MP 7,1 Install macOS on new SSD kit

[Regulus67]

I installed a brand new 8TB SSD kit, in my Mac Pro 2019. From a 2TB kit with Sonoma.

Step 1 - Apple Configurator 2 DFU mode
Step 2 - Reinstall computer’s original version of macOS (including available updates): Option-Shift-Command-R.
Here I ran into problems. Connected to the Apple server, but timed out several times.

Step 2a - Create a bootable USB.
I had to restart multiple times to get the USB installer to show up in boot, holding Option key.
Step 2b - Choose macOS Monterey installer.
Step 2c - Connect to internet. A bootable installer doesn't download macOS, but it does need an internet connection to get firmware and other information for this Mac model (according to Apple).
Step 3 - A spinning globe confirm the connection to Apple server.
I can not see activity on my gigabit switch. Will have to wait and see if it times out again.
...
Step 3a install macOS

The last time I installed a new 4TB kit on my other Mac Pro, I had no issues. Perhaps because I had Monterey installed.

This machine had Sonoma installed. Probably with some newer firmware. Although I am just guessing here. But I thought the DFU reset and subsequent internet retrieval of required firmware should be fairly simple.
I have installed a Radeon Pro 580X temporarily, instead of the Radeon Pro W6800X Duo. If that was causing the issue. But it seems to make no difference.

Have anyone else experienced similar problems? Or know of a solution?

 

[mattspace]

I installed a brand new 8TB SSD kit, in my Mac Pro 2019. From a 2TB kit with Sonoma.

Step 1 - Apple Configurator 2 DFU mode
Step 2 - Reinstall computer’s original version of macOS (including available updates): Option-Shift-Command-R.
Here I ran into problems. Connected to the Apple server, but timed out several times.

Step 2a - Create a bootable USB.
I had to restart multiple times to get the USB installer to show up in boot, holding Option key.
Step 2b - Choose macOS Monterey installer.
Step 2c - Connect to internet. A bootable installer doesn't download macOS, but it does need an internet connection to get firmware and other information for this Mac model (according to Apple).
Step 3 - A spinning globe confirm the connection to Apple server.
I can not see activity on my gigabit switch. Will have to wait and see if it times out again.
...
Step 3a install macOS

The last time I installed a new 4TB kit on my other Mac Pro, I had no issues. Perhaps because I had Monterey installed.

This machine had Sonoma installed. Probably with some newer firmware. Although I am just guessing here. But I thought the DFU reset and subsequent internet retrieval of required firmware should be fairly simple.
I have installed a Radeon Pro 580X temporarily, instead of the Radeon Pro W6800X Duo. If that was causing the issue. But it seems to make no difference.

Have anyone else experienced similar problems? Or know of a solution?

What machine are you using to do the DFU restore to the Mac Pro?

 

[PaulD-UK]

In the UK I've been assisting with the Internet Recovery of an iMac Pro which had its SSD erased without going through the correct procedure.

Getting through to the Apple Recovery server is VERY hit or miss, mostly misses...
WiFi is a no no, as its always failed with a timeout and error message -nnnn.
Connected by ethernet it gets through about one try in ten, and then does the initial install process in about 20 minutes.

We've had to do this repeatedly because of Apple ID discrepancies :-(
The internet connection is a good direct fibre gigabit connection, and part of the problem seems to me that the erased iMac Pro has outdated (or missing) DNS data in its newly installed firmware?

It only gets through to a server after sitting for a long time while it tries repeatedly to establish a proper connection.
It also seems to work better at certain times of the day, as if the server is dealing with more traffic than it can cope with?

As Arthur C Clarke said, the 'advanced technology' of Apple Internet Recovery is - to me - indistinguishable from magic...

 

[Regulus67]

What machine are you using to do the DFU restore to the Mac Pro?

I use an iMac Pro with Monterey 12.7.2. Same as I used when I updated the other with 4TB last year.

Getting through to the Apple Recovery server is VERY hit or miss, mostly misses...
WiFi is a no no, as its always failed with a timeout and error message -nnnn.
Connected by ethernet it gets through about one try in ten, and then does the initial install process in about 20 minutes.

We've had to do this repeatedly because of Apple ID discrepancies :-(
The internet connection is a good direct fibre gigabit connection, and part of the problem seems to me that the erased iMac Pro has outdated (or missing) DNS data in its newly installed firmware?

It only gets through to a server after sitting for a long time while it tries repeatedly to establish a proper connection.

Thanks PaulD-UK. I am using wired ethernet now. And it has been running for 3 hours, without a disconnect so far.
I also have fiber gigabit internet. I'll let it run as long as the globe is spinning.

The Apple ID discrepancies, only activated if one tries to reset an already installed system, right? Not with brand new SSDs.

 

[mattspace]

I remember when Apple decided to stop updating the security certificate for all Apple services on High Sierra, and so you simply couldn't log in to any Apple site using Safari, unless you manually installed a specific PKI certificate, which then expired a few months later.

Might be time to start agitating with your local consumer affairs bureaucracy to regulate a requirement for Apple to provide the firmware as an offline, user-serviceable item.

 

[PaulD-UK]

"The Apple ID discrepancies, only activated if one tries to reset an already installed system, right?"

Yes. It's a company-owned iMac Pro, and the Apple ID was put on by an employee who's since left the job...

I've found that the way to get IR to work is to leave it on the spinning globe for about an hour, then restart and abort if the progress bar doesn't move and the data-transfer light on the router stops showing activity for more than a couple of minutes or so.
After several failed attempts, when it DOES work, it works continuously and fairly rapidly, so it's fairly easy to tell if it's not working.

 

[Regulus67]

Might be time to start agitating with your local consumer affairs bureaucracy to regulate a requirement for Apple to provide the firmware as an offline, user-serviceable item.

It would be helpful if the firmware was included with the macOS installer.
But I guess it is the T2 chip that complicate matters. As Apple's support page says it needs a specific firmware for the machine. If there is any difference between the Mac Pro 2019 models? There shouldn't be, right? As they all have the same motherboards. Could be different for different macOS versions though.
And as you suggest, perhaps they are not all supported on the Apple servers.

I'll keep trying for a few days if needed. Then I'll try with Catalina or Ventura

 

[Regulus67]

I've found that the way to get IR to work is to leave it on the spinning globe for about an hour, then restart and abort if the progress bar doesn't move and the data-transfer light on the router stops showing activity for more than a couple of minutes or so.
After several failed attempts, when it DOES work, it works continuously and fairly rapidly, so it's fairly easy to tell if it's not working.

I shut it down, and started it again. It wanted to do an internet restore. Restarted a couple of times to see the USB installer again, and chose install again, then connected the ethernet cable. Again I have a spinning globe, with no other information. Will see if there will be a progress bar.

edit: I don't see activity on the router. Not now or in earlier attempts. Bit I know it connected to the internet, as it asks for wi-fi before I plug in the ethernet.

I restarted it again. Starting internet recovery... very small activity on the router

 

[Kaspin]

I upgraded my 7,1 with a used 8tb kit. I initially tried using MacBook Air M3 running Apple Configurator, but it would give an error and leave the Mac Pro with the power LED blinking orange SOS. I pulled out my older intel MacBook Pro but was running Ventura, so a slightly older version of Apple Configurator. I was able initialize the storage but when it tried to restore the OS, it would just drop out of DFU mode. However, it left the machine in a state that I could run internet recovery, which took a few tries, probably due to my poor internet service. I couldn't get a usb installer to boot.

 

[HDFan]

part of the problem seems to me that the erased iMac Pro has outdated (or missing) DNS data in its newly installed firmware?

Did you mean in a system cache, since firmware is read only?

 

[Regulus67]

I upgraded my 7,1 with a used 8tb kit. ... tried to restore the OS, it would just drop out of DFU mode. However, it left the machine in a state that I could run internet recovery, which took a few tries, probably due to my poor internet service. I couldn't get a usb installer to boot.

Did you upgrade this year Kaspin, or earlier? And which macOS did you install?

I used Apple Configurator Version 2.16 to restore the machine. Had no problems with it, neither last year, nor this time.
But so far no luck with Internet Recovery. Even when it was connected last night for 8 hours.
Last year, Friday June 30th, was when I upgraded the other mac with a new 4TB kit. Without any issues.

Did you mean in a system cache, since firmware is read only?

Restore with Apple Configurator, according to Apple:
User data is erased.
Erases and reinstalls T2 chip firmware only.
recoveryOS and macOS must be reinstalled using Internet Recovery.

Apple Configurator - Apple Support

 

[Rimmsi]

Interesting, when you configured the new SSD, did you plug the cable into the correct port?

 

[Regulus67]

Interesting, when you configured the new SSD, did you plug the cable into the correct port?

Yes. The documentation clearly states that is the port to use, when restoring the machine in DFU mode.

 

[Kaspin]

Did you upgrade this year Kaspin, or earlier? And which macOS did you install?

I used Apple Configurator Version 2.16 to restore the machine. Had no problems with it, neither last year, nor this time.
But so far no luck with Internet Recovery. Even when it was connected last night for 8 hours.
Last year, Friday June 30th, was when I upgraded the other mac with a new 4TB kit. Without any issues.

It was about 3 months ago, this year. Internet recovery gave me Sonoma 14.4., which is what was installed on the machine when I received it originally. When internet recovery failed, I would just see the spinning globe for about 5 mins before gave an error. When it finally worked, I had just the globe for about 10-15 seconds, then a progress bar appeared and it took a few hours to actually download.

 

[Regulus67]

Thanks. Good to know how it works when it finally connects 👍
I am trying to avoid Sonoma, if possible. And I will try to contact Apple support tomorrow.

I had the progress bar just 15 mins ago. But got an error after 10 mins.

 

[Regulus67]

Got Apple chat support (India?), and after a while he arranged a call from support on a higher level. The Irish support asked me a few questions, and told me to wait as he would check. After a while he hung up.
Seems to me they assumed a Macbook Pro, and when they realise it's a Mac Pro, they pass it on.
So I ended up calling support in Sweden, using the phone number the chat support had given me.
Again I was passed on to another person. This time it felt like someone who at least understood from the start.
He said he will have this case, and contact me when he had time to look into the Internet Recovery issue.

I mentioned you guys have told me that this is a common issue, and he agreed and told me he was aware of it.
They have asked Apple why the Apple servers are difficult to connect to, but had no reply from Apple. He said it might be some privacy concerns, but he also thinks it is strange

 

[avro707]

Dealing with Apple on the phone is a nightmare - it's very difficult to get anything out of them.

Seems to me they assumed a Macbook Pro, and when they realise it's a Mac Pro, they pass it on.

That does not surprise me, the ones I've deal with on the phone dealing with the orders have no clue about anything other than cheap devices and certainly not high end products. And it's very difficult to escalate anything.

You wonder if any "Pro" products will be around for much longer. After all, what does Apple need dealing with "cashed up hobbyists" as I read Mac Pro users described on this forum.

I hope I never have to replace the SSD in mine.

 

[mattspace]

Yeah the not knowing what a Mac Pro is - I've had that. "The Mac Pro, you know, the tower, with all the holes in the front, that costs tens of thousands of dollars".

Then again, given Apple support is almost entirely a work from home operation (I've heard chickens in the background noise of someone's house, presumably in the Philippines), it's not surprising that a lot of the folks answering the call have never seen a Mac Pro.

 

[avro707]

Then again, given Apple support is almost entirely a work from home operation

I suspected as much - I'm patient and polite with them but firm.

When I queried a GPU purchase and they looked - the guy on the other end gasped when he saw the price! 😂

 

[Regulus67]

You are probably right. Only the large companies were supposed to buy these machines, with corporate support.

At least we have some support from users like yourselves on this forum that have these machines, and I appreciate the help very much.
Even reading about issues and solutions, that I haven't experienced is valuable

 

[Regulus67]

I have noticed there is activity when connected by wi-fi, but after a while it almost stops. Until it ends with an error.
In addition, it has a progress bar. Which is not displayed using ethernet. And I can not see activity either on the router.

I have tried to set an exception in the router to let adress 17.0.0.0/8 pass through. Although I doubt it was blocking it.
Install SSD modules with the specified Apple network adress.

 

[Regulus67]

Spoke with another Apple support. She told me that I sounded like an expert, and have done everything she could advice on the phone. In the end she suggested I bring it to an Apple partner, and let them have a look at the machine.

She had a laugh when I told her; I now got a huge paper weight, that can heat my room and present a nice screensaver

 

[avro707]

She had a laugh when I told her; I now got a huge paper weight, that can heat my room and present a nice screensaver

Which is nearly the price of a car!

I’m definitely not going the SSD upgrade route on mine.

 

[Regulus67]

Indeed!
And I forgot to mention. They offer no explanation as to why it needs to download anything from the Apple server, before it installs macOS from a bootable USB drive

 

[Rimmsi]

Couldn't the set of new discs be faulty after all?