MP 1,1-5,1 Going crazy with Mac Pro 2010

[Frank (the spank)]

I have tried EVERYTHING I can think of with my “new“ (new to me) Mac Pro mid-2010 5,1, please help me.... I’m going crazy!!!

So I bought this Mac Pro already with Mojave installed on it, it didn’t have Windows installed on it and only had a laptop HDD installed on it. I did not install any firmware on it but it says it’s a Mac Pro 5,1 and already had Mojave on it. Here are some specs, only thing I upgraded is the PCI m.2 drive adaptor and a 1tb drive in it:

Mac Pro mid-2010 5,1 Dual CPU‘s 3Ghz
Sapphire HD Radeon 7079 3gb video card (with hacked firmware to work with Macs, shows boot screen)
32gb of RAM
PCI m.2 adaptor, 1tb Intel drive
27” Apple LED Cinema Display
Two blue-ray drives

Problem:
I installed a clean install of both OS’s on a brand new m.2 drive.
I downloaded an install of macOS Mojave and put it on a thumb drive. I put the thumb drive in, started up holding down the option key and installed Mojave on half of the m.2 drive using APFS and GUID formatting for that partition. Updated Mojave to the latest updates and everything works perfectly.

For the other half of the m.2 drive I made a USB bootable install of the latest Windows 10 and put it in a USB port and started up holding down the option key and selected the USB drive with the Windows 10 install, I went through the Windows 10 install flawlessly but as Windows 10 was updating the graphics driver the screen went black and the fans spun down. Reboot and at the end of loading Windows 10 (I assume when it loads the drivers) the screen goes black and I hear the fans spin down.

I deleted that partition and both partitions later and did multiple re-installs of both OS’s. All with the very latest and 5 year old driver including the driver in Windows Update and all have the same result in Windows 10, as soon as the AMD Radeon driver installs the screen goes black and the fans spin down. Re-boots same thing...

I have rolled back the driver in Windows 10 using Safe Mode or going back on System Restore to the “Windows basic display adaptor“ or something along those lines (forgot the exact wording) and downloaded all updates and tried re-installing the latest AMD Radeon drivers and same result. Runs just fine with the basic windows display adaptor but as soon as the card’s driver gets installed it goes black, fans spin down.

I installed Windows 7 on another drive and then installed the latest AMD Radeon driver for Windows 7 64-bit and.. it works!

I’ve installed some older boot camp installer like 5.1 because when I try and run the Boot Camp Assistant in Mojave it says it is incompatible with my Mac and it runs and installs just fine but as soon as I install an AMD Radeon driver for my HD 7970 the screen goes black and the fans spin down.

I disabled ”hibernation/fast boot” as well.

It runs everything but Windows 10 and an AMD Radeon driver.....

Do any of you know what is going on? What would you do?! I contacted the shop I bought the card from (eBay shop) and he’s sending me a new card but during this Coronavirus thing USPS has sent the replacement card from Washington state to New Jersey.... I’m in Nevada, LOL! Who knows when I’ll get that card.

I am having a hard time believing it’s the cards fault when it works in macOS Mojave and Windows 7 flawlessly.

Thank you for any help you can give me.

 

[tsialex]

You are trying the impossible:

1. Windows 10 installed from USB = UEFI installs.
2. Windows 7 installed from anything = CSM/BIOS compatible installs.
3. Your GPU, while on Mac Edition firmware, is compatible only with CSM installs. HD 7970 are not compatible with UEFI, the firmware is older than the ratification of UEFI 2.3.1c, and you will need to find an updated firmware, usually from later R9 280X cards. UEFI compatibility will remove pre-boot configuration support.
4. Windows CSM installs don't support NVMe.

Get yourself a SATA SSD and do a CSM install of Windows 10 from a DVD installer. This is the instruction on how to do it:

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ut-a-boot-screen.2114788/page-9#post-26689280

Btw, please read the Upgrade Guide sticky thread, you will find everything there on the first post:

cMP {classicMacPro}{4,1 & 5,1} - Upgrade Guide Sticky Discussion

 

[startergo]

HD 7970 are not compatible with UEFI, the firmware is older than the ratification of UEFI 2.3.1c, and you will need to find an updated firmware, usually from later R9 280X cards. UEFI compatibility will remove pre-boot configuration support.

On my dual bios R9 280X I had to switch from the EFI flashed vbios to the second bios to boot to Windows 10 EFI. It booted with the EFI vbios on Windows 7 or Windows 10 CSM.

 

[tsialex]

On my dual bios R9 280X I had to switch from the EFI flashed vbios to the second bios to boot to Windows 10 EFI. It booted with the EFI vbios on Windows 7 or Windows 10 CSM.

Let's use the correct terms, since UEFI and EFI have very different meanings.

Windows is not EFI compatible, it's UEFI or CSM compatible. Mac Pro firmware is EFI. Some later versions of R9 280X are UEFI compatible (as in compatible with UEFI 2.3.1c, or newer, spec) , earlier ones and HD 7970 are not.

 

[Frank (the spank)]

Eh... all I know is to boot to Windows 10 I have to hold down option and select ”EFI” and it boots Windows 10.

I don’t have any issue booting between OS’s, I have two partitions, one named Macintosh and the other Windows however when I hold down option at the chime I only see Macintosh and EFI, Macintosh gets me to MacOS Mojave and EFI gets me to Windows 10 even though I named that partition Windows.

Many installs and re-installs and deletes and re-installs and complete wipes and different drives one thing remains constant: As soon at the AMD Radeon driver gets installed the screen goes black and the fans spin down.

The only way I can see anything else is if I boot into safe mode and roll back the driver or go back a restore point or just use the Windows Basic Graphics. macOS Mojave says the correct card is installed and Windows 7 with the latest AMD Radeon driver works as well but Windows 10 and ANY Radeon driver gets black screen.

I did try the 2nd bios on the card and for macOS Mojave it booted without the initial grey screen Apple logo (just a black screen until it got to the OS) and progress bar but I couldn’t try it with Windows 10 since I can’t see the grey boot screen to select EFI and I tried timing how long it took to get to the volume selection screen from holding down the Option key from the chime and using the keyboard to select EFI but it didn’t work.

I have been at this for weeks and am going crazy.....

edit-- Meant to say EFI, sorry!

 

[startergo]

Eh... all I know is to boot to Windows 10 I have to hold down option and select UEFI and it boots Windows 10.

I don’t have any issue booting between OS’s, I have two partitions, one named Macintosh and the other Windows however when I hold down option at the chime I only see Macintosh and UEFI, Macintosh gets me to MacOS Mojave and UEFI gets me to Windows 10 even though I named that partition Windows.

Many installs and re-installs and deletes and re-installs and complete wipes and different drives one thing remains constant: As soon at the AMD Radeon driver gets installed the screen goes black and the fans spin down.

The only way I can see anything else is if I boot into safe mode and roll back the driver or go back a restore point or just use the Windows Basic Graphics. macOS Mojave says the correct card is installed and Windows 7 with the latest AMD Radeon driver works as well but Windows 10 and ANY Radeon driver gets black screen.

I did try the 2nd bios on the card and for macOS Mojave it booted without the initial grey screen Apple logo (just a black screen until it got to the OS) and progress bar but I couldn’t try it with Windows 10 since I can’t see the grey boot screen to select UEFI and I tried timing how long it took to get to the volume selection screen from holding down the Option key from the chime and using the keyboard to select UEFI but it didn’t work.

I have been at this for weeks and am going crazy.....

Going crazy with Mac Pro 2010

You are trying the impossible: Windows 10 installed from USB = UEFI installs. Windows 7 installed from anything = CSM/BIOS compatible installs. Your GPU, while on Mac Edition firmware, is compatible only with CSM installs. HD 7970 are not compatible with UEFI, the firmware is older than the...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[krakman]

Eh... all I know is to boot to Windows 10 I have to hold down option and select UEFI and it boots Windows 10.

I don’t have any issue booting between OS’s, I have two partitions, one named Macintosh and the other Windows however when I hold down option at the chime I only see Macintosh and UEFI, Macintosh gets me to MacOS Mojave and UEFI gets me to Windows 10 even though I named that partition Windows.

Many installs and re-installs and deletes and re-installs and complete wipes and different drives one thing remains constant: As soon at the AMD Radeon driver gets installed the screen goes black and the fans spin down.

The only way I can see anything else is if I boot into safe mode and roll back the driver or go back a restore point or just use the Windows Basic Graphics. macOS Mojave says the correct card is installed and Windows 7 with the latest AMD Radeon driver works as well but Windows 10 and ANY Radeon driver gets black screen.

I did try the 2nd bios on the card and for macOS Mojave it booted without the initial grey screen Apple logo (just a black screen until it got to the OS) and progress bar but I couldn’t try it with Windows 10 since I can’t see the grey boot screen to select UEFI and I tried timing how long it took to get to the volume selection screen from holding down the Option key from the chime and using the keyboard to select UEFI but it didn’t work.

I have been at this for weeks and am going crazy.....

try boot manager

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...native-in-the-status-bar-of-your-mac.2145374/

 

[startergo]

try boot manager

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...native-in-the-status-bar-of-your-mac.2145374/

It will work on a GOP which is recognized by the cMP, cMP5,1's GOP is broken. 3.1 can do fine but not 5,1. Go figure.

 

[Macschrauber]

To the te: stop using windows in uefi mode, you can mess up your Macs boot rom with certificates, going to the point it wont start no more.

Check for certificates in the Mac Pro forum for details.

 

[Frank (the spank)]

OK I was confused, my brain is mush at this point. But I just checked and I select “EFI” when I boot to Windows 10. Again I select between Macintosh (which is what I named my macOS install partition and EFI which boots my Windows 10 partition). Sorry for that...

Is it OK to boot Windows 10 by selecting EFI at the boot device screen after holding the option key at the chime when I turn my machine on?

Also I have the latest firmware that came with Mojave that added support for booting to a m.2 adaptor on a PCIe adaptor from what I understand.

 

[Macschrauber]

No, thats not ok, efi in this case is uefi

Start reading here and make a rom backup to get a chance for recovery if its bricked.

MP5,1: BootROM thread | 144.0.0.0.0

I have already updated to 140.0.0.0.0 and originally had an EFI install of Win10 on my 2009 MacPro 5,1. After reading about possible bricking of the ROM, I wiped and completed a Legacy install of Win10. Problem is, I still have the certificates inserted from the old EFI install. Is there a...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Frank (the spank)]

Damn, I had no idea... my system boots up just fine right now, what should I do? Is it bricked already? I am reading that thread now but getting confused... Thank you very much for your help.

 

[Macschrauber]

Make a rom backup and send it to me, I can clean it in a basic way.

Than use csm mode as mentioned above with a dedicated ssd or hard drive on sata port.

There is a method with opencore and uefi but it is not for the average user or the beginner. At least one has to have the skills to recover the firmware by soldering / reprogramming.

I dont see THAT advantages for uefi windows with opencore over the chance to get a brick.

But I prefer bootscreen gpus - what you already have.

The user is btw not to blame, why on earth someone should think of bricking the computer by a simple os installation with a usb thumb drive...

 

[Frank (the spank)]

Thank you so much for your help, I’m sorry but this is way over my head, LOL.

I‘m searching everywhere so I don’t have to ask you but how do I make a backup of the rom on my Mac Pro? Is there a tutorial I can read?

Is CSM how I would install Windows 10 after all this? Is it the same as “legacy mode”? I’ve been reading up on my own trying to answer my own questions so save you the hassle, lol. I can still install Mojave on my NVMe/m.2 drive with its PCIe adaptor, correct? But for Windows 10 I’ll have to install that using a DVD disk in “legacy mode” to a SATA drive, correct?

I would like to just start from scratch, both installs are fresh so I have nothing to save, I’d like to just undo the mess I did trying to install Windows 10 and dual boot it with macOS Mojave....

 

[Macschrauber]

2009 Mac Pro Failed SSD boot drive

Make a backup of your Mac Firmware as long as its alive. http://dosdude1.com/apps/ROMTool.zip With Romtool (dump rom), password is rom Rootless must be off for doing this For Rootless off: Boot into recovery, go in terminal, type csrutil disable For Rootless back on: Boot into recovery...

forums.macrumors.com

tsialex already posted a link for csm / legacy / bios mode win 10 installation:

How to: Boot Camp without a Boot Screen

I don't remember uninstalling any bootcamp drivers before 6. But I had to uninstall before 6.1

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Frank (the spank)]

OK, I’ve made it as far as trying to save the ROM but I got the following message when I open ROMTool and try and dump the ROM:

“The EEPROM in this machine has an ID that is assigned to multiple chip definitions. Please select the chip model that your machine contains.”

The pull down menu has these options:

MX25L3205(A)
MX25L3205D/MX25L3208D
MX25L3206E <—— That one is checked


Do I need to open the system up and look or can I find out with with system information?

 

[Macschrauber]

Dumping the rom works without knowing the chip.

The chip is position u8700, 8 pins near the two pcie power connectors for the gpu.

Knowing the type is important for writing a firmware file back in the chip.

Not every board has a flash chip what needs to be checked, btw.

 

[tommy chen]

OK, I’ve made it as far as trying to save the ROM but I got the following message when I open ROMTool and try and dump the ROM:

“The EEPROM in this machine has an ID that is assigned to multiple chip definitions. Please select the chip model that your machine contains.”

The pull down menu has these options:

MX25L3205(A)
MX25L3205D/MX25L3208D
MX25L3206E <—— That one is checked


Do I need to open the system up and look or can I find out with with system information?

you will find it here (U8700):

mostly:

4,1 (2009) MX25L3205(A)
5,1 (2010) MX25L3205D/MX25L3208D
5,1 (2012) MX25L3206E

 

[Frank (the spank)]

Ok... so I just dumped the ROM and left everything the default except the name of course, ill see if I can get a pic of the chip so you both can give me a hand when it comes to writing it back. BTW I have a mid-2010 Mac Pro.... again this is the message I'm getting:

and MX25L3206E is what is checked by default. I am attaching the ROM dump to this post as a ZIP:

 

[Macschrauber]

I saved it, you shouldnt post it to the public, sorry if that was not clear enough. Edit your post and remove the zip file.
[automerge]1586634375[/automerge]
bang!

two certificates:

pank/ROMFrank.bin

DECIMAL       HEXADECIMAL     DESCRIPTION
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0             0x0             UEFI PI firmware volume
16524         0x408C          UEFI PI firmware volume
24972         0x618C          CRC32 polynomial table, little endian
35787         0x8BCB          mcrypt 2.2 encrypted data, algorithm: blowfish-448, mode: CBC, keymode: 8bit
49948         0xC31C          UEFI PI firmware volume
524288        0x80000         UEFI PI firmware volume
540812        0x8408C         UEFI PI firmware volume
549260        0x8618C         CRC32 polynomial table, little endian
560075        0x88BCB         mcrypt 2.2 encrypted data, algorithm: blowfish-448, mode: CBC, keymode: 8bit
574236        0x8C31C         UEFI PI firmware volume
1048576       0x100000        UEFI PI firmware volume
1114112       0x110000        UEFI PI firmware volume
1182333       0x120A7D        Certificate in DER format (x509 v3), header length: 4, sequence length: 986
1247869       0x130A7D        Certificate in DER format (x509 v3), header length: 4, sequence length: 986
1343511       0x148017        bzip2 compressed data, block size = 100k
1376256       0x150000        UEFI PI firmware volume

 

[Frank (the spank)]

Ok, just removed it, though getting hacked is the least of my worries!

Thank you so much for all your help... so what do I do next? I took a pic of the chip. Looks like it’s: MX25L3205D

since I have a 2010 that matches up huh?

 

[Macschrauber]

write the cleaned rom file I sent back in the chip and the certificates are gone (and all other settings stored in the nvram like wifi and bluetooth data)

Install Windows the proper way (csm mode).

You can write back any time the rom to clean it but thats not the way to do it, it wears out the rom chip.

If you want more information: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mp5-1-bootrom-thread-144-0-0-0-0.2132317/

All credits go to @tsialex for his hard work investigating the Mac Pro firmware and helping dumbs like me understanding it.

 

[Frank (the spank)]

Just got your message, I am so afraid of messing up now, what should I do next?

my idea is:

1. Boot to macOS
2. Use ROMTool and write the ROM you made for me back to my Mac Pro
3. Shut down
4. Reset PRAM?
5. Boot to macOS Mojave install that’s on my USB drive and erase my m.2/PCIe drive
6. Install macOS Mojave again
7. Leave Windows 10 for another day when I have some small idea what I am doing, LOL!

That sound good?
[automerge]1586636234[/automerge]
Edit— sorry was writing a reply, lol

THANK YOU so much!!! I cannot thank you enough!!!

You too IndioX

I am going to follow your steps right now.

 

[Frank (the spank)]

Ok, successfully restored the rom, everything went great. wheewww....

Anyways.... How would you erase your m.2/PCIe drive? I’m thinking just boot to USB drive that has macOS Mojave install and open Disk Utility and erase the drive into one big partition and install macOS Mojave.

Is that what you would do? Man after a brush with death and you being my life saver I’m gonna hold off on Windows 10 for now....

 

[Macschrauber]

You can boot your thumb drive, erase the win partition and enlarge the mac os part.

If you have data on it check your backups