10.10.3 breaks support for ATI video cards

Hi, i am using dual Cinema Display 30 and 23 with a HIS ATI 7750 1 GB on a Mac Pro 3.1. Post upgrade from 10.10.2 to 10.10.3 my display eded unusable blurry. Therefore I have tried to replace the 10.10.3 kext with the previous 10.10.2. But it did not work out as expected. I managed to get some video output but no acceleration at all. Therefore the system is unusable. Therefore i full downgraded to 10.10.2 now.

Never the less it might be a good starting point for someone to get acceleration running. This is what I did:

I have to set the nvram variable kext-dev-mode=1, but be warned this will allow any unsigned > .kext to load, including rootlets, malware, etc.

I did this in order to allow me to modify the kext if necessary and to ensure that if 10.10.2 kext might be locked that they still be loaded and the computer will not be prevented from boot.

sudo nvram boot-args="kext-dev-mode=1"

sudo shutdown -r now

Post this i copied from my other Mac running 10.10.2 the file /System/Library/Extensions/AMDRadeonX4000.kext to my Mac Pro 3.1 running 10.10.3 with no proper video output. Basically i copied all ATI related kext from one mac to the other.

copied [MAC10.10.2]/System/Library/Extensions/ATI* ----> [MAC10.10.3]/System/Library/Extensions/ATI*

copied [MAC10.10.2]/System/Library/Extensions/AMD* ----> [MAC10.10.3]/System/Library/Extensions/AMD*

someone needs to do a diff here to identify the file with is necessary the only one i found with a significant change seems to beAMDRadeonX4000.kext

I forced to rebuild kext cache manually

sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions

sudo kextcache -m /System/Library/Caches/com.apple.kext.caches/Startup/Extensions.mkext /System/Library/Extensions

And reboot!

sudo shutdown -r now

After the reboot I had display output but no acceleration at all. Seeing the video out put made me happy but the system is unusable to to the lack of acceleration of the display. I am really looking forward for Apple to fix the update and to reapply support for the ATI GPUs hence it allows to save environmental resources to keep good products like the Mac Pro 3.1 running...

I am running an ATI on my Mac Pro as well with three monitors and they stopped working after this update. The problem is I can't really attempt a repair as the signal to all three just turns off after about 3 minutes of run time. The update in 10.9.2 messed me up as well. I lost the right monitor first then the left went dead. I thought the card was going out and even bought new cabling to ensure it wasn't a bad connector. Apple is starting to lose my support because of this. I am an IT professional and editor. Through these errors they are hurting my business drastically and their cavalier attitude to repairing this known issue is unacceptable. I can't wait 1-2 months for a correction while my $5,000 computer is a paperweight. This is the second time and I will be forced to switch away from Mac perminantly if this continues and there is not a swift resolution this time. I can't afford the loss of profit because of failed programming.

Hi, I do not know wether your Mac Pro is a 'black' or a classic Mac Pro with may disks. However I would assume to utilize a second Mac and target disk mode to get access to the non proper working one. For the 'black' Mac Pro this is thunderbolt target mode, so you would need a second mac supporting thunderbolt. For all other Pro's this should be firewire 400 or 800. Follow on: 'target disk mode' ; for my Mac Pro, I can invoke it via pressing t on a wired keyboard during boot up (starting prior first boot sound). You may utilize a tool like Apple Disk Utility to recover a backup or Carbon Copy Cloner, which I prefer. I utilize the later to create a full disk backup from time to time and prior major updates like 10.10.2 -> 10.10.3.

If you have had ssh support or Remote Desktop enabled; and assuming it is still up and running, you might be able to get access via network to your Mac Pro. In this case you may try to utilize a Terminal fix your issue.

Please note that some users have posted that hdmi output on 'black' Mac Pros seems to be working post 10.10.3 update on their systems.

Apple doesn’t routinely monitor the discussions. These are mostly user to user discussions.

Send Apple feedback. They won't answer, but at least will know there is a problem. If enough people send feedback, it may get the problem solved sooner.

Feedback

Or you can use your Apple ID to register with this site and go the Apple BugReporter. Supposedly you will get an answer if you submit feedback.

Feedback via Apple Developer

Had the same issue with my HD7770 on my Mac Pro 1,1 - followed the guide in the link and I have my Mac back - ironically I appear to have a better refresh rate on my cinema display too which had developed a flicker on Yosemite. Had to make changes using a 2nd mac with the drive in target disk mode. Hope this helps somebody. http://www.tonymacx86.com/graphics/161511-radeon-hd-7750-xfx-glitchy-after-10-10 -3-update.html

I have the same issue with my mid-2010 iMac with ATI Radeon HD5670. For years I've used a HDMI cable and a Mini Displayport to HDMI adapter to connect my iMac to my Sony LCD-TV to get extended desktop. After the 10.10.3 update and its supplemental video driver update, the iMac stopped detecting the Sony. I did everything possible from resets to checking cables but nothing helped. Luckily I found a few threads about the issue and slowly it started to become clear that the 10.10.3 update did not play well together with my iMac and its ATI video card.

Right now I'm trying to survive with Airparrot to Chromecast connection to my Sony but it's a significant drop in quality and performance compared to a wired connection. I could do a clean install with my USB Yosemite installer and then combo update to 10.10.2 but I've spend so many hours getting my app settings and desktop to perfection that I'd hate to spend more hours to fix what Migration Assistant cannot do with my SuperDuper backup. I guess I will wait a few months for a possible official or unofficial fix and then, if there is nothing to be done, bite the bullet and go back to 10.10.2.

Btw, a possible solution was suggested to me where covering (thin electric tape) the 19th pin of the HDMI male connector going into the Sony could fix it. This didn't work but, on my first try, I accidentally covered the 2nd pin and my iMac started to detect the Sony even though I wasn't able to get an actual picture. I cannot help but think that someone with knowledge about these things how to temporarily modify the HDMI cable so that OS X 10.10.3 with an ATI video card. can detect external displays.

Yep, HD7750 GDDR5 is kaput!

Kind of reminds me why I left windows based systems.

Final Cut Pro creeps on my old AT HD2600 256MB...

Please fix this oh Apple Gods!

nvidia has released new drivers, maybe others have as well?

http://www.nvidia.com/content/DriverDownload-March2009/confirmation.php?url=/Mac /Quadro_Certified/346.01.02f04/WebDriver-346.01.02f04.pkg&lang=us&type=GeForce

Outside developers have reported the openCL tools for Apple are broken and it has been reported to Apple by numerous sources for some time. Apple has not respond.

I can confirm that MST support (60hz) is still broken on 10.10.4 with an AMD 7970 and a Sharp PQ321. Works OK on SST (30hz).

If anyone has found a fix or workaround, I would be very grateful if you replied.

Thanks.

I don't know a workaround, I did read one of the developers who said the tools were broken stated Apple responded with "there will be an upcoming fix", no timeframe, no other info so if that's 10.10.5, or 10.11.1 it's anyones guess if Apple is seriously fixing the reported issues.

Hey Jimmy,

Where did you read that the tools were broken and there was an upcoming fix? Any luck since you last checked in?

Thanks,

Nick

Anyone in the thread find any tricks/workarounds for the ATI cards?

Still having trouble with 4k @ 60hz. Stuck on 10.10.2. More info on my post here:

http://arstechnica.com/civis/posting.php?mode=reply&f=19&t=1290019

Would appreciate any help!

I use both Blender and the Reality plug-in for LuxRender. The dev for Reality was the first report I saw on this and the Blender devs mentioned it right after. There was a decent sized thread on the Blender forums but it devolved into a OS X vs. Windows whizzing contest in a very short time.

http://www.cgchannel.com/2015/05/open-source-3d-devs-criticise-apples-opencl-sup port/