MP 6,1 Mac Pro 6.1 Monterey - Crashes in Sleep

[BubbaMc]

I give up. I ordered a Mac Studio that’s set to be delivered May 30 - June 6. I just can’t stand the idea of what repeated, random shutdowns are doing to my data. I’m basically paying $$$ for Apple to be more responsive to any problems with the Mac Studio since they seem to have all but lost interest in solving this Mac Pro 6,1 issue.
The trashcan is being retired to bookshelf decoration duty just as the new new Mac Pro is likely to be announced at WWDC.

Download 12.3 B5 from here while you still can:

macOS 12 Monterey Full Installer Database. Download Directly from Apple!

Download macOS Monterey full installer with one click straight from Apple! Every version of Monterey Beta & Final available all in one place!!

mrmacintosh.com

Since you're at your wits end and have already ordered the Studio, you have nothing to lose by upgrading the firmware. Who knows, you might even cancel your order.

 

[ColourPhil]

I have 430.X FW and it crashed a few days after installing it! This was when it had only been sleeping an hour or so.
Admittedly it had been crashing less frequently for the last few weeks prior to installing 430, maybe once every 1 or 2 weeks.
It's running 11.6.5. It's spotless inside and only about 2.5 years old and seldom gets hot. I monitor the temps constantly.

 

[loby]

I have 430.X FW and it crashed a few days after installing it! This was when it had only been sleeping an hour or so.
Admittedly it had been crashing less frequently for the last few weeks prior to installing 430, maybe once every 1 or 2 weeks.
It's running 11.6.5. It's spotless inside and only about 2.5 years old and seldom gets hot. I monitor the temps constantly.

Anyone running 12.3.1 (current public release) with the firmware update 430.x and STILL crashing...?

 

[ikir]

I have 430.X FW and it crashed a few days after installing it! This was when it had only been sleeping an hour or so.
Admittedly it had been crashing less frequently for the last few weeks prior to installing 430, maybe once every 1 or 2 weeks.
It's running 11.6.5. It's spotless inside and only about 2.5 years old and seldom gets hot. I monitor the temps constantly.

Anyone running 12.3.1 (current public release) with the firmware update 430.x and STILL crashing...?

Indeed maybe to get the perfect conditions you need Monterey. Here no crash/freeze for now.

 

[BubbaMc]

I have 430.X FW and it crashed a few days after installing it! This was when it had only been sleeping an hour or so.
Admittedly it had been crashing less frequently for the last few weeks prior to installing 430, maybe once every 1 or 2 weeks.
It's running 11.6.5. It's spotless inside and only about 2.5 years old and seldom gets hot. I monitor the temps constantly.

If I were you I'd change the battery and clean install. If it still crashes, sell it.

 

[TypeMRT]

It has been fixed, if you install macOS Monterey 12.3 beta 5 you will get firmware 430. Why it was pulled form final version is unknown but many users are testing it without issue at all. Rock solid, naturally if you have solid hardware, since most of these Macs have 7-8 years a clean and change of thermal paste should be a must.

I don’t consider installing beta firmware that’s been pulled back by Apple to be a fix. That means Apple is acknowledging that there’s something very wrong with it. That something could either be widespread or major negative impact. Hopefully firmware 430 (or it’s successor) is included in a stable public release.

 

[loby]

I don’t consider installing beta firmware that’s been pulled back by Apple to be a fix. That means Apple is acknowledging that there’s something very wrong with it. That something could either be widespread or major negative impact. Hopefully firmware 430 (or it’s successor) is included in a stable public release.

I would tend to agree. I am hoping the pull of the firmware is a technical issue and not a greed issue (instead at the last minute pull so people will buy a Mac Studio).

I personally will wait for a fix from Apple, for "normally" the pull of what looks like a firmware fix is because engineering found something wrong with it or are not confident for release. Firmware is not like just an OS update and should only be updated when certainty or risk major issues (sometimes permanent malfunction to hardware).

I know many have said there is no problem with it, but I can wait a little while longer. I downloaded 12.3 beta 5 soooo......if ever I decide (or don't see Apple fixing it), I might apply and take the changes later (and mean awhile) and in the mean time wait and see what happens...

 

[adingley]

It has been fixed, i

Hey there @ikir — just curious if you have gotten any instances of the "your computer has detected a potential problem" pop-up since you did the "12.3 Beta v5" work-around. Have you seen anything that looks like the pop-up below?

 

[BubbaMc]

I don’t consider installing beta firmware that’s been pulled back by Apple to be a fix. That means Apple is acknowledging that there’s something very wrong with it. That something could either be widespread or major negative impact. Hopefully firmware 430 (or it’s successor) is included in a stable public release.

No it doesn't. Could just be greed on their part, holding it back to push users to buy a new machine, or the inclusion was simply overlooked.

There's no indication that it's a beta firmware. It's got a full non-beta version number.

Also, if there was anything very wrong with it, Apple would need to communicate this to users who have it installed.

 

[TypeMRT]

No it doesn't. Could just be greed on their part, holding it back to push users to buy a new machine, or the inclusion was simply overlooked.

There's no indication that it's a beta firmware. It's got a full non-beta version number.

Also, if there was anything very wrong with it, Apple would need to communicate this to users who have it installed.

I thought firmware 430 was only available in the beta. If so, then I think Apple is covered by the beta program participation language/warning and don’t need to communicate to users who have the firmware installed.
I don’t feel comfortable if Apple is either being malicious and simply not dedicating enough engineering resources to get stable firmware shipped.
I’ll keep tracking this thread and hope the final 12.3 release is stable or maybe the new 12.4 beta fix it. It could be a rough summer of updates.

 

[vddobrev]

Pulling out a firmware out of a beta release does not mean it is defective, or that Apple is greedy and they want to upgrade. From software perspective, it can mean that it was not ready for production for a number of reasons - a bug was discovered late in the testing, or there were some oversights in terms of compatibility with old or new OS releases, or even planned features, that are yet to be included in the firmware.

 

[arw]

As a firmware downgrade isn't possible, Apple has to release a 430 successor IF they don't want a couple of machines stuck on a beta firmware forever.
But only Apple knows if they:
- actually release an improved 430
- release 430 as public
- re-release 429 as sth. higher than 430
- don't do ****
Exciting times for us fellow 6,1 owners...

 

[ikir]

Hey there @ikir — just curious if you have gotten any instances of the "your computer has detected a potential problem" pop-up since you did the "12.3 Beta v5" work-around. Have you seen anything that looks like the pop-up below?

View attachment 1990947

Nope, not yet at least.

 

[MisterAndrew]

Hey there @ikir — just curious if you have gotten any instances of the "your computer has detected a potential problem" pop-up since you did the "12.3 Beta v5" work-around. Have you seen anything that looks like the pop-up below?

View attachment 1990947

That's not a problem. It's just an EFI check. The system detects a mismatch because the beta firmware version isn't listed in its database.

 

[adingley]

because the beta firmware version isn't listed in its database.

Thanks — that's kinda what I figured, (and hoped). I'm still awaiting some word back from Apple Engineering to see if there's a way for them to properly run "Apple CaptureData.app" on my machine (it keeps crashing part way through)

 

[jacobmerr]

A SOLUTION !!! - A month or so ago I posted to this forum the fact that my 2019 iMac 27” also crashed during sleep. It was more like it had done a restart as I would find it sitting at the Account/Password prompt. I THINK I KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM, IN MY CASE. My iMac has a 2 TB internal SSD and a 2 TB external SSD (named “Photos Library”), the latter used for my extensive collection of photographs. I recently purchased a Mac Studio and a Studio Display, the latter arriving on April 12. I partitioned the Studio’s 4 TB drive into two 2 TB volumes, the second of which I also named “Photos Library”. I used Migration Assistant to copy the apps and files from the iMac to the Studio’s boot volume. I then did a Finder copy of the “Photos Library” files from the external SSD to the “Photos Library” volume on the Studio. While doing all of the usual adjustments to the new Studio after migration, I put it to sleep quite a few times when something else had my attention. To my dismay, THE STUDIO ALSO CRASHED! A light bulb went on in my head when I remembered that the Photos app processes the current Photos data file, “FAMILY.photoslibrary” in this case, when the computer is sleeping, assigning people’s names to their likeness in images and probably doing other housekeeping chores at the same time. What if Photos encounters an error during this processing that is not being trapped and handled gracefully? That could cause a crash. I have been testing this hypotheses ever since. On the Studio, I put the Photos data files in the Trash, so Photos' background routines will not find them and it will do nothing. On the iMac, I simply did not hook the external 2 TB “Photos Library” drive back on the computer. I have had both computers running when I am not using them, including all night, and have had NO CRASHES! I’ll report here if one of these systems does crash, but I think this might be the problem.

 

[vddobrev]

@jacobmerr Interesting finding, yes this could be it. I think everyone has photos in their Macs.

 

[cb4ii]

Just installed 12.3 Beta 5 in order to get 430.xx firmware which worked out perfectly. Wondering if I should move on 12.4 Beta or rather return to 12.3.1 (non Beta). Any comments on that?

 

[loby]

Humm…I will try with my Apple thunderbolt monitor only and let it sit and see how long it takes for a crash. Have it hooked up to a Dell monitor (Matted screen). Will confirm if something happens. Mac Pro is my back up system now, so I can let it idle without anything and see what happens. I will also unplug the Ethernet and turn off the wifi. Might be a good test to see..

Unplugged everything from macpro6,1 (including ethernet) and plugged in my Apple Thunderbolt Display. Only have Apple Keyboard and Mouse on Bluetooth.

Crashed within a few hours....it did not even take a day.

🙁

Will wait to see if Apple will give us an update in 12.4.

 

[jacobmerr]

SEE MY SOLUTION #491 ABOVE. Both Macs made it through the night again. I am sure this is not the solution for everyone, but read #491 above and think about if it might apply to your crash problem.

 

[loby]

SEE MY SOLUTION #491 ABOVE. Both Macs made it through the night again. I am sure this is not the solution for everyone, but read #491 above and think about if it might apply to your crash problem.

SEE MY SOLUTION #491 ABOVE. Both Macs made it through the night again. I am sure this is not the solution for everyone, but read #491 above and think about if it might apply to your crash problem.

So what I did was delete the photos library in the Pictures folder and will let it sit and go to sleep and see what happens...

I did not use the photos app on macpro 6,1, so I would think that it would not do anything since there is no photos currently in it (and never has been), but will try your suggestion and report back is a few days (or if it crashes) to update those that are trying various possible solutions.

I don't think I have been counting the days for a next version of an OS so much as I have been doing as of recently. I hope I am wrong about Apple and their abandonment of Mac Pro 6,1 so people would look to the Mac Studio... I cannot afford to purchase one since I just bought close to a maxed out MacBook Pro. Of course I would love to get a Mac Studio, but I really want Mac Pro 6,1 to function without this sleep/crash problem and as my backup system. By the time I save up some cash, we may be on a M3 silicon or above.. 🙂

 

[jacobmerr]

I have my iMac sleeping with a different and much smaller Photos data file as the "current file". On the Mac Studio, I have rebuilt the "FAMILY.photoslibrary" file using Photos' "Repair" function. That file, which I think was crashing both computers during sleep, has over 63,000 photos. I'll find out if the "Repair" function resolves the crashing. (See Msg #491 above for how I got here.)

 

[eternalpeasant]

I have my iMac sleeping with a different and much smaller Photos data file as the "current file". On the Mac Studio, I have rebuilt the "FAMILY.photoslibrary" file using Photos' "Repair" function. That file, which I think was crashing both computers during sleep, has over 63,000 photos. I'll find out if the "Repair" function resolves the crashing. (See Msg #491 above for how I got here.)

So what i have done is gone into pictures folder on my finder, and moved the photos library into bin (trash). Let's see if this helps. But simply disabling photos on mac should be a good enough fix don't you think?

 

[MisterAndrew]

Just installed 12.3 Beta 5 in order to get 430.xx firmware which worked out perfectly. Wondering if I should move on 12.4 Beta or rather return to 12.3.1 (non Beta). Any comments on that?

There's no benefit with 12.4 right now. I installed it to see if there was a new firmware, but there isn't. Maybe in beta 2. Hard to say when Apple will release a new one.

 

[adingley]

Tomorrow marks 3wks with ZERO crashes-during-sleep. I've made no hardware changes / I'm not unplugging things when I walk away / I'm using my standard sysPrefs (allowing system to sleep as I would normally want to), and I can attribute the lack-of-crashing SOLELY to the change to the 430.100.23.0.0 firmware. (from the beta OS)

This machine was running macOS 11.6.2 before the Firmware change, and is still running the same 11.6.2 os after. No other OS changes / all normal peripherals plugged-in.

I used a separate SSD momentarily, and installed Monterey 12.3 Beta v5 / got the firmware update / then rebooted and set startup disk back to my Big Sur drive 3 Tuesdays ago. Not a single crash since.

Very much hoping that 430.x FW passes internal testing and gets released with a future Monterey update.