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MP 1,1-5,1 MacPro5,1: BootROM thread | 144.0.0.0.0

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The first post of this thread is a WikiPost and can be edited by anyone with the appropiate permissions. Your edits will be public.
mega-calibrator said:
Hello, I owned a 4,1 machine for a bit over 10 years. I also have a metal capable rx480 flashed with EFI compatible firmware. Early on I did the 4,1 -> 5,1 hack and my bootROM has been upgraded to 144.0.0.0.0 however, I booted windows 10 in EFI mode before it was widely known the issues this causes. My machine is still booting os 10.14 but I hope to get a reconstruction service. Alexandre, could you send me a PM?
Click to expand...

PM sent with instructions/files required/service fee/turnaround time.
 
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Hello Alex, I want to enable GOP in my 5,1. Can i get a reconstruction service? i'm kind of new with this stuff and i don't want to mess up anything. Thank you.
 
mega-calibrator said:
Hello, I owned a 4,1 machine for a bit over 10 years. I also have a metal capable rx480 flashed with EFI compatible firmware. Early on I did the 4,1 -> 5,1 hack and my bootROM has been upgraded to 144.0.0.0.0 however, I booted windows 10 in EFI mode before it was widely known the issues this causes. My machine is still booting os 10.14 but I hope to get a reconstruction service. Alexandre, could you send me a PM?
Click to expand...
As I posted, @tsialex did an amazing job with my two Mac Pro 5,1's!! New BootRom's with Enable GOP injected and I installed NVIDIA GTX-680's in both with Monterey. I also have them setup with XVF AMD Radeon RX-580's with OC Sonoma OS's if I would like. Of course I have to remove one of my drives and install the RX-580 GPU and a OC Sonoma OS and all is working fine!
 
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Hello Alex,
I have a Mac Pro 5,1 and have just replaced the logic board. The new bootrom has issues (microsoft certificate) and of course does not match the computer. I have images of both bootroms and photos of the MLB (for both boards) and ESN. I also want to enableGOP.
Can I engage your services?
 
BillC2 said:
Hello Alex,
I have a Mac Pro 5,1 and have just replaced the logic board. The new bootrom has issues (microsoft certificate) and of course does not match the computer. I have images of both bootroms and photos of the MLB (for both boards) and ESN. I also want to enableGOP.
Can I engage your services?
Click to expand...

Sure, I'll match the replacement backplane to the ESN label, repair, fully upgrade it and add EnableGopv1_4.

PM sent with instructions/files required/service fee/turnaround time.
 
BillC2 said:
Hello Alex,
I have a Mac Pro 5,1 and have just replaced the logic board. The new bootrom has issues (microsoft certificate) and of course does not match the computer. I have images of both bootroms and photos of the MLB (for both boards) and ESN. I also want to enableGOP.
Can I engage your services?
Click to expand...

Wow, the replacement backplane BootROM image is in really bad shape:

Screen Shot 2025-04-06 at 13.39.23.png


  • 2nd VSS store header completely corrupted,
  • KPs/crash logs stored,
  • Windows UEFI installed SecureBoot signing
  • just 15395 bytes available right after a garbage collection run

This will be a brick soon if you don't repair it right now, worse still booting BootROM image that I saw in 2025.
 
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Based on what I have read on various threads there is no way to update an old Bootblock like MP51.007F.B03 even with firmware update 144* tool. What are the advantages of updating the bootblock? Is having the bootrom rebuilt the only way to update the Bootblock?
 
MacZonePro said:
Based on what I have read on various threads there is no way to update an old Bootblock like MP51.007F.B03 even with firmware update 144* tool.
Click to expand...

Correct.

Btw is not just the BootBlock that was flashed by the factory and never updated again - at least until you flash a reconstructed BootROM image - but also the NVRAM volume Fsys/Gaid stores.

The Fsys store a particulary important one to have the most recent version since the hadware descriptor controls all input/output ports and configure each one of the sensors of the Mac Pro. Only the mid-2012s and some very late mid-2010s have the most recent Base_21 hardware descriptor.

The early-2009 Mac Pro start with Base_16 and go all the way to Base_20, while mid-2010s most have Base_20.

MacZonePro said:
What are the advantages of updating the bootblock? Is having the bootrom rebuilt the only way to update the Bootblock?
Click to expand...

All the versions before 144.0.0.0.0 have a gigantic bug that when you have a PCIe switched card installed, you have black screen at some cold POST. This affects some people worse, like one at every four boots. @crjackson2134 bugged Apple bugtrack for months until they finally solved it.

There are also other minor issues, like some OPROMs failing to be loaded and etc, this was discussed in detail early in this thread.
 
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Please PM me the instructions/files required/service fee/turnaround time for BootRom reconstruction to get everything up to date with all the fixes for 144. I don’t need EnableGop, I’m interested in getting everything updated and fixed before doing any mods like EnableGop or OCLP boot.
 
MacZonePro said:
Please PM me the instructions/files required/service fee/turnaround time for BootRom reconstruction to get everything up to date with all the fixes for 144.
Click to expand...

Done!

MacZonePro said:
I don’t need EnableGop, I’m interested in getting everything updated and fixed before doing any mods like EnableGop or OCLP boot.
Click to expand...

I always send one never booted reconstructed BootROM image that was fully repaired, cleaned and upgraded, the standard one, and another one identical, but with EnableGopv1_4 EFI module already injected.
 
Hey Alex,

could you also please pm me for instruction and fees. I have a 4,1 crossflashed that has some issues.

Thanks
 
erfor said:
Hey Alex,

could you also please pm me for instruction and fees. I have a 4,1 crossflashed that has some issues.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Sure, PM sent with instructions/files required/service fee/turnaround time.
 
Yesterday a user here sent me the dump from an early-2009 Mac Pro that was crashing/KP constantly.

First thing, I've opened the dump with UEFITool and the NVRAM volume was already corrupt, the 2nd VSS header was the one that failed:

KP.UEFITool.png


Also, just 8740 bytes available, no good since you can't reset the NVRAM when the 2nd VSS store header is corrupt:

KP.UEFITool.8740.png


After that, I did a binwalk and lo and behold, 15 crash logs saved inside the VSS stores:

Code: 
DECIMAL       HEXADECIMAL     DESCRIPTION
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0             0x0             UEFI PI Firmware Volume, volume size: 524288, header size: 1, revision: 0, EFI Firmware File System, GUID: 7A9354D9-0468-444A-CE81-0BF617D890DF
24972         0x618C          CRC32 polynomial table, little endian
35787         0x8BCB          mcrypt 2.2 encrypted data, algorithm: blowfish-448, mode: CBC, keymode: 8bit
243907        0x3B8C3         BIOS version: MP51.88Z.0089.B00.1806081708
524288        0x80000         UEFI PI Firmware Volume, volume size: 524288, header size: 1, revision: 0, EFI Firmware File System, GUID: 7A9354D9-0468-444A-CE81-0BF617D890DF
549260        0x8618C         CRC32 polynomial table, little endian
560075        0x88BCB         mcrypt 2.2 encrypted data, algorithm: blowfish-448, mode: CBC, keymode: 8bit
768195        0xBB8C3         BIOS version: MP51.88Z.0089.B00.1806081708
1048576       0x100000        UEFI PI Firmware Volume, volume size: 16384, header size: 1, revision: 0, EFI Firmware File System, GUID: 7A9354D9-0468-444A-CE81-0BF617D890DF
1064960       0x104000        UEFI PI Firmware Volume, volume size: 49152, header size: 1, revision: 0, GUID: 153D2197-29BD-44DC-59AC-887F70E41A6B
1065216       0x104100        Intel x86 or x64 microcode, sig 0x000106a5, pf_mask 0x03, 2018-01-24, rev 0x001c, size 11264
1076480       0x106D00        Intel x86 or x64 microcode, sig 0x000206c0, pf_mask 0x13, 2009-08-20, rev 0x-ffea, size 8192
1084672       0x108D00        Intel x86 or x64 microcode, sig 0x000206c2, pf_mask 0x03, 2018-01-23, rev 0x001e, size 10240
1114112       0x110000        UEFI PI Firmware Volume, volume size: 16384, header size: 1, revision: 0, EFI Firmware File System, GUID: 7A9354D9-0468-444A-CE81-0BF617D890DF
1130496       0x114000        UEFI PI Firmware Volume, volume size: 49152, header size: 1, revision: 0, GUID: 153D2197-29BD-44DC-59AC-887F70E41A6B
1130752       0x114100        Intel x86 or x64 microcode, sig 0x000106a5, pf_mask 0x03, 2018-01-24, rev 0x001c, size 11264
1142016       0x116D00        Intel x86 or x64 microcode, sig 0x000206c0, pf_mask 0x13, 2009-08-20, rev 0x-ffea, size 8192
1150208       0x118D00        Intel x86 or x64 microcode, sig 0x000206c2, pf_mask 0x03, 2018-01-23, rev 0x001e, size 10240
1179648       0x120000        UEFI PI Firmware Volume, volume size: 196608, header size: 1, revision: 0, Variable Storage, GUID: FFF12B8D-7696-4C8B-85A9-2747075B4F50
1179688       0x120028        NVRAM start of the 1st VSS store
1179766       0x120076        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (j)
1181360       0x1206B0        NVRAM SIP state, type: (w)
1181975       0x120917        NVRAM BluetoothUHEDevices
1184190       0x1211BE        NVRAM bluetoothActiveControllerInfo
1189279       0x12259F        NVRAM PanicInfo Log
1189481       0x122669        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (g)
1191529       0x122E69        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (h)
1193577       0x123669        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (i)
1196301       0x12410D        NVRAM PanicInfo Log B
1197139       0x124453        NVRAM PanicInfo Log B
1198167       0x124857        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (g)
1200215       0x125057        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (h)
1202263       0x125857        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (i)
1204374       0x126096        NVRAM PanicInfo Log
1204645       0x1261A5        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (g)
1206693       0x1269A5        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (h)
1208741       0x1271A5        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (i)
1210894       0x127A0E        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (g)
1212942       0x12820E        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (h)
1214990       0x128A0E        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (i)
1217817       0x129519        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (g)
1219865       0x129D19        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (h)
1221913       0x12A519        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (i)
1224698       0x12AFFA        NVRAM PanicInfo Log B
1225536       0x12B340        NVRAM PanicInfo Log B
1226374       0x12B686        NVRAM PanicInfo Log B
1227212       0x12B9CC        NVRAM PanicInfo Log B
1228050       0x12BD12        NVRAM PanicInfo Log B
1228888       0x12C058        NVRAM PanicInfo Log B
1229726       0x12C39E        NVRAM PanicInfo Log B
1230040       0x12C4D8        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (g)
1232088       0x12CCD8        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (h)
1234136       0x12D4D8        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (i)
1236247       0x12DD17        NVRAM PanicInfo Log
1245255       0x130047        NVRAM start of the 2nd VSS store ** HEADER CORRUPT **
1245302       0x130076        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (j)
1246896       0x1306B0        NVRAM SIP state, type: (w)
1247511       0x130917        NVRAM BluetoothUHEDevices
1249726       0x1311BE        NVRAM bluetoothActiveControllerInfo
1254815       0x13259F        NVRAM PanicInfo Log
1255017       0x132669        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (g)
1257065       0x132E69        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (h)
1259113       0x133669        NVRAM MemoryConfig type: (i)
1261837       0x13410D        NVRAM PanicInfo Log B
1262675       0x134453        NVRAM PanicInfo Log B
1343511       0x148017        bzip2 compressed data, block size = 100k
1345189       0x1486A5        HardwareID Base_xx: 20
1345198       0x1486AE        HardwareID 11-digits SSN: H0926xxx20G
1376256       0x150000        UEFI PI Firmware Volume, volume size: 2686976, header size: 1, revision: 0, EFI Firmware File System, GUID: 7A9354D9-0468-444A-CE81-0BF617D890DF
1416827       0x159E7B        BIOS version: MP51.88Z.0089.B00.1806081708
4063232       0x3E0000        UEFI PI Firmware Volume, volume size: 65536, header size: 1, revision: 0, GUID: E3B980A9-5FE3-48E5-929B-2798385A9027
4128768       0x3F0000        UEFI PI Firmware Volume, volume size: 65536, header size: 0, revision: 0, Apple Boot Volume, GUID: 04ADEEAD-61FF-4D31-BAB6-64F8BF901F5A
4128867       0x3F0063        BootBlock version: AAPLEFI1.88Z.0005.I00.1010071430
4194000       0x3FFED0        HardwareID MLB/LBSN: J5949xxxxBH7A, BuildDate: 0912xx0912xx

System Information also shows the crash logs/panic-info:

KP.panic-info.SYSInfo.png


Still investigating the reason for the crashes…
 
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