macOS Sierra on unsupported Macs Introduction For the first time since OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion in 2012, macOS 10.12 Sierra has changed the official minimum requirement to run it, leaving some older (but still perfectly capable) Macs behind. Spoiler: The official minimum requirements for MacOS Sierra MacBook (late 2009 or later) iMac (late 2009 or later) MacBook Air (2010 or later) MacBook Pro (2010 or later) Mac mini (2010 or later) mac pro (2010 or later) Here's a thread for people to discuss and offer solutions for the newly unsupported Macs in macOS 10.12 Sierra. This post will be updated with solutions as they become available. Apple History OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard was the first OS X version with optional support for a 64-bit kernel, allowing booting either with a 32-bit or 64-bit kernel. However, Apple did not support booting the 64-bit kernel in Macs that shipped with EFI32 firmware, even if they had 64-bit processors capable of running the 64-bit kernel. When Apple dropped the 32-bit kernel entirely from OS X, starting with OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, EFI32 Macs no longer had an Apple-supported mechanism to boot newer OS X versions. OS X 10.11 El Capitan includes System Intergrity Protection (Rootless security). It makes sure that System file permissions are automatically protected, and updated during Software Updates. The Repair Permissions function is no longer available and access to system files that we need to use in this thread may be locked. Older Macs that lost support in macOS Sierra have an USB related issue that prevents the built-in USB as well as the thereon connected Input Devices and Bluetooth from working. Models Tested: The support for legacy Macs include iMac 5,1; MacBook 2,1 and MacBook 3,1 that could install Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite with MacPostFactor or OS X Extractor (in the spoiler below) have been dropped in OS X 10.11 El Capitain. Mac Pro 1,1 and 2,1, while able to update to El Capitan with the methods in the spoiler below, are currently not supported by macOS Sierra. Current Development Files Kexts: Legacy USB Injector Kext OS X Extractor - Beta USB Kexts.zip (depreciated) PlatformSupport.plist / InstallableMachines.plist: Download Zip Quick Test Guide: Using @dosdude1's patch tool: 1. Download the tool here. 2. Follow the instructions here: MacOS Sierra Patcher Tool for Unsupported Macs Other OS patching threads: Spoiler: Other threads macOS Sierra (10.12) 2006/2007 Mac Pro (1,1/2,1) and macOS Sierra - Mr, Zarniwoop OS X El Capitan (10.11) OS X El Capitan on Unsupported Macs - TMRJIJ 2006/2007 Mac Pro (1,1/2,1) and El Capitan - Mr, Zarniwoop OS X Yosemite (10.10) OS X Yosemite on Unsupported Macs - TMRJIJ 2006/2007 Mac Pro (1,1/2,1) and OS X Yosemite - Mr. Zarniwoop OS X Mavericks (10.9) [Guide] Installing 10.9 Mavericks on older Macs. - HackerWayne Mac Pro 2,1 and OS X Mavericks -5050 OS X Mountain Lion (10.8) Success! Install 10.8 on old unsupported Mac - HackerWayne
Big question is gonna be whether a 4,1 upgraded to 5,1 is going to be counted as a 2010/2012 by the installer.
This really sucks... they barely change the OS that they release every year, and it's all to screw over existing Mac users. They've just ruled out both my laptop and desktop. I still have lots of time before El Capitan is 'obsolete,' but it's still very annoying. It's also very annoying that my 4,1 and MacBook Pro (and others') will now have to be treated like 1,1/2,1 Mac Pros, in that these machines will now have to receive workarounds for the latest "macOS." What a shame. They've spiffed-up iOS, yet Mac OS (no, I am NOT calling it "macOS") is a lame duck. Anyway, I wonder if Apple has actually made a comeback, or if they'll continue ruining things like iTunes and iWork. The new iOS looks more promising than what they've recently been doing, but it's Apple-under-Tim-Cook after all.
I'm a little bit sad. My MacBook Pro has the same CPU/GPU (Intel Penryn/nVidia Tesla) like the 2010 13" version, and that 2010 13" version is supported, and the older ones is not.
Wonder why they struck the 2009 Mac mini off? As for those complaining - we've had 4 years of stability with no changes, so belt up.
I definitely think the 09 MBs should have still been supported, being that there is little difference between the 3 09 MBs... *sigh*
I thought the 9400M was the reason my Late 2009 mini got dropped, but the Late 2009 Macbook has the exact same card... Maybe it'll be easy to unofficially run sierra on those...
Not sure why the non-Pro MacBook from 2009 is supported, yet the 2009 MacBook Pro isn't! Just bought 8GB of RAM for my 2009 MacBook Pro, and now I'm a bit disappointed that it's been crossed from the list. Well, I do not even need to immediately upgrade; but, if I do, hopefully there will be a workaround. And, what's special about this moment in time is that there will be many more Macs needing the workaround - and there's no knowing which Macs can receive it properly and which cannot. My guess is that the 2009 and possibly 2008 Mac Pros can do it, and, with luck, the 1,1/2,1 ones. However, as for laptops, they've been continuously stressed-out by Apple's new versions of Mac OS, as such new versions seem to become more and more graphically heavy, even if they sport the same animations... which is stupid. For example, Stacks (which does what it did 10 years ago, but 3x less efficiently) lags like heck on my 2009 MacBook Pro. I'd hate to see what it does if I were to do some future workaround on it and get "macOS" Sierra.
Yeah, there may be some firmware trickery needed or something. --- Post Merged, Jun 13, 2016 --- I can see your name on a new, groundbreaking thread all about the unsupported Macs and their workarounds for Sierra. xD --- Post Merged, Jun 13, 2016 --- Y'know, I bet everyone will start flashing their 4,1 Macs to 5,1, which could work... but it would create lots of confusion. It would be cheating to flash one without upgrading the CPUs! Also, I hope CPU prices for these don't skyrocket.
It's strange to keep the 2009 MacBook but not MacBook Pro. Perhaps Apple considers it an easy entry point to MacOS. My late 2008 MacBook Air also has the 9400M GPU (as do several other models of MacBook Pro, MacBook, and Mac mini), so I hope it will be possible to get 10.12 running on it.
I have what's called a "mid-2009" MacBook Pro w/ 9400M. Does this mean that it's supported? According to Mactracker, there IS no "late-2009" MacBook Pro. Anyway, those unsupported Macs that have the 9400M should be able to have 10.12 installed on them easily, with some workaround. (And, hopefully that workaround isn't something that has to be done with every minor update.) The question is whether or not they will be good at running Sierra. I guess the UI hasn't changed much, so they should be fine. I mean, not FINE, but just as things are in El Cap - and things are slightly questionable. For instance, my 2009 MBP has issues with some of El Cap's animations; granted, it's otherwise okay. What's scary is that, about a year from now, I'm sure that every cMP will be off the list, and we'll need a workaround for them all. Or, Apple will keep their current new list for yet another version, then completely wipe it out a year after that. Maybe then we'll see the final slash of the cMP... that is, until we can apply our workarounds. If I can, I plan on keeping my 2009 Mac Pro for as long as it can boot.
I see you're working on getting your method out there. Would you like to work with me on an automated tool since MLforAll is missing in action?
I am both relieved and surprised that the 2009 MacBook was kept. It's a good thing that that cool machine can still be fully up-to-date. It's the last of the good MacBooks.
@MagicBoy @TMRJIJ I have requested this thread be made a Wiki so one of you can post a solution to the OP. For some reason the option to do it is missing.
The Piker people may also be working on something similar. Along with Tiamo, they were the ones to get the 1,1/2,1 Mac Pros up and running with ML, Mavericks, Yosemite, and El Cap. --- Post Merged, Jun 13, 2016 --- To be fair, the MacBook is way more of a consumer product, so they'd rather keep it than the Mac Pro. Oddly enough, the 2009 Mac Pro and Mac Mini are off the list.
Recent "OS X" history showed them keeping requirements steady for a long time. I think with "macOS" they have done a fairly dramatic requirement bump to herald the start of a new era (rebrand = new era) and will now keep requirements steady for a good while again.
I will send a PM to Pike about the Bootloader and the possible changes in it. Never managed to reach Tiamo in previous years.
I would guess that the limitation is the GPU, as so often. But as the dev documentation is not online yet, can't be sure.
yeah I'm a bit nervous as my 2006 mac pro may not get a new fix we will see. i like running the latest os x may have to switch to my mac mini 2014 and deal with the weaker graphics