MP 1,1-5,1 Boot Rom issue, NVRAM variable removed after reboot, any solution?

[rk44722]

Hi everyone,

I would appreciate a bit of a help here.

I've a Mac Pro 5.1, and I've recently updated to High Sierra, the problem I'm facing is that the NVRAM variables are removed after restart of the machine.

I'm using GTX 980 ti GPU and it was working fine with El Capitan, it should work fine with high sierra as well should the Cuda and Nvidia Web drivers are picked by the system.

BOOT ROM Version is MP51.0089.B00
SMC Version: 1.39f11
macOS 10.13.6 (17G6030)

CUDA Driver Version 418.163 (NO GPU Detected) is the message shown on the screen
Nvidia Web Driver: 387.10.10.10.40.127


Is there any solution for NVRAM to be retained after reboot. If you require any further information please let me know.

Thanks

 

[tsialex]

Hi everyone,

I would appreciate a bit of a help here.

I've a Mac Pro 5.1, and I've recently updated to High Sierra, the problem I'm facing is that the NVRAM variables are removed after restart of the machine.

I'm using GTX 980 ti GPU and it was working fine with El Capitan, it should work fine with high sierra as well should the Cuda and Nvidia Web drivers are picked by the system.

BOOT ROM Version is MP51.0089.B00
SMC Version: 1.39f11
macOS 10.13.6 (17G6030)

CUDA Driver Version 418.163 (NO GPU Detected) is the message shown on the screen
Nvidia Web Driver: 387.10.10.10.40.127


Is there any solution for NVRAM to be retained after reboot. If you require any further information please let me know.

Thanks

This is weird, unless you have the NVDIA blobs from TITAN cards inside your NVRAM VSS stores, this shouldn't happen.

Did you tried a deep NVRAM reset (force triggering the garbage collection)? Install a wired keyboard that works for NVRAM resets, press CMD-ALT-P-R and keep pressed until you hear the fifth chime.

 

[rk44722]

This is weird, unless you have the NVDIA blobs from TITAN cards inside your NVRAM VSS stores, this shouldn't happen.

Did you tried a deep NVRAM reset (force triggering the garbage collection)? Install a wired keyboard that works for NVRAM resets, press CMD-ALT-P-R and keep pressed until you hear the fifth chime.

I haven't tried deep NVRAM reset, to be honest I'm new to this Mac so don't have much knowledge.

I'll try what you have suggested, so restart the machine and hold, CMD+ALT+P+R and keep it pressed until I hear 5th chime. Is that needs to be done on restart or anytime.

I'm using the standard USB apple wired keyboard, so I guess that should work fine.

 

[tsialex]

I haven't tried deep NVRAM reset, to be honest I'm new to this Mac so don't have much knowledge.

I'll try what you have suggested, so restart the machine and hold, CMD+ALT+P+R and keep it pressed until I hear 5th chime. Is that needs to be done on restart or anytime.

I'm using the standard USB apple wired keyboard, so I guess that should work fine.

Shutdown, press the Mac Pro power button and then immediately go to the keyboard and press+hold CMD+ALT+P+R until you hear the 5th chime. You need to reset the NVRAM 4-times consecutively to force trigger the garbage collection.

If you still has problems after doing the above, maybe you already have a too corrupt NVRAM volume after 10+ years of usage and will need a BootROM clean up/reconstruction.

 

[rk44722]

Shutdown, press the Mac Pro power button and then immediately go to the keyboard and press+hold CMD+ALT+P+R until you hear the 5th chime. You need to reset the NVRAM 4-times consecutively to force trigger the garbage collection.

If you still has problems after doing the above, maybe you already have a too corrupt NVRAM volume after 10+ years of usage and will need a BootROM clean up/reconstruction.

Thanks, so I do the process mentioned 4 times in a row, shutdown, and then restart with the keys mentioned pressed. ?

On another thread of mine I was asked for the system profiler and ioreg file. I'm attaching that here if that can be of any help.

Should the NVRAM is corrupt then is there a solution, my GPU was working fine with El Capitan so if I revert it back to that will it work or it is no longer going to work without the reconstruction/cleanup.

 

[tsialex]

On another thread of mine I was asked for the system profiler and ioreg file. I'm attaching that here if that can be of any help.

Your nvram -xp don't show anything suspicious, but over the years I've learned that it's not a really reliable way to evaluate the NVRAM volume as whole and only a dump shows the blobs and the real problems.

 

[rk44722]

Your nvram -xp don't show anything suspicious, but over the years I've learned that it's not a really reliable way to evaluate the NVRAM volume as whole and only a dump shows the blobs and the real problems.

So I shut down, and restarted my machine holding the CMD+ALT+P+R, do I need to do that 4 times in a row, by shutting down and then restarting etc. and let the keys go on 5th chime.

 

[rk44722]

You're a star mate, I did the reset, then in Terminal I've done the sudo NVRAM myram=1, and restarted my machine and it is working perfectly fine, on this occasion it has retained the nvram value when I do the nvram -p

One question now if I update the sytem and get the correct Nvidia driver for the version then it should work fine.

 

[rk44722]

I'm also looking into updating to Mojave, not sure I need it but in the system provide it is showing my card as Metal supported, feature set macOS GPUFamily1 v3. ROM Revision MacVidCards. so that should be okay to upgrage ??

 

[tsialex]

You're a star mate, I did the reset, then in Terminal I've done the sudo NVRAM myram=1, and restarted my machine and it is working perfectly fine, on this occasion it has retained the nvram value when I do the nvram -p

You just proved that your Mac Pro have a non working NVRAM garbage collection. You probably will have further problems in the future.

One question now if I update the sytem and get the correct Nvidia driver for the version then it should work fine.

There is a thread about NVIDIA drivers, since I don't own any NVIDIA card that requires the web drivers, I'm not the best person to answer this.

 

[tsialex]

I'm also looking into updating to Mojave, not sure I need it but in the system provide it is showing my card as Metal supported, feature set macOS GPUFamily1 v3. ROM Revision MacVidCards. so that should be okay to upgrage ??

No, Maxwell GPUs (GTX 9xx) are not supported after 10.13.6. You have to replace your GPU to run Mojave.

Only Kepler GPUs (GTX 680/780/880 and others except 750Ti that is also a Maxwell) are still supported by the Apple native NVDIA drivers.

 

[rk44722]

You just proved that your Mac Pro have a non working NVRAM garbage collection. You probably will have further problems in the future.


There is a thread about NVIDIA drivers, since I don't own any NVIDIA card that requires the web drivers, I'm not the best person to answer this.

That doesn't sound promissing, if I'll have further problems in the future. What can i do to avoid that any firmware update etc. or any other suggestion.

With regards to Metal cards, it stated that it is supported in the system profile so I guess that's just a lie. even I've the macOS Mojave ready to do the firmware update on my screen. so I guess there is no point in doing any of that as it will mess the sytem up more.

 

[tsialex]

That doesn't sound promissing, if I'll have further problems in the future. What can i do to avoid that any firmware update etc. or any other suggestion.

BootROM clean-up/reconstruction. I'll send you a PM.

With regards to Metal cards, it stated that it is supported in the system profile so I guess that's just a lie. even I've the macOS Mojave ready to do the firmware update on my screen. so I guess there is no point in doing any of that as it will mess the sytem up more.

Your GPU is a METAL supported one with 10.13.6, but this don't solve the original sin that the Apple native NVIDIA drivers only support Kepler generation NVDIA GPUs - Apple never sold a Mac with a NVIDIA GPU newer than Kepler and Apple only make drivers for the GPUs that are compatible with Macs (Mac Editions) or were sold with Macs - and NVIDIA don't offer web drivers after 10.13.6. No GPU drivers, no GPU support.

 

[lauwailap]

Hi, my wife's computer had very similar issues to OP. It was running 10.13.6 on Mac Pro 5,1 with a GTX 1080 from macvidcards. It's been fine for 2 years, then 2 displays dropped out and weird scrolling black horizontal lines.

At first I thought it was her graphics card so we bought a new card(!) The New card had the same issue.

I read this thread and did CMD+ALT+P+R on boot-up once. I did not hear a fifth chime and this solved my issue.

Did this simply reset the NVRAM?

Is there a likelihood that NVRAM garbage collection is also not working properly on this machine?

What's the likelihood that I need to do a BOOTROM clean-up/reconstruction any time soon?

Feel free to DM.

Thanks

BootROM clean-up/reconstruction. I'll send you a PM.

Your GPU is a METAL supported one with 10.13.6, but this don't solve the original sin that the Apple native NVIDIA drivers only support Kepler generation NVDIA GPUs - Apple never sold a Mac with a NVIDIA GPU newer than Kepler and Apple only make drivers for the GPUs that are compatible with Macs (Mac Editions) or were sold with Macs - and NVIDIA don't offer web drivers after 10.13.6. No GPU drivers, no GPU support.

 

[John Fu]

BootROM clean-up/reconstruction. I'll send you a PM.

Your GPU is a METAL supported one with 10.13.6, but this don't solve the original sin that the Apple native NVIDIA drivers only support Kepler generation NVDIA GPUs - Apple never sold a Mac with a NVIDIA GPU newer than Kepler and Apple only make drivers for the GPUs that are compatible with Macs (Mac Editions) or were sold with Macs - and NVIDIA don't offer web drivers after 10.13.6. No GPU drivers, no GPU support.

Hi Tsialex,

Have you seen this before? any idea how to fix it, I can not downgrade back to 2009! I can install Majove, but I can not upgrade to Monterey, it will ask for the requirement firmware need to be upgraded, then only I can do is shut it, I use Apple Metal Graphic Card, and reset fifth times of the NVRAM.

Thanks for the help, sorry about my English

 

[tsialex]

Hi Tsialex,

Have you seen this before? any idea how to fix it, I can not downgrade back to 2009! I can install Majove, but I can not upgrade to Monterey, it will ask for the requirement firmware need to be upgraded, then only I can do is shut it, I use Apple Metal Graphic Card, and reset fifth times of the NVRAM.

Thanks for the help, sorry about my English View attachment 2317380

System Information is showing BootROM Version 9144.0.9.6.0 because you booted from OpenCore instance that spoofs it, boot native and you will see the real Mac Pro firmware version. Since it's a cross-flashed early-2009 Mac Pro, you can also have BootROM issues.

If your real BootROM/System Firmware version is currently 144.0.0.0.0, your issues with installing Monterey are not related to the spoofing itself, since it's just a clever way to avoid unwanted EFI firmware updates from the spoofed Mac:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mp5-1-what-you-have-to-do-to-upgrade-to-mojave-bootrom-upgrade-instructions-thread.2142418/post-32624546

You are probably doing something wrong or your BootROM is problematic. I'd first check the real version, then be sure about the BootROM integrity. After that, go to the thread for the OpenCore solution you are using, probably @h9826790 package, and ask help there about the upgrade to Monterey.

 

[John Fu]

System Information is showing BootROM Version 9144.0.9.6.0 because you booted from OpenCore instance that spoofs it, boot native and you will see the real Mac Pro firmware version. Since it's a cross-flashed early-2009 Mac Pro, you can also have BootROM issues.

If your real BootROM/System Firmware version is currently 144.0.0.0.0, your issues with installing Monterey are not related to the spoofing itself, since it's just a clever way to avoid unwanted EFI firmware updates from the spoofed Mac:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mp5-1-what-you-have-to-do-to-upgrade-to-mojave-bootrom-upgrade-instructions-thread.2142418/post-32624546

You are probably doing something wrong or your BootROM is problematic. I'd first check the real version, then be sure about the BootROM integrity. After that, go to the thread for the OpenCore solution you are using, probably @h9826790 package, and ask help there about the upgrade to Monterey.

System Information is showing BootROM Version 9144.0.9.6.0 because you booted from OpenCore instance that spoofs it, boot native and you will see the real Mac Pro firmware version. Since it's a cross-flashed early-2009 Mac Pro, you can also have BootROM issues.

If your real BootROM/System Firmware version is currently 144.0.0.0.0, your issues with installing Monterey are not related to the spoofing itself, since it's just a clever way to avoid unwanted EFI firmware updates from the spoofed Mac:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mp5-1-what-you-have-to-do-to-upgrade-to-mojave-bootrom-upgrade-instructions-thread.2142418/post-32624546

You are probably doing something wrong or your BootROM is problematic. I'd first check the real version, then be sure about the BootROM integrity. After that, go to the thread for the OpenCore solution you are using, probably @h9826790 package, and ask help there about the upgrade to Monterey.

Thank you so much for letting me know what happened, I did do the clean install, and now it is back to 144.0.0.0.0, but now, it seems can not upgrade to Monetery, I can not even install it, it shows the device can not be install any idea?

Thank you Again!

 

[John Fu]

System Information is showing BootROM Version 9144.0.9.6.0 because you booted from OpenCore instance that spoofs it, boot native and you will see the real Mac Pro firmware version. Since it's a cross-flashed early-2009 Mac Pro, you can also have BootROM issues.

If your real BootROM/System Firmware version is currently 144.0.0.0.0, your issues with installing Monterey are not related to the spoofing itself, since it's just a clever way to avoid unwanted EFI firmware updates from the spoofed Mac:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mp5-1-what-you-have-to-do-to-upgrade-to-mojave-bootrom-upgrade-instructions-thread.2142418/post-32624546

You are probably doing something wrong or your BootROM is problematic. I'd first check the real version, then be sure about the BootROM integrity. After that, go to the thread for the OpenCore solution you are using, probably @h9826790 package, and ask help there about the upgrade to Monterey.

No problem, I fix it!

Thank you