Flashing a 2006 Mac Pro with a 2007 Mac Pro SMC Firmware 

Disclaimer: This is totally unsupported! I won't be responsible if you Mac Pro catches fire or simply refuses to boot afterwards. I did the update on a 2006 Mac Pro, running the MP21.007F.B06 EFI firmware and 1.7f10 SMC firmware. Anything else, I can't guarantee.

Following MacEFIRom's work on his Mac Pro 2006-2007 Firmware Tool (you need to be registered to see the download link), here is a way to update the SMC, to complete the 2006-2007 conversion.

First, get the firmware update tool from Apple, at http://support.apple.com/kb/DL222 (md5 sum: 40c5e766f5b59c56501240f6cb732112).

Next, get the required resources from the included package/app:
- SmcFlasher.efi (md5 sum: 16d3c5337c0bfeb8549a034490617737);
- m43a.smc (md5 sum: 79aa57d97697860f70dbb37a1a6f7ee8).

SmcFlasher.efi is the EFI update tool, m43a.smc is the SMC firmware.

Then, using a hex editor, you'll have to modify the EFI updater, in order to bypass the hardware check (which prevents from flashing anything that doesn't follow the approved path).

Here's how a diff should look like. Sorry, but I won't host proprietary licensed binaries here.



Here is the list of modifications you have to make:
- at 0x1797, replace 5 bytes with "33 C0 90 90 90";
- at 0x17AC, replace 9 bytes with "90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90";
- at 0x1805, replace 5 bytes with "33 C0 40 90 90".

The first 5 bytes replace the call to the function that checks whether the upgrade path is approved by Apple (isValidConfig) by xor eax, eax; nop; nop; nop.
The next 9 bytes replace a comparison and a conditional jump (related to a global variable set by isValidConfig) by 9 nops.
And the last 5 bytes replace the call to the function that prevents from downgrading the SMC firmware by xor eax, eax; inc eax; nop; nop.

If you edited the file properly, its md5 sum should now be 84dbe9708eafc0c29653414b06292f8e.

In order to use it, copy the two files to a EFI accessible partition (FAT or HFS), boot to the EFI Shell, and simply issue the command:
SmcFlasher.efi -LoadApp m43a.smc

To boot the EFI Shell, simply install rEFIt. you can also take a shell.efi binary (for instance, from rEFIt's tools), rename it to boot.efi and copy it at the root of a FAT formatted USB key. You can then boot the key using the Mac Pro built-in boot selector (holding Alt before the chime).



And voilà, you're set. Simply turn off your Mac Pro, reset the SMC, restart it, and start partying like it's 2007!


[ view entry ] ( 18135 views ) permalink

<Back | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Next> Last>>