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macmini 1,1 to 2,1 EFI firmware update

Mac Mini 1,1 to 2,1 Firmware Upgrade

  • NOTE: This is a markdown adaptation of the original forked gist, additional file in this gist is an adaptation of the original post.

Guide & Discussion Thread:

For the best guide, use search keyword: chmod. It should scroll down to:

Post by: Shinso on September 18, 2012, 07:28:35 PM
Post by: Shinso on September 18, 2012, 07:30:19 PM

Required

  • Upgrade CPU to Core2Duo

  • Download the specially modified EFI files from Mediafile (Archive.zip)

$ open "/System/Library/CoreServices/Firmware Updates"
  • cp the 2 files to:
$ cd "/System/Library/CoreServices/Firmware Updates"
  • Relax the file permissions to world-readable so the files can be seen at boot-time:
$ chmod -R 777 "/System/Library/CoreServices/Firmware Updates/*"
  • Run
$ sudo bless -mount / \
           -firmware /System/Library/CoreServices/Firmware\ Updates/EFIUpdaterApp.efi \
           -payload /System/Library/CoreServices/Firmware\ Updates/LOCKED_MM11_0055_08B.fd -options "-x efi-apple-payload0-data" --verbose
  • Successful output will look like this:
=======================================================================================================
EFI found at IODeviceTree:/efi
Aggregate boot path is IODeviceTree:/PCI0@0/SATA@1F,2/PRT2@2/PMP@0/@0:2
GPT detected
Booter partition required at index 3
System partition found
Booter partition found
Returning booter information dictionary:
<CFBasicHash 0x102d1b3a0 [0x7fff7688afa0]>{type = mutable dict, count = 3,
entries =>
	0 : <CFString 0x102c3bfb0 [0x7fff7688afa0]>{contents = "System Partitions"} = (
    disk1s1
)
	1 : <CFString 0x102c3bf70 [0x7fff7688afa0]>{contents = "Data Partitions"} = (
    disk1s2
)
	2 : <CFString 0x102c3bf50 [0x7fff7688afa0]>{contents = "Auxiliary Partitions"} = (
    disk1s3
)
}

Substituting ESP disk1s1
Mounting at /Volumes/bless.ncNG
Executing "/sbin/mount"
Returned 0
Creating /Volumes/bless.ncNG//EFI/APPLE/FIRMWARE if needed
Deleting previous contents of /Volumes/bless.ncNG//EFI/APPLE/FIRMWARE
Opened dest at /Volumes/bless.ncNG//EFI/APPLE/FIRMWARE//EFIUpdaterApp.efi for writing
preallocation not supported on this filesystem for /Volumes/bless.ncNG//EFI/APPLE/FIRMWARE//EFIUpdaterApp.efi

/Volumes/bless.ncNG//EFI/APPLE/FIRMWARE//EFIUpdaterApp.efi created successfully
Relative path of /Volumes/bless.ncNG//EFI/APPLE/FIRMWARE//EFIUpdaterApp.efi is \EFI\APPLE\FIRMWARE\EFIUpdaterApp.efi
IOMedia disk1s1 has UUID F5CCE164-3EFF-40E8-86C8-0697C03012E3
Opened dest at /Volumes/bless.ncNG//EFI/APPLE/FIRMWARE//LOCKED_MM11_0055_08B.fd for writing
preallocation not supported on this filesystem for /Volumes/bless.ncNG//EFI/APPLE/FIRMWARE//LOCKED_MM11_0055_08B.fd

/Volumes/bless.ncNG//EFI/APPLE/FIRMWARE//LOCKED_MM11_0055_08B.fd created successfully
Relative path of /Volumes/bless.ncNG//EFI/APPLE/FIRMWARE//LOCKED_MM11_0055_08B.fd is \EFI\APPLE\FIRMWARE\LOCKED_MM11_0055_08B.fd
IOMedia disk1s1 has UUID F5CCE164-3EFF-40E8-86C8-0697C03012E3
Setting EFI NVRAM:
<CFBasicHash 0x7fe980502410 [0x7fff7688afa0]>{type = mutable dict, count = 2,
entries =>
	1 : <CFString 0x102c3bfd0 [0x7fff7688afa0]>{contents = "efi-boot-next"} = <CFString 0x102d1b5f0 [0x7fff7688afa0]>{contents = "<array><dict><key>IOMatch</key><dict><key>IOProviderClass</key><string>IOMedia</string><key>IOPropertyMatch</key><dict><key>UUID</key><string>F5CCE164-3EFF-40E8-86C8-0697C03012E3</string></dict></dict><key>BLLastBSDName</key><string>disk1s1</string></dict><dict><key>IOEFIDevicePathType</key><string>MediaFilePath</string><key>Path</key><string>\EFI\APPLE\FIRMWARE\EFIUpdaterApp.efi</string></dict><dict><key>IOEFIBootOption</key><string>-x efi-apple-payload0-data</string></dict></array>"}
	2 : <CFString 0x102d1b150 [0x7fff7688afa0]>{contents = "efi-apple-payload0"} = <CFString 0x7fe980502e10 [0x7fff7688afa0]>{contents = "<array><dict><key>IOMatch</key><dict><key>IOProviderClass</key><string>IOMedia</string><key>IOPropertyMatch</key><dict><key>UUID</key><string>F5CCE164-3EFF-40E8-86C8-0697C03012E3</string></dict></dict><key>BLLastBSDName</key><string>disk1s1</string></dict><dict><key>IOEFIDevicePathType</key><string>MediaFilePath</string><key>Path</key><string>\EFI\APPLE\FIRMWARE\LOCKED_MM11_0055_08B.fd</string></dict></array>"}
}

Executing "/sbin/umount"
Returned 0
$ echo $?
0
$ 
  • Shut down the the mac normally.

  • From power off, press and hold power button until light starts flashing and hear a loud speaker sound.

  • Let go of power button, and progress bar should have started, lasting for about 2-5 minutes.

  • If there is a problem reading the EFI updater files, then you will be sent back immediately to the regular boot OS X startup screen.

  • System will reboot automatically after completing the EFI update.

  • If successful, you should experience for kind of screen / video corruption. Power off the system via the power button.

  • Do a PRAM reset.

    • To reset PRAM: Power on with a short-press of power button, and immediately hold Command + Option + p + r until the second startup chime.
  • System will boot normally.

  • Check "About this Mac" dialog

  • Overview should still say "2006 Mac Mini", however "System Profiler.app" should now report macmini2,1 hardware revision. This is immediately displayed as the root node after you have clicked to launch the System Profiler program (the older legacy program).

  • Install 4GB RAM upgrade (as 2x2GB SODIMMS)

  • Reset PRAM again, so that the new SODIMMS are recognized.

Additional Notes

  • It has also been reported that macmini2,1 should now be recognised as newer hardware and included as one of the officially supported mac hardware for the official Lion 10.7 installer.

    • If not, you can still install Lion on the macmini1,1 by either:

      • Adding it's logic_board_id to the PlatformSupport.plist.

      • Editing (disabling) the logic board checks inside the Mac OS X's main installer script (the correct Installer.pkg requires unpacking / repacking first by Pacifist to access that script). Can all be done on USB thumb drive. It's pretty easy.

Simple Guide On Upgrading A 2006 Mac Mini Firmware To 2007 Mac Mini Firmware

The Basic Idea

The purpose of this upgrade is to allow your machine to accept more than 2 GB of RAM on your 2006 Mac Mini, and to also be able to run OS X Lion. It is a very nice upgrade because if you put a cheap fast Core 2 Duo processor, max out the RAM to 4 GB, and install an SSD all for about $150.00 (as of 09/12), you'll get a computer that's faster than the late 2009 base model Mac Mini! Here is an example of what you can expect & this is one with 2 GB of RAM. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I6uORm6NhY) In any case, this is a fun DIY project that will give your computers years of life to it.

Note: There should be no risks in doing this as the hardware is essentially the same between the 2006 and 2007 Mac Minis except that the 2007 Mac Mini has a Core 2 Duo Processor whereas the 2006 has a Core Duo Processor. You will need to find a Core 2 Duo Processor (a 2.33 GHz T7600 SL9SD Core 2 Duo is recommended) to do this upgrade. Also, I would strongly recommend reading this guide before doing anything, and also printing it for reference!

  1. First, upgrade the CPU to the Core 2 Duo Processor (otherwise your machine cannot accept 4 GB of RAM). This is a good guide on how to do it. (http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing-Mac-mini-Model-A1176-Core-2-Duo-Processor/1178/1) At this step, do not have more than 2 GB of RAM installed, as the current firmware thinks 2 GB is all it can handle. If you don't, then your computer won't boot until you remove the excess RAM.

  2. Second, upgrade macmini firmware to 2,1.

  3. Third, put the new ram 2 X 2 GB in the mini. The macmini 1,1 firmware will not/is unable to boot with 4 GB. So, install the RAM last!!!

What You Need Before You Start

  1. You will need to upgrade your Core Duo processor to a Core 2 Duo. I recommend the T7600 SL9SD 2.33 GHz Core 2 Duo Processor. They're selling on eBay for about $65 as of 09/2012 (they were originally about $500 about 4 years ago!). Keep in mind that this processor is actually more powerful than the late 2009 BASE MODEL Mac Mini's processor which is a 2.26 Ghz Core 2 Duo processor. This is the trickiest installation as it's kind of a pain in the ass. It's not difficult, but you should read some guides that are floating around on the internet in order to do it without much hassle and watch a youtube video or two. This is a good place to start (http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/mac_mini_core_2_duo_swaps.html) and also this page (http://rickhartley.com/posts/2011/mac-mini-macmini11-processor-upgrade-from-t2300-to-t7200/). One major tip: Get four "4-40 X 3/4 of an inch" Nylon screws with nuts. You will need them! They may be hard to find, but here is a seller on eBay (name is cclay1) who sells them. (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mac-Mini-Intel-CPU-Nylon-Screws-4-40-X-3-4-w-Nuts-hold-Heat-Sink-on-CPU-Upgrade-/190718220151?pt=US_CPU_Fans_Heatsinks&hash=item2c67b11777) The only place that may sell them in your area/locally would be a Fastenal outlet store.

  2. 2 x 2 GB RAM Sticks. PC2-5300, unbuffered, nonparity, 200-pin, 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM is what you need. Brands that Apple has/tends to use and recommended are: Crucial, Samsung, Nanya, Hynix, Kingston but honestly as long as it meets the above requirements you should be fine. You can go with any brand, but a name brand will probably make you feel better. I bought 2 x 2 GB Samsung RAM Modules from eBay for a total of $25.00.This is the RAM I bought - Samsung PC2-5300 RAM Model ID: M470T5663EH3-CF7 (http://www.amazon.com/PC2-5300-667Mhz-DDR2-SODIMM-Samsung/dp/B0014C6V1U/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1347977941&sr=8-5&keywords=samsung+pc2-5300).

  3. Snow Leopard installed with all updates applied including EFI firmware updates.

  4. About 30 min - 1 hour to install the firmware upgrade.

Steps

  • Prerequisite: You probably already had the EFI firmware update done automatically if you have Snow Leopard and have had all updates applied. To be safe, be sure that you have the latest EFI (which is like a BIOS but for Apple computers) for your Mac Mini. First check to ensure your efi is the latest here. For some users, the efi update never installed because of an issue with Snow Leopard 10.6.8 so, if this applies to you, first download this file and install it.

    • Note: This step will probably not be needed, and odds are you won't have to do it either.
  1. Download and place file from one of the below sources:

  2. Then place the two files in /System/Library/CoreServices/Firmware Updates.

    • You check the permissions (if you're having trouble with this, download/just use the program BatChmod (http://www.lagentesoft.com/batchmod/index.html) to allow all permissions for the directory "firmware updates" for yourself and all users. Otherwise, if you're savvy with the command line, you know what to do.
  3. In Terminal, paste the terminal code below EXACTLY as it is written and make sure there are no extra spaces/weird formatting when copying it:

    sudo bless -mount / -firmware /System/Library/CoreServices/Firmware\ Updates/EFIUpdaterApp.efi -payload /System/Library/CoreServices/Firmware\ Updates/LOCKED_MM11_0055_08B.fd -options "-x efi-apple-payload0-data" --verbose

    Where it says sudo in the terminal code, I did a sudo to run it as root, but someone else did "sudo su" instead. First try "sudo" and it should work. Press enter. You will get a long string of code, and the very last lines will say: Executing "/sbin/umount Returned 0 This is a good sign.

  4. Now, you turn off the computer, and unplug it for about 15 seconds, then replug it.

  • Now, and this is what tripped me up before as nobody was super clear on this, you HOLD the power button for a couple of seconds (about 4-5s) until the little white sleep light on the front of the mac mini (near the superdrive slot), starts quickly flickering then let go. Machine will now turn on, and a progress bar will show up. Let it take its time (took me about 7 minutes for it to flash completely).

After the Mac Mini is flashed, you may or will have an odd screen show up and the Mac Mini will probably keep on resetting. Do not worry. You then turn off the Mac Mini by pressing the power button, then turn it back on, and then quickly do a PRAM reset by holding command + option + P + R at the same time. Once it restarts one more time, let go of the buttons, and let the Mac Mini boot to OS X.

  1. Finally, to check if it updated, login to your account, go to "About Mac" in your menu bar, click "more info" and it should now say, "Model Identifier: Macmini2,1" instead of "Model Identifier: Macmini1,1."

  2. You can now open your Mac Mini and add up to 4GB of RAM. Congrats!

  • NOTE: You gain a total of 3.3 GB of useable RAM (use 2 x 2 GB RAM Sticks) though the machine will say you have 4 GB installed. Lion does NOT install natively from the App Store. You will have to use one of the available workarounds (i.e. download and put on flash drive). But hey, at least you gained 1.3 GB RAM :-) Also, try upgrading (if haven't done already) your HD to an SSD, and also upgrade to OS X Lion. OS X Lion runs beautifully on a T7600 SL9SD 2.33 GHz Mac Mini with 4 GB of RAM installed.
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