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Need help... DOWNGRADING MacPro 5,1 -> 4,1

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tsialex said:
Mac App Store download of 10.13.0/1/2/3 full installer that you downloaded at the time. If you it download now, you will get the 10.13.5.
Click to expand...

So right now, using El Capitan fw is MP51.0085.B00, I'm assuming if i install the full installer of 10.13.5 HS it will prolly ask me to update the FW to the buggy MP51.0087.B00?
 
Info provide here is obsolete and unsafe, I edited all my posts.
 
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tsialex said:
Mac App Store download of 10.13.0/1/2/3 full installer that you downloaded at the time. If you do the download now, you will get the 10.13.5.

1) 0085 to 0084
2) 0084 to 007F

Then to the Netkas downgrader.
Click to expand...

ok, let me check inside the HS installer and see what version it has. i may have to try and find the older installers some how.
[doublepost=1531120717][/doublepost]
AnimeFunTv said:
ok, let me check inside the HS installer and see what version it has. i may have to try and find the older installers some how.
Click to expand...

No, i don't have any older versions of 10.13 HS, the one i have has 0087 which now I wanna avoid since it has the known bug
 
Info provide here is obsolete and unsafe, I edited all my posts.
 
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tsialex said:
Maybe you will need to search for something like "10.13.3 torrent" if you didn't save it at the time.
Click to expand...

I'll have to look into it tomorrow after I get some sleep. lol I absolutely appreciate everything you've help with so far. I'll let ya know what I find, at least now i know what path i have to take to get back to the original 4,1 FW
 
Info provide here is obsolete and unsafe, I edited all my posts.
 
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tsialex said:
Yep, now that you know the process you just need to get hold of the previous BootROMs and do each step. Good night.
Click to expand...

Okay,

So i was successful in downgrading 0085 to 0084 under El Capitan and using the High Sierra installer with the previous steps

However now when going from 0084 to 007F it fails, The apple screen & progress bar shows up but it fills quickly and then reboots and it remains at MP51.0084.B00

Keep in mind I'm using the official apple 007F, and it only has two files within the DMG, MP51_007F_03B_LOCKED.fd & EfiUpdaterApp2.efi

I would assume at this point the reason its failing is the fact its the official 007F FW and not the patched FW at this point?
 
Info provide here is obsolete and unsafe, I edited all my posts.
 
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Quick (sort-of) unrelated question, If per say I get another 4,1 MacPro and do the 4,1->5,1 FW upgrade and if i want to install High Sierra, I avoid using the App Store HS Installer since it that version would want to install the has the buggy MP51.0087.B00 FW

I'm assuming the older HS installers with the 0084 or 0085 FW would be best to use?

Also since the older HS installers will be ver 10.13(.1->.4) will the app store want to do a FW update when it sees the update to 10.13.5 from those previous versions? If so, whats the best way to go about it? Just delete the FW files in the Applications/Install macOS High Sierra/Contents/Resourses/Firmware/ folder so it won't detect it?
 
Info provide here is obsolete and unsafe, I edited all my posts.
 
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Info provide here is obsolete and unsafe, I edited all my posts.
 
Last edited:
Info provide here is obsolete and unsafe, I edited all my posts.
 
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These quick edits are killer, lol. So instead of using the replace/rename MP51_0088_00B_LOCKED.fd method just go straight to MP51_007F_03B_LOCKED.fd? (never mind)
 
Info provide here is obsolete and unsafe, I edited all my posts.
 
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tsialex said:
1) Edit MP51.crc32 with the correct value for MP51_007F_03B_LOCKED.fd:
Code: 
8b9f1d3d

2) Rename MP51_007F_03B_LOCKED.fd to MP51_0088_03B_LOCKED.fd

3) Put both files on Firmware folder and run the HS installer app.
Click to expand...

No go, Apple screen and progress bar appears but instantly finishes and reboots, still at MP51.0084.B00.
 
Info provide here is obsolete and unsafe, I edited all my posts.
 
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tsialex said:
Humm, do you have a binary dump of your MP41 BootROM? I don't think so, but I have to ask. =)
Click to expand...

Nope, sorry.

I booted into 10.6 on another hard drive to see if I can attempt to do the FW change and no dice on that either.
[doublepost=1531201293][/doublepost]To be fair though, The issue I had and the reason why I was going to send the Mac in for warranty has cleared up since downgrading to 0085 & 0084.

So at this point it looks like their is no need to downgrade other than to see if its possible still to go all the way back to 4,1.
 
Info provide here is obsolete and unsafe, I edited all my posts.
 
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tsialex said:
Make a ROMdump of your actual BootROM, compress/zip it and send on my MacRumors nick + gmail. I'll take a look on it tomorrow and see if its possible to do this from another angle.

P.S:

Before doing the ROMdump, you will need to disable SIP. Boot on Recovery, go to the Terminal and run:
Code: 
csrutil disable
[doublepost=1531201854][/doublepost]

Ah, the missed microcodes? You couldn't install Windows or run Linux bootCDs?
Click to expand...

Alright, sounds good. I appreciate everything!
 
Info provide here is obsolete and unsafe, I edited all my posts.
 
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tsialex said:
Yesterday I did not answered this fully. Yes, it's best to delete the Firmware folder. If you need to reinstall High Sierra now, with the still bugged 0087 BootROM, just delete the Firmware folder and install as usual.

I did take a look on your dump and the three infos (SerialNumber, SalesOrderNumber and LogicBoardSerial) needed to personalize the LOCKED.fd are there. I'll try it later this week.

BTW, what's your Mac Pro problem before? Couldn't install Windows/boot linux CDs?
Click to expand...

Excellent, I installed a fresh drive and installed a clean copy of 10.13.2 with the 0084 FW, HS installed flawlessly, updated to 10.13.6 with no issues, didn’t ask to update the FW.

let me know what you find with the rom dump, i’m gonna stay on 0084 for now, my issue (and reason i wanted to “virginize” my mac and send it back to the reseller for warranty) has cleared up, so all may be good for now.
 
tsialex said:
Yesterday I did not answered this fully. Yes, it's best to delete the Firmware folder. If you need to reinstall High Sierra now, with the still bugged 0087 BootROM, just delete the Firmware folder and install as usual.
Click to expand...

tsialex,

I'm debating doing the move from El Capitan to High Sierra on my 2009 Mac Pro. I have already moved from 4,1 to 5,1 and now have Boot ROM version MP51.007F.B03 (using the Netkas method).

My concern is that my MP is currently giving me adequate performance and I'd be worried that moving to the updated firmware with the Intel code will create an issue for my work. I know the performance hit is very minimal, but I'm already maxing out the MP as it is.

What are my options for moving to HS and sticking with a firmware that doesn't have the Intel fixes but still supports APFS? It seem like 0084 might work? Then I'd have to be able to get a hold of this and also hope that I could downgrade if necessary (it doesn't seem like AnimeFunTV had much luck here).

Oddly enough, a friend of mine with a 2009 MP did the Netkas update and then ran the High Sierra installer to an internal HDD (non SSD) and somehow his MP Boot rom afterward is at: MP51.0084.B00, and upon checking the installer that he used, sure enough, the Firmware in the Contents folder was 0089, not sure how he managed to get to 0084 instead of 0089.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks
 
Info provide here is obsolete and unsafe, I edited all my posts.
 
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