HD in Mac Pro
Downloaded High Sierra from App Store on Mac Pro
Open installer... it asks for password for "helper app" ... I enter password and then it shuts down and the loop begins.

If I am reading page 1 correctly ATI Radeon HD 5870 1024 MB should work for this .... or is that being listed as compatible with Mojave and not for the jump from Sierra to High Sierra firmware?

 

[tsialex]

Here's my flow thus far:

Downloaded Sierra installer from the link on Page 1 on separate computer.
Made a Sierra bootable USB via Dosdudes Sierra Patcher
Installed Sierra from USB onto Sata HD in Mac Pro
Downloaded High Sierra from App Store on Mac Pro
Open installer... it asks for password for "helper app" ... I enter password and then it shuts down and the loop begins.

If I am reading page 1 correctly ATI Radeon HD 5870 1024 MB should work for this .... or is that being listed as compatible with Mojave and not for the jump from Sierra to High Sierra firmware?

Why on earth you are using hacked/patched installers? Use createinstallmedia to create an El Capitan or Sierra installer, it will work with any Mac Pro BootROM version.

An Apple HD 5780 will work for updating up to MP51.0089.B00, the High Sierra required firmware. 3rd party HD 5780 won’t work, Mac EFI is needed for the firmware upgrade process.

 

[cgoing86]

Why on earth you are using hacked/patched installers? Use createinstallmedia to create an El Capitan or Sierra installer, it will work with any Mac Pro BootROM version.

An Apple HD 5780 will work for updating up to MP51.0089.B00, the High Sierra required firmware. 3rd party HD 5780 won’t work, Mac EFI is needed for the firmware upgrade process.

Just re-read that one tidbit on page 1 and figured the patcher USB is probably my issue. I'll try createinstallmedia to make a fresh Sierra install and load that on and see where I get.

I believe it's an OEM HD 5780 as it only has the DVI Port and 2 display ports.

 

[tsialex]

Just re-read that one tidbit on page 1 and figured the patcher USB is probably my issue. I'll try createinstallmedia to make a fresh Sierra install and load that on and see where I get.

I believe it's an OEM HD 5780 as it only has the DVI Port and 2 display ports.

If you have the BootPicker/BootSelector when you presse and hold Option at boot time, it’s a Mac EFI GPU.

If not, it’s a PC GPU.

 

[cgoing86]

If you have the BootPicker/BootSelector when you presse and hold Option at boot time, it’s a Mac EFI GPU.

If not, it’s a PC GPU.

Then I'm good on that front. Just need to retry with a proper boot USB. Fingers crossed

 

[cgoing86]

Got a clean install of Sierra loaded on last night but problem still persists. Fresh download of High Sierra installer from App Store, open it, enter password for helper app, computer shuts down, but when I hold power through the beep nothing happens.... just starts up as normal. Not sure what's causing this...

I'm noticing too --- when I start up I get a single red light flash near one of the ram bays and the computer is only showing 64GB of my 96GB installed .. (half). Is that part of the issue?

 

[tsialex]

Got a clean install of Sierra loaded on last night but problem still persists. Fresh download of High Sierra installer from App Store, open it, enter password for helper app, computer shuts down, but when I hold power through the beep nothing happens.... just starts up as normal. Not sure what's causing this...

You are probably not entering Firmware Programming Mode correctly.

Entering Firmware Programming Mode correctly:

1. Shutdown your Mac,
2. Press and keep pressed the power button,
3. You will hear a loud beep, keep pressed,
4. You will hear the startup chime (if your Mac still has it, some Macs lost the chime with MP51.0087.B00), release the power button when it ends or when starts loading macOS (if your Mac lost the chime).

Use the search and read other tips about entering it.

I'm noticing too --- when I start up I get a single red light flash near one of the ram bays and the computer is only showing 64GB of my 96GB installed .. (half). Is that part of the issue?

Probably unrelated to entering Firmware Programming Mode, but remove the memory not working and focus on only one issue at a time.

 

[cgoing86]

You are probably not entering Firmware Programming Mode correctly.

Entering Firmware Programming Mode correctly:

1. Shutdown your Mac,
2. Press and keep pressed the power button,
3. You will hear a loud beep, keep pressed,
4. You will hear the startup chime (if your Mac still has it, some Macs lost the chime with MP51.0087.B00), release the power button when it ends or when starts loading macOS (if your Mac lost the chime).

Use the search and read other tips about entering it.


Probably unrelated to entering Firmware Programming Mode, but remove the memory not working and focus on only one issue at a time.

Removed questionable RAM.

I’ve been trying every combination I can think of or have read about. Hold through beep, hold through start up tone, hold until Apple logo appears, etc

nothing has worked.

I’ve seen some people use a terminal command to disable SIP... seems to mainly be people converting 4,1 to 5,1 though. Is that something that I need to do?

 

[tsialex]

I’ve seen some people use a terminal command to disable SIP... seems to mainly be people converting 4,1 to 5,1 though. Is that something that I need to do?

No.

Sometimes you need to reset the NVRAM 3 times consecutively before entering Firmware Programming Mode, let go CMD-Option-P-R only after the fourth chime.

 

[cgoing86]

NVRAM reset ... heard chime 4 times. Same issue when running HS Installer.

Boot Rom still stuck on MP51.007F.B03

 

[tsialex]

NVRAM reset ... heard chime 4 times. Same issue when running HS Installer.

Boot Rom still stuck on MP51.007F.B03

A last resort is:

1. desolder the SPI flash memory,
2. dump the SPI flash memory,
3. buy a brand new replacement SPI flash memory, it's a $2 chip
4. reconstruct the BootROM with 144.0.0.0.0 based on the dump,
5. re-program the SPI,
6. solder the SPI to the backplane.

 

[Cdolan]

I'm noticing too --- when I start up I get a single red light flash near one of the ram bays and the computer is only showing 64GB of my 96GB installed .. (half).

Isn’t the cMP 5,1 limited to 64GB?

 

[Macschrauber]

A single processor with X CPU can host 64GB
Dual 128 GB

With 16 GB Sticks,

Even more with some combination of 32GB Sticks but this is not recommended and works just in special cases and combinations.

 

[typecase]

So I didn't realize anything about this bootrom issue prior to just upgrading to Mojave. I have a Mac Pro 5,1 running an SSD with Mojave on it. My bootrom (which says 138.0.0.0.0 on my current Mac Pro with the RX580 card already installed). So to upgrade the bootrom to the latest version, I need to downgrade to High Sierra? After this I will be able to get bootscreens using only the rx580? Or did I miss everything in that first post?

 

[tsialex]

So I didn't realize anything about this bootrom issue prior to just upgrading to Mojave. I have a Mac Pro 5,1 running an SSD with Mojave on it. My bootrom (which says 138.0.0.0.0 on my current Mac Pro with the RX580 card already installed). So to upgrade the bootrom to the latest version, I need to downgrade to High Sierra? After this I will be able to get bootscreens using only the rx580? Or did I miss everything in that first post?

Seems you didn't understood the first post at all. Download and open the full installer of Mojave from the Mac App Store, it will upgrade your BootROM, if you have all the ducks in a row - pay attention on the notes of the first post.

RX 580 is a PC GPU and don't have pre-boot configuration support at all (boot screens) with a MP5,1. You can pay to MVC to flash it with a MacEFI or you can use OpenCore, see the thread about it.

 

[typecase]

Seems you didn't understood the first post at all. Download and open the full installer of Mojave from the Mac App Store, it will upgrade your BootROM, if you have all the ducks in a row - pay attention on the notes of the first post.

RX 580 is a PC GPU and don't have pre-boot configuration support at all (boot screens) with a MP5,1. You can pay to MVC to flash it with a MacEFI or you can use OpenCore, see the thread about it.

My apologies. I thought somehow the lastest bootrom (aka firmware) would enable video on Apple supported chipsets but this has nothing to do with video aside from a Metal GPU being in place when you install the firmware.

Thanks for all the hard work on this thread tsialex. Really helpful for owners trying to push their Mac Pro 5,1 to continue its excellent service.

Okay. I read and re-read the original post. It's information dense and very useful if you know what you're looking for but what I needed was a step by step guide with some pics.

That's excatly what Greg Grant did. You can find the step by step guide here. It really leads you by the hand at how to upgrade your firmware to the latest version. After using tsialex's info and doing it myself, the link above may simplify the process for fools like me.

 

[tsialex]

My apologies. I thought somehow the lastest bootrom (aka firmware) would enable video on Apple supported chipsets but this has nothing to do with video aside from a Metal GPU being in place when you install the firmware.

Thanks for all the hard work on this thread tsialex. Really helpful for owners trying to push their Mac Pro 5,1 to continue its excellent service.

Okay. I read and re-read the original post. It's information dense and very useful if you know what you're looking for but what I needed was a step by step guide with some pics.

That's excatly what Greg Grant did. You can find the step by step guide here. It really leads you by the hand at how to upgrade your firmware to the latest version. After using tsialex's info and doing it myself, the link above may simplify the process for fools like me.

While this article may be useful to some people, nothing in it show the pitfalls of MP51 firmware upgrades. For sure, there are a lot of pitfalls and you don't need to run the upgrade from High Sierra at all.

 

[dcuster]

I think the answer is yes, but just for peace of mind.. is it safe to update the BootROM from MP51.0089.B00 directly to 144.0.0.0.0? Or is it best to update from High Sierra 10.13.6 -> 10.14.1 -> 10.14.6?

I downloaded the latest full Mojave 10.14.6 installer from MAS but just want to check there's no harm in skipping over 140.0.0.0.0. Thanks in advance!

 

[tsialex]

I think the answer is yes, but just for peace of mind.. is it safe to update the BootROM from MP51.0089.B00 directly to 144.0.0.0.0? Or is it best to update from High Sierra 10.13.6 -> 10.14.1 -> 10.14.6?

I downloaded the latest full Mojave 10.14.6 installer from MAS but just want to check there's no harm in skipping over 140.0.0.0.0. Thanks in advance!

No problem upgrading from MP51.0089.B00 to 144.0.0.0.0.

What won't work is upgrading from a previous release, like MP51.0084.B00 to 144.0.0.0.0, you have to upgrade to MP51.0089.B00 first then you can go to 144.0.0.0.0.

 

[dcuster]

Gotcha, thanks for the quick reply!

 

[wfmwfm]

I'm on 10.13.6 MP51.0084.B00

The App Store is not allowing me to download 10.13.6 no way/no how from any link I've found this afternoon (including in the first post, of course!)

Any clues?

 

[tsialex]

I'm on 10.13.6 MP51.0084.B00

The App Store is not allowing me to download 10.13.6 no way/no how from any link I've found this afternoon (including in the first post, of course!)

Any clues?

I don't know what could be wrong with you config, but you can always use installinstallmacos.py.

 

[flaviol]

I am planning to go thru this upgrade and get my 5,1 up to Mojave with a msi radeon rx 560 with a new SSD. My question is I am keeping my current SSD system drive running Sierra 10.12.6 in the machine so that I have the option to occasionally boot up Sierra to run older Logic Pro projects, etc. Will I be able to boot from that drive and use the R560 after this upgrade? Will I be able to boot Mojave or Sierra on my machine? Thanks for any info! Obrigado!

 

[tsialex]

I am planning to go thru this upgrade and get my 5,1 up to Mojave with a msi radeon rx 560 with a new SSD. My question is I am keeping my current SSD system drive running Sierra 10.12.6 in the machine so that I have the option to occasionally boot up Sierra to run older Logic Pro projects, etc. Will I be able to boot from that drive and use the R560 after this upgrade?

Yes, but RX 4xx and RX 5xx GPUs work very poorly with Sierra. 10.12.6 is the first macOS release to support Polaris cards and the drivers are very buggy.

Will I be able to boot Mojave or Sierra on my machine? Thanks for any info! Obrigado!

Yes.

 

[flaviol]

Thank you for the info. Would I do better if I upgrade that 2nd drive to High Sierra?