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flehman

macrumors 6502
Feb 21, 2015
352
194
Actually I found the solution on Netkas.org. The site was down for a good portion of today and I wasn't abel to search their archives.

Apparently all you have to do is this:

Download the Mac Pro Firmware update 1.5 (MacProEFIUpdate.dmg) from Apple: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1321

With the downloaded .dmg on the desktop, double click to mount the image.

Run the Mac Pro 2009-2010 Firmware Tool. It will automatically locate the package and proceed to the next phase of reboot and power switch hold until the little light above the power button begins to flash or you hear a long beep.

There is no need to rename or replace anything. The Firmware Tool grabs the package and proceeds with the process with no 5570 error message.

Hope this helps other Mac Pro 2009 users who are attempting this firmware update.

This approach does work. I experienced the 5570 error while attempting to flash my own 4,1 back in April and opening the .dmg on the desktop allowed the firmware updater to complete its work.
 

RetroDan

macrumors regular
Dec 17, 2015
112
149
Michigan
You appear to have misread my post, flehman. I got the install dialogue to pop up once, indeed, by following that formula. But upon the restart, the firmware had not changed, and now I am unable to get the firmware to install 'again', even though it didn't take. In addition, I am no longer getting the 5570 error, but rather 5530.
 

flehman

macrumors 6502
Feb 21, 2015
352
194
You appear to have misread my post, flehman. I got the install dialogue to pop up once, indeed, by following that formula. But upon the restart, the firmware had not changed, and now I am unable to get the firmware to install 'again', even though it didn't take. In addition, I am no longer getting the 5570 error, but rather 5530.

I didn't misread your post. I was confirming the correctness of that solution for people who encounter the 5570 error. In your case, maybe try running the firmware update tool off a Mavericks or Yosemite install in case El Capitan and SIP is still the culprit. Or, you could try running the "downgrade" to 4,1 firmware and then re-attempt. Try zapping PRAM a few times. Disconnect all unnecessary peripherals/hardware. Maybe safe mode or single user mode? Just spitballing at this point.
 
Last edited:

Macdctr

macrumors 65816
Nov 25, 2009
1,003
709
Ocean State
I didn't misread your post. I was confirming the correctness of that solution for people who encounter the 5570 error. In your case, maybe try running the firmware update tool off a Mavericks or Yosemite install in case El Capitan and SIP is still the culprit. Or, you could try running the "downgrade" to 4,1 firmware and then re-attempt. Try zapping PRAM a few times. Disconnect all unnecessary peripherals/hardware. Maybe safe mode or single user mode? Just spitballing at this point.

I had issues trying to do the firmware upgrade under El Capitan so I rebooted my MacPro into Yosemite and did the firmware upgrade. Went without a hitch.
 

RetroDan

macrumors regular
Dec 17, 2015
112
149
Michigan
I didn't misread your post. I was confirming the correctness of that solution for people who encounter the 5570 error. In your case, maybe try running the firmware update tool off a Mavericks or Yosemite install in case El Capitan and SIP is still the culprit. Or, you could try running the "downgrade" to 4,1 firmware and then re-attempt. Try zapping PRAM a few times. Disconnect all unnecessary peripherals/hardware. Maybe safe mode or single user mode? Just spitballing at this point.

I can't run the downgrade, because the only option on the firmware update took that I can choose is the upgrade option, which fails. Already removed all hardware but the mouse and keyboard. I'll try your other suggestions, and we'll see. I have the sinking feeling, however, that I have hit with uncanny precision a sort of unholy nirvana of "can't go forward, can't go back". Just my luck.
 

flehman

macrumors 6502
Feb 21, 2015
352
194
I can't run the downgrade, because the only option on the firmware update took that I can choose is the upgrade option, which fails. Already removed all hardware but the mouse and keyboard. I'll try your other suggestions, and we'll see. I have the sinking feeling, however, that I have hit with uncanny precision a sort of unholy nirvana of "can't go forward, can't go back". Just my luck.

Well if you get it to work by running it off a 10.9 or 10.10 install let us know - it will be good to know if 10.11 and SIP are the problem. You might want to remove the 10.11 drive from the computer entirely while making the attempt.
 

Macdctr

macrumors 65816
Nov 25, 2009
1,003
709
Ocean State
If you have each OS on separate drives, there's no need to remove the drive with El Capitan on it. I left mine in place and just booted off the Yosemite drive and did my firmware upgrade. Like I said, there should be no issues once you're booted in the older OS.
 

RetroDan

macrumors regular
Dec 17, 2015
112
149
Michigan
Unfortunately, I purchased my Mac Pro used, and was unaware of this firmware hack before I updated the firmware, so I have neither a backup install of Yosemite nor a purchased copy available for download. And may Cthulu strike me down if I dare the idiocy of torrenting an OS.

Oh, well. Looks like I'm buggered. It's not critical, since it was primarily a vanity thing rather than "MUST HAVE 12 CORES IN MAC", but it would have been cool.
 

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,614
8,546
Hong Kong
Even though you can't get them via the Apple Appstore, it's not that hard to get a copy of Mavericks or Yosemite on the internet, right?

TBH, you are now talking about to run a tool to hack the firmware. So, you can accept that, but you can't accept to run a copy of Yosemite which is not direct download from Appstore?

As long as you just use it for firmware update, but not daily ops. I don't think you really need to care if there is any security issue to run that OSX copy.
 

RetroDan

macrumors regular
Dec 17, 2015
112
149
Michigan
-_- User in Hong Kong is okay with software piracy...shock.

To my way of thinking, firmware 'hacking' is more about enabling disabled capabilities, at least in this implementation. At worst, doing this will void my non-existent warranty on my secondhand Mac Pro. Sure, it occupies an ethical grey area, but I thought that, as a species, we'd moved away from 'all crimes are the same and must be viewed as such'?

Call me cynical, but that's a long ways from downloading a piece of retail software from a torrent site. Just because it's no longer commercially available from the manufacturer doesn't make it suddenly free reign. If we're treading the murky waters of software alteration, my view places "software piracy" a bit farther in the deep end when juxtaposed against "firmware hacking".

These are, of course, totally subjective views, and I don't expect you, or anyone really, to agree with me 100%. But it's a step that I'm just not willing to take.
 

flehman

macrumors 6502
Feb 21, 2015
352
194
-_- User in Hong Kong is okay with software piracy...shock.

To my way of thinking, firmware 'hacking' is more about enabling disabled capabilities, at least in this implementation. At worst, doing this will void my non-existent warranty on my secondhand Mac Pro. Sure, it occupies an ethical grey area, but I thought that, as a species, we'd moved away from 'all crimes are the same and must be viewed as such'?

Call me cynical, but that's a long ways from downloading a piece of retail software from a torrent site. Just because it's no longer commercially available from the manufacturer doesn't make it suddenly free reign. If we're treading the murky waters of software alteration, my view places "software piracy" a bit farther in the deep end when juxtaposed against "firmware hacking".

These are, of course, totally subjective views, and I don't expect you, or anyone really, to agree with me 100%. But it's a step that I'm just not willing to take.

New versions of OS X have been free to the public for several years. Apple pulled them from the App Store because, well, reasons. It's hardly "pirating" if the software was free in the first place.
 

RetroDan

macrumors regular
Dec 17, 2015
112
149
Michigan
Alright. I'm pretty new to the whole Mac environment, so mea culpa. I was wrong. Definitely not the first time, absolutely not the last.
 

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,614
8,546
Hong Kong
I am 100% respect your point of view. And now you know that I am not asking you to break any law. In fact, what I want to emphasise is about the security issue. The firmware hack can do more damage than a OS from the unknown source.

TBH, I never check the terms. I just assume that you can install Mavericks or Yosemite on your Mac legally even though you never register to own a free copy under your Apple ID. If that's legal in your country, and you don't want to download them other than from the Apple server. How about to get a copy of the OSX installer from any of your friend (who use Mac of course)? I don't know if that's legal in your country. If no, and you are willing to pay, you can still buy a disk from ebay (e.g. Snow leopard, or the 4,1's recovery disk) which should be quite cheap.

Anyway, I don't think it's that hard to get a OSX other than 10.11 run in your Mac legally and properly. Hopefully you can solve it and upgrade the firmware successfully.
 

RetroDan

macrumors regular
Dec 17, 2015
112
149
Michigan
Finally. The only solution was, indeed, to install Yosemite and apply the update from within 10.10.

Vanity is assuaged.
 

RetroDan

macrumors regular
Dec 17, 2015
112
149
Michigan
Upon doing some research, it appears that I did, in fact, hit that magical sweet spot of impossibility with my initial attempt to do the 5,1 update.

For future reference, if SIP is not disabled prior to mounting the firmware update package and running the firmware hack, the hack will go into a sort of limbo where the machine will not finish applying the hack, but will also be incapable of rolling back the changes already made by the hack, regardless of whether SIP is disabled or not. In this instance, re-applying the hack under 10.10 (or perhaps earlier, I don't know) is the only way to successfully complete the process, after which you can freely (with SIP disabled) roll back and apply the hack in El Capitan at will.
 

flehman

macrumors 6502
Feb 21, 2015
352
194
Will this work on a stock early 2009 Mac Pro 2.66?

Yes.

Edit: original response was longer but intended for a different thread about wifi/BT cards. The Firmware Tool works with any 4,1. There is also a Firmware Tool to upgrade a 1,1 to a 2,1 firmware. A 3,1 cannot be firmware upgraded in this way.
 
Last edited:

ovrdrvn

macrumors member
Dec 10, 2003
34
1
Thanks. Just so I don't confuse the issue...this firmware tool is for some other kit or hardware...not just a patch from Apple that I could run on my old Mac? (Also, is there any risk?)
 

flehman

macrumors 6502
Feb 21, 2015
352
194
Thanks. Just so I don't confuse the issue...this firmware tool is for some other kit or hardware...not just a patch from Apple that I could run on my old Mac? (Also, is there any risk?)

The Firmware Upgrade Tool is not an Apple-sanctioned utility. It was developed privately and is a "use at your own risk" utility. It takes a firmware patch originally developed by Apple for 5,1 machines and applies it to a Mac Pro 4,1 to allow the 4,1 to use CPUs and RAM that a 4,1 would not normally be able to use. It will only work when you run it on a 4,1 and will give you the option to either upgrade to 5,1 firmware or downgrade back to 4,1 if you previously upgraded to 5,1. All you need to do is download the program, run it, and follow the instructions, although reading the thread you will see that some people run into an error/hiccup relating to the program's attempts to contact an Apple URL for the firmware patch file. Solutions discussed earlier in the thread.
 

gslrider

macrumors 6502
Nov 4, 2005
338
9
Actually I found the solution on Netkas.org. The site was down for a good portion of today and I wasn't abel to search their archives.

Apparently all you have to do is this:

Download the Mac Pro Firmware update 1.5 (MacProEFIUpdate.dmg) from Apple: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1321

With the downloaded .dmg on the desktop, double click to mount the image.

Run the Mac Pro 2009-2010 Firmware Tool. It will automatically locate the package and proceed to the next phase of reboot and power switch hold until the little light above the power button begins to flash or you hear a long beep.

There is no need to rename or replace anything. The Firmware Tool grabs the package and proceeds with the process with no 5570 error message.

Hope this helps other Mac Pro 2009 users who are attempting this firmware update.

So I did all of this on my Quad 266. Held the power button until the flashing led, let go of the power button, then the long tone came on. The grey screen with Apple logo and status bar came up very briefly, then my system rebooted itself. After it started up, I checked system profiler, but still says 4,1.

Tried it twice. No error messages, and proceeds as it's suppose to. But it's not taking. I'm wondering if it's this file that is the issue? http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1321

I'm wondering, because my 4,1's boot rom ends with B04, according to system profiler. Apple's site says early 2009 1.4 firmware boot rom should be B05 (which I'm guessing mine should be, but isn't). And 2010 MP 5,1 1.5 firmware boot rom is B03. Any idea why my boot rom is different? And could this be the reason why they firmware won't update? Any fix?

Thanks
 

Synchro3

macrumors 68000
Jan 12, 2014
1,987
850
I have a flashed 4,1 to 5,1.

If it looks like this flashing was successful:

fla.png


BEFORE flashing boot-ROM should be B07:

Fla 2.png
 

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,614
8,546
Hong Kong
So I did all of this on my Quad 266. Held the power button until the flashing led, let go of the power button, then the long tone came on. The grey screen with Apple logo and status bar came up very briefly, then my system rebooted itself. After it started up, I checked system profiler, but still says 4,1.

Tried it twice. No error messages, and proceeds as it's suppose to. But it's not taking. I'm wondering if it's this file that is the issue? http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1321

I'm wondering, because my 4,1's boot rom ends with B04, according to system profiler. Apple's site says early 2009 1.4 firmware boot rom should be B05 (which I'm guessing mine should be, but isn't). And 2010 MP 5,1 1.5 firmware boot rom is B03. Any idea why my boot rom is different? And could this be the reason why they firmware won't update? Any fix?

Thanks

Update the firmware to B07 and then run the tool again.
 
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