Refusal to update further than Mojave / SMBIOS outdated?

[MiGri]

Hello everybody,

it has been a while since I set up my CustoMac. I am lost at updating OSX. I am on 10.14.6 Mojave. When I start any update to Catalina, Big Sur or Monterey, the update process stops at a Ghostbusters sign, which converted from the Apple boot logo. I figured it might be a problem of the SYMBIOS. Checking the tab in Clover Configurator it confirms it needs to be updated. So that's what I did. I ticked the update firmware only and saved to config.plist. Checking compatibility of iMac18,3 with Monterey was positive. So what do I do next? Should I rather switch to iMac19,2?

 

[Edhawk]

The iMac18,3 SMBIOS you are using requires a Firmware update, as shown on the Clover Configurator screenshot you provided above.

If you look at the yellow Triangle and text, below the Trust option box, you will see the Firmware needs to be updated. To update the firmware but retain the current Serial number, Board Serial Number and SmUUID (missing from above screenshot), you need to select the Update Firmware Only option.

Update Firmware Only option

You then need to use the UP/DOWN arrow icon and select the iMac18,3 SMBIOS from the dropdown list of Apple systems.

This will fix this issue and you should be able to download and update to Catalina, Big Sur and/or Monterey.

You should generate an SmUUID if one is not generated when you update the Firmware. Lacking an SmUUID can cause issues with iCloud, iMessage/Messages etc. It usually prevents you from generating a compatible ROM (found on the RT Variables tab). The MLB option should be populated with the Board Serial Number before generating a ROM.

 

[MiGri]

Thank you @Edhawk! After many failed attempts of updating Clover today, I ran through the process of populating SMBIOS fields, because at booting Clover was complaining missing information. Didn't work out anyway... I always had to restore my working backup and am stuck at v5102.

In the SMBIOS tab I updated firmware, changed to iMac19,2 (which is closer to my actual setup), generated a new and unused serial number and SmUUID and added missing informations about the CPU. I didn't know about the ROM part in RtVariables, so I added this, too. Thank you! Unfortunately nothing helps. I can't neither run the update from the Installation package, nor with a created installation USB stick.

Maybe I have to flash the latest BIOS firmware first!? I am not on the very latest rev.

 

[Edhawk]

No you don't need to flash the BIOS. You should only flash the bios when you need something that a new bios version fixes. So if your system runs with the current bios, and by that I mean it boots macOS and/or Windows/Linux without issue, then you don't need a new bios firmware.

Have you looked at switching to OpenCore from Clover? It has a bit of a learning curve but is better for newer versions of macOS.

Post a copy of your current EFI folder, the whole folder, so we can see what you are using. Remember to redact or delete your Serial number etc. from the config.plist before you post a copy here.

 

[MiGri]

Oh great, thank you! Yes, with the current BIOS everything works flawlessly. I won't touch it.

Unfortunately Clover Validator doesn't work with version 5102. And yes, reading for the last two days I learned about OpenCore it would be a bit of a hassle to switch. Since almost everybody seems to be using it now, I will have a look into it in the near future.

 

[P1LGRIM]

Unfortunately Clover Validator doesn't work with version 5102.

Neither does Mojave.

Frankly, your /EFI is a mess.

apfs.efi and ApfsDriverLoader.efi do the same job and are mutually exclusive.

Same goes for HFSPlus.efi and VBoxHfs.efi.

Likewise AptioMemoryFix.efi, OsxAptioFix2Drv-free2000.efi, OsxAptioFix2Drv.efi and OpenRuntime.efi although I'm not sure that OpenRuntime.efi will work with Clover r5102.

You don't need VirtualSmc.efi if you are not using VirtualSMC.kext.

SMCBatteryManager.kext and SMCLightSensor.kext are for Laptops and only work with VirtualSMC.kext.

SMCDellSensors.kext is for Dell machines and only works with VirtualSMC.kext.

SMCSuperIO.kext only works with VirtualSMC.kext.

 

[Edhawk]

Can you post a copy of your system DSDT.aml.

 

[MiGri]

The DSDT is attached below. I am going to clean out the kext mess right now. Guess I did throw in entire folder contents back then...

 

[MiGri]

Thank you @P1LGRIM ! After cleaning out the files you mentioned, the pre-boot messages disappeared, which I took for a given.

 

[Edhawk]

Here is a revised EFI folder using Clover_r5120.

It should work with your Asus Z370 board, VEGA64 and i7-8700K CPU.

Try it in place of your current EFI and see what difference it makes. It should allow you to update your system from Mojave 10.14.6 to Catalina.

I have not included the Acronis or Microsoft folders that were present in your original EFI folder. Try booting without them in the first instance as they can be added to the EFI later as required.