Problems with EFI Firmware Update to 1.5 for mid 2010 Mac Pro, and sleep issues

Question

Problems with EFI Firmware Update to 1.5 for mid 2010 Mac Pro, and sleep issues

Hello to the community, I have run into an annoying issue.

I need to update the EFI firmware on my 8 core mid-2010 Mac Pro. I downloaded the EFI update from the apple website from here : http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1321

But everytime I download it, as I click to install, it gives me the message:

Alert

This software is not supported on your system.

But clearly this is the correct EFI for my computer. I tried burning the Firmware restoration onto a CD from here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1320

But the computer did not respond the way it said it should (with the 3 flashes/beeps etc.) and have the optical drive open for the CD.

So I'm completely stuck.

*Also my Mac Pro had issues with sleep, when I put it to sleep, sometimes when I try to bring it back, it restarts itself, and other times, it just turns itself on and the monitor screen remains black, so I have to hit the power button to turn it off then back on again. This only happnens when the computer has been put to sleep for a slightly extended period of time, roughly 20mins +, sometimes longer. I was trying to solve this problem by first updating the firmware because I think it could be related to that, but I've had this problem with the firmware so I couldn't find out. This is actually the bigger problem for me because it will affect my work. I am currently using an iMac while I fix up this mac pro.

I'm a music composer so I've upgraded many aspects of my system due to work. I have a 1TB Samsung 840 evo SSD, 2 seagate 2 TB HDD, and 1 WD 1TB HD (the original one in the mac pro), along with 32 GB of RAM. So my only problems are the firmaware and the weird activity when the computer is put to sleep.

Some help would be greatly appreciated!

I'm running OS X Mavericks 10.9.2

mid-2010 Mac Pro

8 core processor (2 X 2.4gHz)

Mac Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.2)

Posted on Apr 27, 2014 3:20 PM

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Answer 1

lllaass

Level 10

210,513 points

Apr 27, 2014 3:45 PM in response to Alessandro Saini composer

What is current EFI version?

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Answer 2

Apr 27, 2014 4:25 PM in response to lllaass

Boot ROM version : MP51.007F.B03

SMC version (system and processor tray) : 1.39f11

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Answer 3

The hatter

Level 9

61,031 points

Apr 27, 2014 4:59 PM in response to Alessandro Saini composer

sept 2010 and not needed by most plus your system may be newer even if it does not have same or higher firmware.

http://www.cnet.com/news/apple-releases-mac-pro-efi-firmware-update-1-5/#!

I didn't find see why you are trying to use the RESTORE CD You dont need it and it isnt doing anything, because there is nothing to do. the firmware update link?

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Answer 4

Apr 27, 2014 5:24 PM in response to The hatter

The hatter:

sorry I didn't quite understand what you said.

Also I think mine is july mid-2010 not september.

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Answer 5

Apr 27, 2014 6:49 PM in response to Alessandro Saini composer

According to this article, your EFI firmware is up to date:

Computer	Model identifier	EFI Boot ROM version	SMC version
Mac Pro
Mac Pro (Late 2013)	MacPro6,1	MP61.0116.B04 (EFI 2.0)	2.20f18 (SMC 2.0)
Mac Pro (Mid 2010)	MacPro5,1	MP51.007F.B03 (EFI 1.5)
Mac Pro (Early 2009)	MacPro4,1	MP41.0081.B07 (EFI 1.4)
Mac Pro (Early 2008)	MacPro3,1	MP31.006C.B05 (EFI 1.3)
Mac Pro (8-core)	MacPro2,1	MP21.007F.B06 (EFI 1.2)	1.15f3 (SMC 1.1)
Mac Pro (Original)	MacPro1,1	MP11.005C.B08 (EFI 1.2)	1.7f10 (SMC 1.1)

.

EFI and SMC firmware updates for Intel-based Macs

.

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Answer 6

Apr 27, 2014 8:11 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Hmm that's funny, cause I'm reading the SMC no. and its 1.39f11, but the other number MP51.007F.B03 is correct. You might be right haha now I feel stupid! Ok well I guess I need to figure out this sleep issue thing then, though it has been fine today.

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Answer 7

Apr 27, 2014 8:43 PM in response to Alessandro Saini composer

Did you enable TRIM on that SSD?

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Answer 8

Apr 27, 2014 8:48 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I'm not sure, I definitely didn't do anything like that, so if you have to do it manually then the answer would definitely be a no. I already have a bunch of stuff installed on my SSD though. so to enable TRIm would I have to wipe it out? I just looked up what it is and stuff and saw how it really makes the drive faster etc.

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Answer 9

Apr 27, 2014 9:27 PM in response to Alessandro Saini composer

Enabling TRIM should not wipe out anything.

You can enable TRIM by using a third-party Utility like TRIM Enabler.

Download

Install

Run and enable TRIM on your SSD

Sometimes a Restart is required to make the feature active

Once you have TRIM enabled in the running system, all FUTURE deletions will be noted and the free space will be released by the SSD.

But to get maximum benefit, you should also install TRIM Enabler and Enable TRIM in an Alternate System drive. Then when you run Disk Utility (Repair Disk) it will pause for up to a minute at the end while it says "TRIM-ing unused blocks".

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Answer 10

Apr 27, 2014 10:49 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Ok thanks a lot. I will check up on it a bit more just so i don't mess up, and do what you said.

Btw by alternate system drive, do you mean, and external drive? or and internal one? I'm guessing internal. Sorry I'm a noob haha. Is it required, or you would says it's reccomended?

Also, what do you mean by the "free space will be released by the SSD"?

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Answer 11

Apr 28, 2014 10:54 AM in response to Alessandro Saini composer

This wikipedia article explains better than I can:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIM

--------

By alternate System drive, I mean ANY other drive with any appropriate Full System (not just Recovery_HD) on it, into which TRIM Enabler can be installed and enabled and Disk Utility (Repair Disk) can be run for maintenance purposes.

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Answer 12

Apr 28, 2014 11:10 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

On a rotating drive, all blocks are pre-allocated. When blocks are freed, they are NOT over-written, they are simply noted as "free" in a data structure known as the Free List, so that they can be re-used (by simple over-writing) when a new block is needed.

In an SSD, blocks are dynamically allocated, and Writes require an erased Superblock. Blocks are garbage-collected into full SuperBlocks to maintain as many free and pre-erased SuperBlocks as possible. Without the "which blocks contain deleted data" information, deleted data blocks continue to be carried along, re-written and garbage-collected multiple times, increasing wear on the drive and decreasing performance. The SSD can have data in each and every block, even while Mac OS X reports that there is a lot of free space.

TRIM notification allows the drive to know which blocks are no longer considered valid, so that they can be abandoned.

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