How do I find the Mac Pro 5,1 Mid 2010 firmware latest update ?
Did the power button shuffle over 10 times and still no working update to High Sierra?
How do I check to see if it did in deed do the firmware update ?
Mac Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6), 5,1 (mid 2010) 3.2 ghz Quad core
How to check your firmware version
Use these steps to check your Mac's EFI Boot ROM and SMC firmware versions.
- Open System Information.
- Select the Hardware section to view the Model Identifier, Boot ROM version, and SMC version numbers.
If the firmware version you see in System Information is newer than what's listed for your Mac, you don't need to apply the updates listed for that model. If you try to use a manual updater that's not designed for your Mac, or if it's not needed, the installer alerts you and the software isn't installed.
Mac Pro
Computer Identifier EFI Boot ROM version SMC version Mac Pro (Late 2013) MacPro6,1 MP61.0116.B16 (2015-002) 2.20f18 (SMC 2.0) Mac Pro (Mid 2010) MacPro5,1 MP51.007F.B03 (EFI 1.5)
About EFI and SMC firmware updates for Intel-based Mac computers
I read for on my MacPro 5,1 (Mid 2010) August.
Have not really gotten around to finish following this thread.
Been kinda off bubble with a few medical issues lately, new hardware backup system a DS916+ with a few TB's of storage to play with. Makes My Cloud like a baby..
Did try to run thru some Google info I found on this EFI security issue. Seems this is not the only Mac computer to have it's ball dropped many more PC & Mac's I found are missing updates for a few years.
hidden deep in the grass in this article:
About Mac startup tones - Apple Support
But that just checks that the firmware as a whole still has integrity. If it had been hacked, AND a good checksum was hacked in with it, it would likely pass that Power On Self Test.
You can get the firmware update through the apple website
If your updating from a Mac Pro 4,1 you need to also download the updater
I actually had trouble with this at first, update kept failing, solution was to update to latest 4,1 firmware than apply updater and update to 5,1.
To check if your update is applied click on apple icon on the top left corder of your screen and press "about this Mac"
Click more system report
If update was applied correctly your model identifier should be Mac Pro 5,1 and your boot rom version should be mp51.007f.b03. In "About this Mac" it will still display Mac Pro (2009) but if your system report states Mac Pro 5,1 update has been applied properly
The firmware is for the logic board and nothing to do with any drives SSD or otherwise.
It sounds like you are using a 2.5" SATA type SSD fitted in to one of the standard internal drive bays - presumably via a 2.5" to 3.5" adapter. If so this should be a very straight forward configuration.
More complex configurations would be if you were using a PCIe adapter card for the 2.5" SATA SSD, or using a different type of PCIe adapter for a PCIe type SSD.
In theory all you should need to do since you have apparently successfully installed the firmware is the following.
I have not done an APFS install yet on a classic Mac Pro so I don't know how much extra time that might add, it would be worth starting this say at the end of the day and let it run overnight.
It should not apply to you again since you have already successfully installed the firmware update but some issues like not having an Mac EFI compatible video card, or using a non-standard drive configuration could block installing the firmware and hence block installing High Sierra but clearly you have got past those possibilities.
As per the reply given by joe_7399 you can check what firmware version your Mac Pro currently has by opening System Report and viewing the version there.
However the version joe_7399 lists i.e. MP51.007F.B03 and the version provided by the download link he provides is for the last standalone firmware update that Apple issues several years ago. It is not the new firmware update needed for High Sierra.
The new High Sierra required firmware update is not available as a standalone update, it is automatically downloaded by the High Sierra installer and as your post indicates should be installed by the usual trickery involving the power button.
Once updated the version shown will then be
MP51.0083.B00 instead of MP51.007F.B03
See APFS support enabled in High Sierra for cMP | MacRumors Forums
Some people have reported not being able to get their classic Mac Pro to install this new firmware. Whilst I cannot check right now my own Mac Pro 2010 as it is turned off and I am away from home I can say it did successfully do a firmware update when I installed High Sierra and performed the same power button trickery. I did this using a standard hard drive in the standard drive bays, it maybe people using an SSD card in a slot are more likely to have difficulties. Ah, also seen that you probably need a video card with Mac EFI so newer video cards might cause problems.
Thanks John
I also have had the same issues during (NO) installation of High Sierra thru El Capitan 10.11.6.
Read and checked on a search on this subject. My Firmware is also the MP51.007F.B03, on a
MacPro5,1, 3.2 GHz Mid 2010 (Aug 2010).
I too use a OWC SSD 1 TB for main drive, as mentioned it could be that issue of the SSD?
Just put in a WD Black 2TB 7200 RPM to replace the a 1 TB WD data collector.
That maybe the solve to the High Sierra issue?
I'll check out the other items you mentioned.
At this writing, Readers have not yet definitively reported on what might be keeping some MacPro 5,1 silver towers from updating their Firmware to the new version MP51.0083.B00 included with High Sierra. (Specifically, no one who was NOT able to update their firmware has reported a "Eureka, I found it!" moment where they were able to update after they "fixed" something.)
We have seen reports of Rotating and SSD Drives (in the regular Drive Bays) updating firmware properly, so drive type is (so far) NOT implicated. Rotating drives are NOT converted to APFS automatically in the .0 version.
• Candidates for precluding firmware upgrade still include unusual peripherals, and any PCIe cards that are not standard.
• Candidates include non-Mac-firmware graphics cards (without EFI firmware on board) until there is evidence that they are NOT to blame.
• Candidates also include non-standard Wi-Fi cards, added after the Mac shipped.
• There may be others I have not though of. Can you think of any that should be added to this list?
I have not used a Apple ok'd graphics card in a few years. Took the ones I removed from my PC when updated.
The game of only using certain approved equiptment, has bugged me before I got into using an Apple IIe. Kinda like using a fork to eat broth. Better mousetrap and all that !
I got the reboot window and then the flashing light also the tone. But no gray screen and bar, just rebooted to El Capitan. I don't remember if I mentioned that.
If there is no update of the firmware it should have shown something, some how?
Some day I believe Apple will have a tag that says " Do not open or break seal in penalty of law or void your warranty ".
We'll have to buy what we may need down the line instead of being able to add what we progressively move toward.
Maybe get the Wi Fi type jack to the head. Module out side of skull ?
Just finished installing High Sierra on my Mac Pro 5,1. I can confirm that if you are using a non-EFI video card, you will need to use an EFI card (Apple edition ATI 5770, etc) for the firmware update, then can put your non-EFI card back after you finish the High Sierra update. Not sure why this is necessary, but at the moment, it is.
Aside from that, High Sierra (with the newest NVIDIA web driver, which is now out) works perfectly so far.
Just found a Mac Pro 5,1 mid 2010 Apple Technician Guide PDF at this site:
http://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/macpro/macpro_mid2010.pdf
Haven't had time to wander thru it yet!
Thought someone would be interest in it..
I have this same machine, and have been struggling to get High Sierra to install, and wonder if its a related issue.
My Mac Pro is running Yosemite, but has a new SSD in the second bay that I am trying to do a clean install of High Sierra on.
When I first ran the installer it did ask to update the firmware, and when I look at it, it says its MP51.0084.B00 which seems to be the current version.
But—this may be a stupid question—is the firmware related to the drive, and does the SSD need to be updated seperately? If so, how do I do that?
I have tried every other possible solution, from reformatting the drive with an external HS utility to installing from an external USB, and the install stalls almost immediately no matter what I do.
Yes that is how the SSD is installed.
I have attempted to format the drive the correct way though both through the Yosemite Disk Utility, as well through an external drive with the High Sierra Disk Utility to no avail.
No matter what I do, the installer bar jumps about 1/8 of the way and freezes. Have tried it multiple times. If I look on the SSD there are 3-4 files installed. The one is seems to freeze on is "InstallESDDmg.pkg.partial
It is an SSD from OWC, and there have been threads elsewhere about problems with these, but its not the brand SSD or Mac model that has reported issues.
How do I find the Mac Pro 5,1 Mid 2010 firmware latest update
