Need clarification on OpenCore Legacy Support for MacBook Pro 2016 to avoid problem with T1 Chip?

[timidhermit]

I am trying to install OpenCore Legacy Patcher 2.4.1 on my MacBook Pro 2016 model which has a T1 chip and the Touchbar.

After reading many guides and watching many videos, I am now even more confused than before about the "safety" of installing OCLP in this model because of the risk of the T1 firmware getting wiped.

My questions are:

1. Once I factory reset the MacBook Pro back to macOS Monetery (last officially supported version), is it safe to run OCLP 2.4.1 to patch the EFI and then download and install Sequoia and repatch EFI without overwriting the T1 firmware?
2. I intend to manually create a "BootCamp" partition using Disk Utility to use to install Windows 11 (not using the official Boot Camp app) once macOS Sequoia has been installed and EFI is patched. Is this safe? Will the Windows installation somehow corrupt the T1 firmware?
3. What other precautions do I need to take before doing the above steps to ensure that the T1 firmware issue will not become a problem?
4. With OCLP 2.4.1, what is the most up-to-date limitation of the T1 integration in OCLP? Touch ID still does not work?

Thanks in advance to all posters who reply to help out.

 

[Bigwaff]

1. Once I factory reset the MacBook Pro back to macOS Monetery (last officially supported version), is it safe to run OCLP 2.4.1 to patch the EFI and then download and install Sequoia and repatch EFI without overwriting the T1 firmware?

You will use OCLP to create a USB based installer for unsupported macOS. USB installer will have EFI partition. You will boot from USB installer. Recommend you not upgrade in place but erase internal storage and install unsupported macOS. Here tricky part. T1 firmware written to internal storage so you DO NOT want to erase the internal storage device but ONLY erase volume containing existing macOS. Then install unsupported macOS to internal storage volume using USB installer.

Hardware issues | OpenCore Legacy Patcher

2. I intend to manually create a "BootCamp" partition using Disk Utility to use to install Windows 11 (not using the official Boot Camp app) once macOS Sequoia has been installed and EFI is patched. Is this safe? Will the Windows installation somehow corrupt the T1 firmware?

It will not if you follow recommendations

Installing Windows in UEFI Mode | OpenCore Legacy Patcher

3. What other precautions do I need to take before doing the above steps to ensure that the T1 firmware issue will not become a problem?
4. With OCLP 2.4.1, what is the most up-to-date limitation of the T1 integration in OCLP? Touch ID still does not work?

Recommend you make USB installer of supported Monterey so you can always get back to supported configuration without relying on Internet Recovery. Not sure how to answer #4.

MrMacintosh site have great tutorials.

 

[timidhermit]

T1 firmware written to internal storage so you DO NOT want to erase the internal storage device but ONLY erase volume containing existing macOS.

Thank you, Bigwaff. This is the critical part that I got really confused. Thank you for clearing it up.

I was able to follow most of the guide on installing Windows in UEFI Mode you reference, except for the part where I have to "create" a separate partition to store the OCLP EFI. In non-TI MacBook I have installed OCLP, I did not have to do this. I just ran the OCLP patch on the partition where macOS is installed, and Windows installs fine. Will this same and more simplified approach work safely an MacBook with T1 chip?

Also, if I stay on macOS Monetery which fully supports the T1 chip in my MacBook, and then "install" OCLP patcher to patch the EFI before installing Windows, will my Touch ID still works as normal in Monetery? Or is it that the mere fact that I patched macOS with OCLP will disable all functions related to the TI chip, including Touch ID?

 

[Bigwaff]

I was able to follow most of the guide on installing Windows in UEFI Mode you reference, except for the part where I have to "create" a separate partition to store the OCLP EFI. In non-TI MacBook I have installed OCLP, I did not have to do this. I just ran the OCLP patch on the partition where macOS is installed, and Windows installs fine. Will this same and more simplified approach work safely an MacBook with T1 chip?

You don’t have to but recommended to create separate partition for OC EFI so keep Windows EFI data and OC EFI data separate.

As long as you don’t erase internal storage device with T1 firmware, you should be ok. If all this confusing and you are anxious of ruining MBP, perhaps OCLP+Windows not wise. After all, this all grand experiment. ;-)

 

[timidhermit]

You don’t have to but recommended to create separate partition for OC EFI so keep Windows EFI data and OC EFI data separate.

As long as you don’t erase internal storage device with T1 firmware, you should be ok. If all this confusing and you are anxious of ruining MBP, perhaps OCLP+Windows not wise. After all, this all grand experiment. ;-)

Thanks, Bigwaff. You are great!

What about the question in my last post of just keeping macOS Monetery on the Mac side in order to keep T1 functionality (particularly Touch ID)? If I "install" OCLP patcher to patch the EFI in macOS Monetery before installing Windows, will my Touch ID still works as normal in Monetery? Or is it true that the mere fact that I patched macOS with OCLP will disable all functions related to the TI chip, including Touch ID, even if I am still on macOS Monetery?

 

[unblocktheplane]

Apple, exactly! "Monetary"! Hahaha...