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Level 1

34 points

Catalina installation damaged EFI firmware on MBP mid 2012

Today when i run update of OSX to Catalina, when installation initiated restart of mac, it stuck on black screen. I waited 15min and turned it off. After i turned it on, again - black screen. I called to support, tried all "magic button combinations", changed and tested SSD and memory (on my dad's same notebook), tried to disconnect battery for some time (to reset settings, in case of magic keys didn't helped), tried to start with disconnected SSD\CD-rom\Trackpad\wi-fi\... Tested also monitor on another notebook - it works. But with my motherboard when i press power btn - it just turns on fan, and white led always on, and monitor didn't wake up, not "showing black screen" but just didn't turns it on at all, no backlight, no LCD any activity (checked with flashlight). So i went to official local service and they sad that "it's just too old...". So i get to unofficial service but with normal guys, and they tested all the hardware and it works great, but didn't wake up with this motherboard. And they directly programated EFI with special tool, and it works now. So in result - i'm officially say: "Catalina damaged my EFI and it cost me 2 work days and 100$ of repair cost". Is it normal, Apple? You want me to buy new notebook instead of continue using my old one that still working great, so you just tried to kill my old notebook with software "bug"? Or what? Why official support can't help with this case? Why official local services didn't helped?

Posted on Oct 11, 2019 3:19 AM

Best reply

Jaygrow

Level 1

14 points

Posted on Oct 15, 2019 7:53 AM

To those who've experienced this issue: please let Apple know today. These threads are not actively followed and the more users that report to Apple, probably the more likely that there will be some resolution.

I initiated a chat and was then called by a Senior Advisor. I reported the details of the update corrupting my firmware, and sent links to the relevant threads here. Be nice and don't expect a fix over the phone, but they need to be made aware of the number of users affected. For reference, here are the related threads I am following:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250716026

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250745000

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250719221

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250728927

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80 replies

Smallllk Author

Level 1

34 points

Oct 18, 2019 5:38 AM in response to gabriel_favot

Barracuda38, i made backup before update, so didn't lost any data, only couple of days of my time...

gabriel_favot, sorry, no i don't, i just supposed that this is the EFI problem and said to those guys is local unofficial service all that i already had checked: monitor, ssd, memory, turned off almost everything from motherboard and still have no results. And they said, that they programmed EFI directly (don't know exacltly how, and does they removed it first or not, probably should, because all contacts is under the chip). But anyway - logicboard is same (i taked detailed photos of everything before go to service), and now it's working, so they definitely done something right.

About Catalina. After i "unbricked" my macbook, i made USB installer of Catalina and tried again (because OS didn't starts from SSD, so installation wasn't finished previously and didn't wanted to continue). At this time everything was fine and now i have Catalina on my old macbook, "too old and dead" as they said in official service... So i think, it will be cool, if Apple will find out this bug and fix it, and also give some apologies directly to every user faced this bug. And also i think, they should teach official certificated services some good manners (specially in Omsk, Russia, there is only one official services and it s**ks).

Oct 18, 2019 11:13 AM in response to Smallllk

Thank you for these informations, Apple still has my computer i had to pick it up after i refuse to pay for the repair. I'm going to call electronic store in Paris to see if there is one that can make the operation.

Oct 21, 2019 9:54 AM in response to Smallllk

I just found that you can find a new EFI chip on eBay for around 12$, I just order one and i'll try to solder it on my board... There is also some sort of solderfree chips ça you can plug directly on the board without unsolder your old one. If the came from a corrupted EFI, it should work...

Oct 21, 2019 9:56 AM in response to gabriel_favot

Careful, as far as i know, the new chip would need to be programmed accordingly in order to function correctly. That process is not one I am familiar with, but figured I would give you a heads up about it. The solderless chip might be a safer bet.

Mac Gary

Level 1

28 points

Oct 23, 2019 1:32 PM in response to Jay Ros

I found this on dedicated German Mac magazine website. At least this problem starts to get traction and wider publicity - https://www.macwelt.de/news/Neue-EFI-als-Ursache-Defekte-Macs-nach-Update-auf-macOS-Catalina-10684104.html (you can use G translate to get the sense but it is exactly what the issue with Catalina is). Hope this will eventually be noticed and addressed by Apple.

Oct 23, 2019 2:00 PM in response to Mac Gary

I wrote several magazines, like heise.de or Golem.de, but they said that the story was still too thin because the number of people affected was still too small to justify an article about it.

Maybe it brings something if you, from the English-speaking area, announce yourselves there! Write to Thomas Kaltschmidt, thk@heise.de, and Oliver Nickel, on@golem.de, maybe we'll make a difference!

I wrote to Tim and Craig, but I don't know if the address was o.k., at least she didn't return it as undeliverable, I also described my problem to the customer service and gave my contact details, I don't know what else I could do.

By the way, my Mac will be ready by Friday and costs about 670€ for the logicboard.

Apple, stand by your mistakes!

Oct 23, 2019 2:34 PM in response to Jay Ros

https://www.ifun.de/apple-hinweis-zu-startproblemen-nach-der-catalina-installation-144439/

Scroll a litte bit down to "weisser Bildschirm" (that is my problem)

https://macandegg.de/2019/10/startet-nicht-mehr-macos-catalina-kann-euren-mac-bricken/

And, if you're interested, see my Thread at:

https://www.macuser.de/threads/imac-late-2013-seit-10-15-im-koma.833179/

a few guys there flashed the EFI again

Fred

Oct 24, 2019 5:25 AM in response to Jay Ros

I wrote to 9to5Mac.com yesterday and just got an email about the suggested topic/article.

As I said in a previous post: please also write to the heise.de and golem.de addresses I provided.

Maybe we are not completely alone.

https://9to5mac.com/2019/10/24/efi-firmware/

chembeat

Level 1

4 points

Oct 24, 2019 8:36 AM in response to Juicy J23

My Macbook pro 13" (mid 2012 upgraded with Samsung Pro 840 SSD) didn't complete Catalina supplemental update for a couple weeks ago. Stuck with ?-catalog on boot-up. Managed after a lot of retries and effort to install a new system of Catalina on the old standard HDD, not the SSD, and it works till this moment. Might help someone? Will try the tip with Catalina on USB that someone suggested on the SSD. Don't want to be stuck on the 5400rpm drive. Sounds to me as a EFI error to related to SSD:s.

madrich

Level 1

124 points

Oct 24, 2019 11:21 AM in response to thymjan

Gee this happen to me in 2013. I had an early 2008 MacBook Pro 15”. I had Snow Leopard on it and it worked perfectly. I decided to upgrade to Mavericks and it destroyed my laptop. I started getting shut downs and kernel panic attacks. I took to the Apple store and they hardware diagnostics on it and said that I needed a new Motherboard/Logic-board. I indicated my displeasure because my MBPro was working fine until I upgraded. I had to pay about $300 for a repair by Apple.

hakim312

Level 1

4 points

Oct 27, 2019 5:19 PM in response to Smallllk

Hey Apple,

I have the exact same issue, I upgraded my MBP 15 Mid-2012 to Catalina, and now all i get is a black screen, and the minute before i upgraded to catalina, my machine was working perfectly... I bought my computer in 2013 for 2600 euros, and now I'm told to change the logic board for 600 euros. Why ? Because I installed an OS my machine is supposed to handle (that's written on your website). I can't afford that, i'm writing this with my phone... I'm stuck, I'm wasting time, energy and money. And it seems that i'm not the only person having issues with Catalina...

Oct 28, 2019 10:10 AM in response to hakim312

I have two macs still to upgrade yet and really I am thinking the current version is quite good and will not upgrade but what happens if one of my people using it does accept the incessant notifications about the update. I am lucky that my 15 inch Macbook Pro handled the update but I am not game to install the latest patch or supplemental update as I am travelling and would be totally lost without my computer. Really feeling so sad to have my faith lost.

Oct 28, 2019 1:11 PM in response to gabriel_favot

Could you give us your feedback about this new chip? Does it work? I have the same problem on my macbook pro after catalina update and I can't spend 500 € for a new logic board. Many thanks all for your support.

Oct 29, 2019 2:58 AM in response to Smallllk

Hello, everyone. I have not installed Catalina, yet. So I don't have this issue. I'm a Japanese, in Jananese Apple User Forum, many people have this EFI problem right after Catalina install.

I hope Apple pay for fixing. Scary to install Catalina. Beta test of Catalina was not enough.

chembeat

Level 1

4 points

Oct 29, 2019 3:36 PM in response to Smallllk

I've now installed Mojave on my Macbook pro (mid 2012) via a USB-stick to an external SSD. And it works with EFI version 229.0.0.0.0. But if i want to run this SSD as main disk i get prohibirary symbol flashing with Apple symbol too. The main HDD, the original drive that came with the computer, installed and runs Catalina 10.15.1 now but is really slow and unbearable to use. Please help!

Catalina installation damaged EFI firmware on MBP mid 2012