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DFU Restore with Sonoma and newer Finder is just a dumbed down Configurator, for me, even worse.

If it can actually do it, presumably it's one less component to get, though, and I think I've asked this before - if you log into the appstore on a Sequoia system using your appstore account and "buy" Configurator, can you then download older versions that aren't available any more on pre-Sonoma systems that use the same appstore account? Or can you only get historical versions from after the date of your initial "purchase"?
 
DFU Restore with Sonoma and newer Finder is just a dumbed down Configurator, for me, even worse.
I tested DFU restore in Finder, while upgrading an iMac Pro. It seemed to succeed, where Configurator failed.
But I had bricked the logic board, I am guessing. Because it refused to boot.
So got a logic board on ebay instead.

With the "new" logic board installed, Configurator worked as it should
 
... if you log into the appstore on a Sequoia system using your appstore account and "buy" Configurator, can you then download older versions that aren't available any more on pre-Sonoma systems that use the same appstore account?
Yes you can

I just tested this on my iMac Pro with macOS Monterey. (the one I upgraded, but haven't been using).
Got a notification that an older version was available, and I accepted.
Installed version 2.16 (8A14)

On my Mac Mini M1, I have version 2.17 (9A15), macOS Sonoma

edit: I didn't purchase it, as I already had it
 
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Yes you can

I just tested this on my iMac Pro with macOS Monterey. (the one I upgraded, but haven't been using).
Got a notification that an older version was available, and I accepted.
Installed version 2.16 (8A14)

On my Mac Mini M1, I have version 2.17 (9A15), macOS Sonoma

Oh cool, so you "bought" it on Sonoma(?) initially, and the Monterey-compatible version became available on the Monterey machine?
 
Oh cool, so you "bought" it on Sonoma(?) initially, and the Monterey-compatible version became available on the Monterey machine?
Ah no. That is why I added a comment, that I already had it. If someone can prove I am mistaken, I apologise.

Back when I got my Mac Pro 3,1 and installed El Capitan. I learned that Apple had a server program, and I purchased it.
The version I got was the old proper Server program. Not the more modern and slimmed version, that was the latest version at the time.
 
@mattspace
Alright. This is what I have tested now. I have one iMac Pro that I purchased recently from a company that had kept in storage as backup, but not used.
I also keep it in storage for now. But it let me test this scenario, that you are requesting.

Apple Configurator.png

As you can see. I got the Configurator two years ago, using macOS Monterey. For my first Mac Pro, when I installed a 4TB SSD kit that I purchased from Apple brand new.

IMG_8425.jpeg


This is my new iMac Pro, and the information you need.
The App store asks if it should download and older version. And that is an even older version than I had.
 
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Hello everyone,
I just bought a 2019 Mac Pro, 16 cores, 192GB of RAM, and a 2TB original Apple SSD. I installed an OWC Accelsior 4M2 PCI card with four SSDs, which is more than enough for me and works very well. Could someone please tell me if I can use the original 2TB Apple SSD as storage without a bootable system?
Thanks everyone.
Just curious: Would you happen to know what brand that original 2TB Apple SSD is?
 
Just curious: Would you happen to know what brand that original 2TB Apple SSD is?

There is no brand for the modules, they are Apple specific. 2019 Mac Pro does not have dual/triple source of NAND modules.

You can know the maker of the NAND chips reading at the inscriptions laser marked over the chips.
 
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@mattspace
Alright. This is what I have tested now. I have one iMac Pro that I purchased recently from a company that had kept in storage as backup, but not used.
I also keep it in storage for now. But it let me test this scenario, that you are requesting.

View attachment 2531653
As you can see. I got the Configurator two years ago, using macOS Monterey. For my first Mac Pro, when I installed a 4TB SSD kit that I purchased from Apple brand new.

View attachment 2531655

This is my new iMac Pro, and the information you need.
The App store asks if it should download and older version. And that is an even older version than I had.

Fantastic, that clears up an unknown that's bugged me for a loooong time, much appreciated.

@tsialex would you mind clarifying for me, if I install a bootable OS, or even just a recovery partition, when I boot to recovery from my PCI NVME, should it boot to the Recovery on the NVME?

I wouldn't normally consider that an issue, except for the question of whether the internal has some privileged boot priority.

I have a feeling the reason I wiped the internal in the first place, is the system was occasionally rebooting to it, and I wondered if there's even the slightest delay in polling the pci bus on start, it was just giving up, and going back to internal rather than waiting.
 
There is no brand for the modules, they are Apple specific. 2019 Mac Pro does not have dual/triple source of NAND modules.

You can know the maker of the NAND chips reading at the inscriptions laser marked over the chips.
Thank you for that information. In that case, I would like to know the maker of the NAND chips, if the OP happens to know.
 
@ThomasJL "I would like to know the maker of the NAND chips..."

iFixit lists SanDisk SDRQF8DC8-128G (four per card) for the base iMac Pro, which has the same SSD form factor, but different model numbers.
 
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Apple use trusted suppliers for hardware.
The iMac Pro can use Mac Pro 2019 storage kits, but Mac Pro can not use the modules for the iMac Pro.
(edit: This info I read on Apple support, people discussing upgrading the internal SSD kit. One mentioning he installed an 8TB kit in his iMac Pro)

The M-chips storage modules are far more researched. And modified.

Here you can see who make the NAND chips:

 
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I wonder if it would be possible to use iMac Pro kits in the Mac Pro? Even if the information I have seen says it cannot.

The 1 TB kits have the same EMC number: 3197.
They have the same physical size and slot connection.

2017 & 2019 1TB kits.jpg


The Mac Pro 2023 model has a different number, EMC 8386. It is also different in size.

2023 1TB.png


It might be worth a try for someone who needs a larger storage capacity. As it is very rare to find kits for sale.
If somebody do decide to give it a go, it would be great if they would give us feedback on this.
 
I forgot to mention. The iMac Pro SSD kits are sold without the screws. So owners with only one 256GB module, will need a screw for the second module.
Apple upgrade kits for the Mac Pro was sold with two screws included.
 
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