Unable to launch Apple Diagnostics

Yep. :(

So, how were they able to boot into this USB without the redirection to Internet Recovery?

What happens when you reboot holding the option D key? Anything?

It can take quite awhile for this to load up.

If you need help you can post the kernels panics here in the "Additional Text" box

Also In or out of warranty you can get a free over the counter 'Apple Service Diagnostics' test /assessment

Make an appointment hardware issue—

https://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/

Hmm... a plot twist with this issue arising for you in High Sierra, especially since things ran smoothly for me through Mojave 10.14.2 (I never ran an Apple Diagnostics Test during my time with Mojave 10.14.3, so nothing to report there). Thanks, I guess we're barking up the wrong tree regarding the Mojave 10.14.4 update.

I feel like there must be a way to revert the boot ROM version from 224.0.0.0.0 provided we find a compatible os version that an earlier firmware can be manually flashed to safely.

It seems for MBP in the late 2011-mid 2012 (mine is mid 2012 9,1) the only provided firmware from apple requires the machine to be running OS X 10.9.5 as can be found here https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201518 (more precisely here https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1848?locale=en_GB)

it seems too coincidental that many people having this issue are on older systems that have updated to a certain point in Mojave (which seems to be 10.14.4 as the current suspect) and even more annoying that the healthy OS version required for forcing an older firmware downgrade safely is mavericks which is INCREDIBLY hard to get hold of officially (without either having downloaded it before and backed it up or having to run the risk of finding an unofficial source for it)

Feels like another "accidentally on purpose" method of locking older hardware into a state that is not "broken" except for this refi discrepancy which is a means to nudge people into hardware upgrades after having their diagnostics boot capability stripped with this firmware update

:(

anyone got a factory downloaded backup of OS X mavericks? if so I would be happy to try messing around a little to try and revert my firmware in the name of (backwards) progress

I have been thinking about this issue and its potential causes.

For me I have migrated an SSD from a Mac slightly older than the model it is in now. Originally that SSD was installed with OS High Sierra, and the update was performed on the newer Mac. Are other people in this thread from a similar situation where by the Mac having the issue has had a hard drive swapped out or anything like that too?

My logic on this is that the Mac I have this issue with was running an install of OS X Yosemite when I received it and when I transferred the High Sierra SSD in to it.

I am thinking that somewhere this change over is what may have lead my MacBook to the state it is now (non bootable diagnostics).

I spoke to a 3rd party repairs and sales shop about the issue I'm having this morning and he suggested running a full install of Mojave over the current OS but to ensure I do so from a BOOTABLE DVD OR USB INSTALLER ISO and NOT by running the installer from within the Mac after it downloads as this may help to get the EFI partition and any conflicts resolved.

Outside of this I also spoke to someone in the IRC channel ##apple (not #apple) who was previously an Apple repair tech and he put me on another potential path as follows

1: Remove current drive and replace with a blank Drive (as I have a spare, if not the solution would be a full format of the current drive back to clean)

2: Boot into factory recovery mode (hold SHIFT + OPTION + COMMAND + R) this will connect over the network to the apple servers recovery that allows for download and install of the SUPPLIED os your Mac came with

3: When in this recovery menu open a terminal window and reset the NVRAM (with command : nvram -c) once this command has finished in terminal reboot back to factory recovery (hold SHIFT + OPTION + COMMAND + R)

4: Now from within this recovery run the installer and fresh install your factory supplied OS which should also rebuild the original recovery partition as well.

5: Once this is all done boot the OS once and reboot the system and try to run the diagnostics mode holding D again

hopefully this will work but at the moment I am too busy to try either method as I have work to do on the machine so until I get some free timbal I can do is offer the advice I have been given

PS : IF ANYONE IS TO TRY ANY OF THE METHODS ABOVE BE SURE TO CREATE A BOOTABLE BACKUP OF YOUR CURRENT SYSTEM OR REMOVE YOUR CURRENT SYSTEM DRIVE AND PERFORM THE REINSTALL USING A FRESH DISK

if diagnostics mode is then working after the process, update the OS all the way back up to your current version, then try replacing the original system disk and seeing if the diagnostics still boots having been rebuilt through the process

Late 2012 iMac 13.1 and same AHT issue as all others. Here is the Boot ROM History since 10.14.0

iMac 10.14.5 (18F132)

Boot ROM: 285.0.0.0.0

SMC: 2.9f5

_________________________

iMac 10.14.4 (18E226)

Boot ROM: 283.0.0.0.0

SMC: 2.9f5

__________________________

iMac 10.14.3 (18D42)

Boot ROM: 281.0.0.0

SMC: 2.9f5

____________________________

iMac 10.14.2 (18C54)

Boot ROM: 281.0.0.0.0

SMC: 2.9f5

_____________________________

iMac 10.14.0 (18A391)

Boot ROM: IM131.0115.B00

SMC: 2.9f5

I went to Apple Authorized Repair center. They DID manage to run Apple Diagnostics Tests (unlike how others and myself have reported this is not working from Cmd-D) - it showed no errors from top level view.

To clarify: Apple has two different "diagnostic" utilities: (1) Apple Diagnostics (note plural) / Apple Hardware Test, which is available to users; (2) Apple Service Diagnostic (singular), which is used in-house by Apple and its Authorized Service Providers (AASPs).

1. Apple Hardware Test was provided in various forms (on System installer discs, installed with the original OS, or accessed via the Internet) with Macs from <2000 until June 2013 (thus that's what runs my Early 2013 MacBook Pro – used to, anyway). After June 2013 (e.g. the Late 2013 MacBook Pro), Apple Diagnostics is either accessed via the Internet or from the Recovery partition in High Sierra or Mojave (as I discovered in my research).

AHT/AD is accessed by starting with the D key depressed (not ⌘D, which at least in Mojave will default to starting in the OS). AHT has a primitive-looking interface and offers either a short or an extended test. AD starts automatically and shows a progress bar with the legend:

Checking your Mac… 3 minutes remaining, 2 minutes remaining, About 1 minute remaining.

These utilities will find gross problems, but don't go into the hardware in any detail. Neither can be loaded/run in Macs with the Cannot load 'EFI/Drivers/TestSupport.efi' error discussed here.

2. Apple Service Diagnostic is Apple's in-house diagnostic software. It was in use up to mid-2014; as the article says, its various versions (for different Mac models) can be obtained here and there from the 'Net. Since mid-2014, the current version (name unknown) must be accessed via the Internet from Apple (i.e. is not downloadable), and requires a password, so is accessible only to Apple shops and AASPs.

ASD includes both an OS version (running in a stripped-down MacOS) and an EFI version (running like AHT/AD from a basic EFI boot that employs some firmware built into Intel CPUs). Each includes a long list of tests, and takes from 30 minutes to an hour or more to run. (The major advantage of the EFI version is that it can test more of the memory, as practically no memory is occupied with running the software, whereas the OS version occupies a substantial chunk. The OS version otoh allows running user-interactive tests.) The EFI version will not load/run in Macs with the Cannot load 'EFI/Drivers/TestSupport.efi' error discussed here, but the OS version will, since it uses an OS, not just the EFI drivers.

I'm guessing that the current Apple in-house diagnostic software (which I've never seen) also includes both OS and EFI versions. From the photo you've posted, my guess is that the AASP (?) you took your iMac to was able to run the OS version (but maybe not the EFI version?), which clearly does a comprehensive testing of the system. Also it appears that the current software tests older Macs (such as your 2012/2013 iMac) that predate its introduction in 2014.

BTW the yellow warning on memory is because of the 3rd party Kingston HyperX 16GB I just swapped in - non Apple certified.

And I'll bet it cost half of the price of the Apple equivalent? Kingston is not exactly a fly-by-night operation.

They also tried to use a ROM update tool…

Well, the ROM update may have something to do with the Cannot load 'EFI/Drivers/TestSupport.efi' error; still not clear. Why the ROM of the 2014 MacBook Pro was not updated by installing Mojave (my report above) is a mystery. But the Cannot load 'EFI/Drivers/TestSupport.efi' error did not appear either, so thusfar nothing is either proven nor disproven.

Annoying that theirs works and ours (or even the network based consumer ADT doesn't!)

Yeah, ain't it?

Is there a way to confirm that whether Apple tech guys aware of this problem and working on it?

See my post above:

Last Tuesday (May 28) I spent an hour and a half on the phone with an Apple Senior Advisor about this issue, trying everything he could think of (he apparently hadn't heard about this before), ending with sending a bunch of information which he said would be forwarded to some "engineers", who would get back to me in a few days. I provided links to this thread and my own (above), and emphasized that there are over 150 people now waiting for an answer. I'll post whatever I hear.

Probably a good idea for everybody here to contact Apple Support (I believe they'll take your call even if your Mac is out of warranty), ask to speak to a Senior Advisor, tell them you are among 170+ users struggling with this problem, and refer them to Case #20000052150237. We need to become the squeaky wheel.

Well, it's been over two weeks since I spent an hour and a half on the phone with an Apple Senior Advisor about this problem, downloaded some utilities which gathered information from my MacBook Pro, sent it in to "engineers" who I was told would get back to me in a few days. They haven't.

So I called again today, spoke to yet another Senior Advisor. And was told that engineering thinks my problem is because my MBP has a faulty logic board. Which it does; though it runs okay for simple tasks, more complex work starts showing errors. I don't think that's the reason for the inability to run AHT, as it did run AHT just fine some six months ago, with the same faulty logic board. The only thing that's changed since then, so far as I know, is that I upgraded the computer to Mojave briefly, before going back to Sierra. (Engineering also suggested that upgrade might be a solution – which, as everybody here knows, it is not; in fact it might be the cause of the problem.)

I intend to have the board replaced, but planned to wait until there was some solution to the inability to run AHT (and the EFI version of ASD), so I'd be able to check it out thoroughly after the replacement. But Apple won't listen to me until the logic board does not show errors, so I guess I'll have to get that done first.

Meanwhile, I tried to emphasize that there are over 200 people (here and at my own thread) who have this same problem, and I doubt that all of you also have faulty logic boards in your Macs. But that didn't melt any ice. The Advisor cannot take into account anything that appears on this discussion board. I knew that Apple pays little to no attention to to this board, but didn't know they have such a hard and fast policy about it.

The Advisor also opined that 200 is not a very large number out of Apple's "millions of users". Well, unless you're one of the 200. (Hmm, where have we heard that before? Something about keyboards, perhaps?) And how many of Apple's "millions" do have occasion to run Apple Diagnostics? More than used to be, I suspect, given Apple's recent record of screw-ups. It'd be interesting to see what happened if we could somehow get every Mac owner to do so.

So complaining here isn't going to get us anywhere. We need to make some noise where it counts: by calling Apple Support and asking for a solution. "Why can't I run Apple Diagnostics (or Apple Hardware Test) on my Mac?" It would be good if everybody here did so. Especially if you have a late model Mac with warranty, and/or if you have upgraded to High Sierra or Mojave. (Which they may ask you to do if you haven't.) You can refer to my case #20000052150237, though I don't know if that will do any good – or may even be harmful, since I've been effectively "disqualified". For now. But make sure to get a case number for your inquiry; the more the better.

BETTER YET: If you can get to an Apple Store, that would be best. I believe they'll look at your computer even if it's out of warranty (maybe they'll get a repair job out of it). Tell them you can't run AD/AHT, and have them check out your Mac. If their diagnostic software gives it a clean bill of health, and you still can't load/run AD or AHT, you have a case. Make sure they know you want a solution; get a case number. And let us know how it turns out.

Bottom line: This problem is not going to be solved unless/until we can get Apple's attention.

Does you or anyone know what this means?

Read (or at least browse) the thread, and you'll have the answer to your question.

…if I should be concerned or take it to get repaired before it completely stops working.

I don't know about Internet issues (though from reading on other forums I gather people are having a lot of issues with Mojave), but in regard to being unable to run Apple Diagnostics, yes, if you can take it to a Genius Bar (Apple Store) and ask about this problem, that would help not only you but everybody here. (See my posts here and here.)

Of the 18 (now 19) posters on this thread who identified their Macs which are unable to load EFI to run Apple Diagnostics / AHT, all (a) are 2012 or 2013 models, and (b) have been upgraded to High Sierra or Mojave. It looks like the issue may not occur with later year models, as when I installed Mojave on a 2014 MBP it did not change the firmware, and the computer was still able to load Apple Diagnostics.

So the problem does appear to be something in the installation of High Sierra or Mojave (the two OS versions in which the new APSF was introduced) which changes the Boot ROM on 2012 and 2013 Macs. It may not occur with Late 2013 models; all the 2013 MBPs reported here are Early 2013 (like my MBP). The late 2013 (MacBookPro11,2/3) has more in common with the 2014 model (also MacBookPro11,2/3) than with the Early 2013 (MacBookPro10,1/2, same as the 2012 models).

babowa wrote: Also, complaining about a 7 year old machine not being fixed is not helpful. It is what it is.

Well, my machine is a 2013, i.e. 6 years old, and though I see in the link that it is now regarded as "Vintage" ("denoting something of high quality, especially something from the past or characteristic of the best period of a person's work" – New Oxford American Dictionary, included with macOS), it is also supported for upgrade to the latest Mojave OS. In fact, not only supported, but Apple will continuously nag me to do the upgrade (unless I figure out how to turn it off). Only doing so trashes the computer's Boot ROM. If Apple is going to provide a Mojave installer for this model, it shouldn't do any damage.

mmehrle wrote: "I hope Apple is paying attention."

To reiterate: Though some Apple staff may browse this forum now and then, Apple does not pay any official attention to anything posted here. To get that attention, the information/complaint must go through the designated Apple Support or Genius Bar channels.

I'm about to do a complicated HW swap out of logic board because of something which has been caused by a **** firmware update!!!

What do you think?

As for your problems in addition to the AHT issue, I can't say; maybe they will require replacing the logic board. However, if those other problems also appeared only after you did the OS upgrade, they may indeed be related to the Boot ROM change, i.e. there's nothing wrong with your present logic board. If that's the case, why go to all the trouble of replacing it?

In any case, if you want a solution to the Cannot load 'EFI/Drivers/TestSupport.efi'  issue, I think you should not do the logic board swap now. Replacing the logic board might "solve" the AHT problem, if the replacement board is from a computer that has not been upgraded to High Sierra or Mojave, but the next time you install either on your iMac, the AHT problem will probably reappear, as the Boot ROM will then be "upgraded" again.

Instead, if at all possible, take your iMac to a Genius Bar and tell them about (1) the AHT issue, which is also a problem for over 200 other users (bring along the link to this thread, in case anybody there might be willing to look at it) and (2) your other issues. They will run their diagnostic, and if it says there are actual hardware problems with the logic board, then is the time to do the swap (if you're up for it; it's beyond my skills). If their diagnostic shows no hardware problems, you can ask "Then why can't I run AHT?" And maybe we'll get some action on this issue.

If you do need to replace the logic board, and doing so "solves" the AHT issue, i.e. you can now load and run Apple's diagnostic software, it will be of interest to see if it reports any issues with the replacement logic board. If it does not, your other issues should be solved. However, the AHT issue probably will not be solved. If you do another install of High Sierra or Mojave, you will probably once again be unable to run AHT afterward. Then, if you're up for it, you can take the iMac again to the Genius Bar: see paragraph above.

babowa wrote:

…having the Genius Bar run it. Except for having to drive there….

I don't know where you live, but the nearest Genius Bar to me is 60 miles away, a trip I haven't made in over 20 years due to chronic illness. I do hope to be up to it sometime this summer, but in the meantime I'm stuck with this computer I can't sell, as I can't show a prospective buyer a clean bill of health.

Apple has discontinued hardware service for vintage products….

So far as any of us have been able to tell, this is not a hardware issue. It is a software issue, caused by an upgrade from Apple, which Apple urges me (and everybody else here) to do. If you have no problem with that, that's good for you. I do have a problem with it, and I see no reason why Apple shouldn't solve it, since they caused it.

ne0shell wrote:

Exact same problem here, Mid 2012 MBP (9,1) worked perfect until Mojave 14.4 update. Started randomly crashing then corrupted the OS entirely until it wouldn't boot anymore.

I had my mac looked at by a very qualified repair shop, my logic board, RAM, etc are good - just have a bugged boot rom now apparently.

As for your other problems (aside from the Cannot load 'EFI/Drivers/TestSupport.efi' error), they may or may not be related to the Mojave update. From reading on other forums, it seems a lot of folks are having trouble with Mojave in general. I think it's worth asking: Do you really want to run the latest OS (even if Apple says you can) on a seven year old computer? I prefer Sierra, myself (even with its plethora of annoying bugs – which now will never be corrected). Just because an old computer can run the latest OS doesn't mean it will do so well.

Anyway, keep in mind that while a repair shop may be "very qualified" in your view (or mine), Apple will pay no attention unless said shop is their own (i.e. Genius Bar, or mail-in evaluation) or under contract with them (i.e. Apple Authorized, AASP). Telling Apple that any other shop found no problem with your computer is wasting their time and yours.

So, as it turns out - my RAM in my 15 inch MBP had gone bad which is what was causing the random crashes and inability to install an OS. The bootrom issue just prevented me from running AHD to find this out. A family member gave me their mid 2012 13 inch MBP which was not updated yet to use and when I put my RAM into it (it had the minimum included) I was able to run AHD and find out about the RAM issue. Swapped it out w/ the original 4GB in my 15 inch and was able to install an OS + its stable again with no crashes. I just can't run AHD on it. I've never had RAM go bad before in any computer so kind of surprised by it but glad my MBP is still usable.

The bootrom that causes issues for me was Mojava update 14.4. You can obtain installers from various places (known as "patched" install utilities) that will let you update but will not include the bootrom updates (confirmed this by emailing one of the authors). I'm currently running High Sierra again safely on both of my MBPs but do plan to update eventually using one of those tools (unless Apple admits the bootrom problem and releases a fixed version).