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MP51.0087.B00 10.13.5 BootROM update: Missing Microcode...
- Thread starter LightBulbFun
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"40752222" that May or may not be the number of the bug report I submitted on this whole Microcode thing after I figured out how to bug-report...
glad Apple engineering are looking at the bug reports we filed (well I hope so and that its not just an automated thing...)
glad Apple engineering are looking at the bug reports we filed (well I hope so and that its not just an automated thing...)
What did you file it under? I filed one under "other", but I'm not sure if that's correct. Hopefully the engineers are looking at these reports.
I filed mine under Mac (hardware IIRC tho it just says Mac in the sub title bit) as well its is a pretty serious bug to do with the Mac Pro 5,1 it self and its Firmware rather then any specific OS X or iOS software release (they dont exactly have a section for EFI/Firmware bugs it seems sadly)
Good news. Sounds like a fix is on it's way. Now if Apple would get off the planned obsolescence bandwagon and include nvme boot support as well as the missing microcode. Has anyone submitted a bug? Perhaps we need to remind them nvme booting works on the 4,1/5,1.
I submitted mine through the web interface maybe the options are diffrent there?
https://bugreport.apple.com/web/(quick edit: I noticed your list looks like a list of things when reporting bugs about MacOS itself rather then a list regarding reporting bugs in general for all things to Apple)
I think we know Apple is aware of the problem, with any luck we'll have a fix in 10.13.6.
Any other bug I reported got fixed in the next update.
Any other bug I reported got fixed in the next update.
Just waded through this thread.
I had installed the full version of 10.13.5 and got the new firmware update w/ no microcode ( showing ver. 0). So my take aways from this thread:
1) The firmware is probably intended to address several security vulnerabilities. Without that microcode my Mac is not safe from malicious attacks. YIKES!
2) I could use the patch here to downgrade to the previous firmware or to insert the updated microcode. (sincere thanks to all the Mac hacker geniuses here). A misstep in the process could risk iCloud lockout or worse bricking my Mac.
3) It affects only the cMP. it's surely a mistake/bug. Wait for the next OS update to fix it. We can trust Apple. We are not being left behind. (yikes, fingers crossed).
I had installed the full version of 10.13.5 and got the new firmware update w/ no microcode ( showing ver. 0). So my take aways from this thread:
1) The firmware is probably intended to address several security vulnerabilities. Without that microcode my Mac is not safe from malicious attacks. YIKES!
2) I could use the patch here to downgrade to the previous firmware or to insert the updated microcode. (sincere thanks to all the Mac hacker geniuses here). A misstep in the process could risk iCloud lockout or worse bricking my Mac.
3) It affects only the cMP. it's surely a mistake/bug. Wait for the next OS update to fix it. We can trust Apple. We are not being left behind. (yikes, fingers crossed).
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Surrat are you using same procedure as describe by h9826790 in #1 ? (with V15 + V30 microcode added to 0087 ROM)
Also all I want to thank you all for diving into the good nerdy stuff. Been a macrumors since beginning but never quite got into the forums, I am discovering such good efforts here.
I hope I can help from now on, as I've been upgrading 2 cMP's (wifi mod, CPU, USB, GPU, etc). One single CPU one dual.
Having just yesterday applied thermal paste on a shiny X5960 in the single Cpu one, With 10.13.5 & 0087 Rom, I'm getting a high Geekbench 64 score:
I guess 30 versions of microcode patches will lower that score. Once I'll figure how to add microcode i'lll post the new score.
Thanks again
Attachments
Yes, in fact, I dumped the roms from 4 of my MacPros and sent them to LightBulbFun, he did the mods himself.
I requested that he not only add the new microcodes, but delete the old outdated ones as well.
Now, my MacPro roms have only the newest 28 and 30 microcode for Nehalem and Westmere.
I requested that he not only add the new microcodes, but delete the old outdated ones as well.
Now, my MacPro roms have only the newest 28 and 30 microcode for Nehalem and Westmere.
Hello everyone,
Well @dosdude1 has done it again. Using his tool here https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ode-update-guide.2122246/page-2#post-26151850 and extracting my microcode from my other 5,1 with firmware 084 Mac Pro, I was able to restore v15 microcode to my 087 Mac Pro. I cannot be thankful enough for this tool existing, I was hesitant using this Mac Pro with no microcode.
Well @dosdude1 has done it again. Using his tool here https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ode-update-guide.2122246/page-2#post-26151850 and extracting my microcode from my other 5,1 with firmware 084 Mac Pro, I was able to restore v15 microcode to my 087 Mac Pro. I cannot be thankful enough for this tool existing, I was hesitant using this Mac Pro with no microcode.
So, I’ve read over the google doc for injecting the NVMe support into firmware. I must say this is a very concise write up. Thanks to all who contributed. With the clear instructions given it’s very tempting to me.
My only concern is that I’ve only noticed 1 post stating that it works with the 087 firmware.
It looks like an easy task, but I’m going to wait until I see a few more positive reports on 087. Also, I’m actually expecting another firmware update or 2 from Apple, and I’d kind of like to see what that might bring too. If it never comes, it’s nice to know I can upgrade it myself.
Just Thinking Aloud here...
Another thought occurred to me. If someone knew where to purchase, how to flash, and had the means to do so, offering a chip for the little frank socket as a rescue solution would be a great community service to cMP owners. I’d buy one for unforeseen emergencies.
Thanks again for all the hard work by everyone paving the way for an improved cMP.
My only concern is that I’ve only noticed 1 post stating that it works with the 087 firmware.
It looks like an easy task, but I’m going to wait until I see a few more positive reports on 087. Also, I’m actually expecting another firmware update or 2 from Apple, and I’d kind of like to see what that might bring too. If it never comes, it’s nice to know I can upgrade it myself.
Just Thinking Aloud here...
Another thought occurred to me. If someone knew where to purchase, how to flash, and had the means to do so, offering a chip for the little frank socket as a rescue solution would be a great community service to cMP owners. I’d buy one for unforeseen emergencies.
Thanks again for all the hard work by everyone paving the way for an improved cMP.
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You will need the Matt-card from http://www.cmizapper.com for the MacPro. It’s a plug-in card that plugs into the little frank connector and is the override for your onboard bootROM. It behaves like a normal bootROM-chip but you cannot access the onboard one. It is also flashable with an SPI-programmer.
You could use it to be your experimental bootROM. Plug it in and do all the flashing you want. If your bootROM isn’t booting anymore just unplug it, reflash with SPI-programmer and put it back.
Costs €60 and ships worldwide from the Netherlands.
I asked all this to the guy from cmizapper because someone mentioned the easyflash A4042, but that’s not the right product. That’s just a header-connector for the little frank socket so you don’t need the SOIC-clip but still the same problems reading from it as with the SOIC-clip attached.
60 euro via wire or western union. His PayPal account has issues? Sounds shady. Looks good, but with those terms, I passed. I’m glad someone picked up on the crumbs I dropped.
As I discussed with the bloke at cmi you need the mattcard with the 30 pin Molex interface. He had no idea his kit would work on the cmp until I reached out last month.
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Here is a handy link to Intels list of processors and their ID numbers that pertain to microcodes:
https://software.intel.com/en-us/ar...ification-with-cpuid-model-and-family-numbers
https://software.intel.com/en-us/ar...ification-with-cpuid-model-and-family-numbers
Got the V30 code working on my 087 firmware mac pro. The fancy GUI patching program was unexpectedly quitting on me, so I followed the manual copy and paste in hexedit method.
Did you download the microcode from Dosdude’s web page?
You can’t inject the microcode file provided by LightBulbFun. That’s not the “correct” microcode to use for that patcher. It’s because that file also contain some “header” for search and locate purpose, not just the pure microcode.
Yeah, you need to use a microcode file found here. As mentioned, the dump @LightBulbFun provided contains more than *just* the microcode, and the program is not designed to handle that.
Ah. That’s the problem. It was late at night and I didn’t want to try to figure out which one of the files it was.
Using dosdudes excellent tool, and LightBulbFun's advice, I successfully updated three 1,1 MacPro, and a 2,1 MacPro.
I needed help finding the right file, since I knew the cpu ID, but did not know what platform was needed for the 1,1 and 2,1 to support its cpu's.
LightBulbFun did discover that if you have the late version upgrade cpu's installed, the 65 watt 5160, or the 120 watt 5365, which are newer than what Apple used, their microcodes do not work in the mac EFI. If you add it, it will cause the MacPro to hang. For those cpu's, you have to be running El Capitan to get the newest microcode auto loaded by the OS which somehow bypasses the problem.
What I did was add the two microcodes into the 2,1 EFI that pertain to the original type cpu's, and removed the other junk ones. The 1,1 EFI really only needs one microcode to cover its cpu's, so I removed the extras on that also.
I needed help finding the right file, since I knew the cpu ID, but did not know what platform was needed for the 1,1 and 2,1 to support its cpu's.
LightBulbFun did discover that if you have the late version upgrade cpu's installed, the 65 watt 5160, or the 120 watt 5365, which are newer than what Apple used, their microcodes do not work in the mac EFI. If you add it, it will cause the MacPro to hang. For those cpu's, you have to be running El Capitan to get the newest microcode auto loaded by the OS which somehow bypasses the problem.
What I did was add the two microcodes into the 2,1 EFI that pertain to the original type cpu's, and removed the other junk ones. The 1,1 EFI really only needs one microcode to cover its cpu's, so I removed the extras on that also.