macOS 10.13 beta stops installing with error "problem with firmware"

Well, Beta 7 results in same old same old.

However, based on this, it seems that I may likely not be able to

install any APFS based version that will boot, unless I rip apart my

late 2013 27" iMac and put an SSD in it:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208018

and may not be able to install at all on an external drive, even as HFS+?

If this is true, not a very happy camper

Beta 7 has fixed this in my case. I've a MacBook 2010 with a Samsung SSD, and Beta 6 had previously failed to install (I got "An error occurred while verifying firmware", despite getting the reassuring beep and flashing).

Beta 7 install went without error or extra dialogue, and it silently gave me a synthesised disk and APFS container (or something)... and now everything seems to work fine.

The recovery partition no longer shows up if I boot with the alt key down, but it's still there and works with the usual cmd-r boot option.

Bootcamp survived and works as before.

I can try to remember more details if anyone's any questions :-/

Data Point: If you have a Large drive and there is more than 1TB free the installer incorrectly thinks you are low on disk-space and installs with the "thin" installer. If you fill up the drive with an empty dmg files to get below 1TB free; you'll get the thick installer (which you can make a boot usb installer from). The thin will give you the firmware error in all my testing. The Thick one if you make a boot usb, then will get past that and install on the OWC Aura, but you still won't be able to use it because after the install subsequent boots the mac can't see Aura and you have to reformat and reinstall from scratch.

ANYONE FIX THIS - USING AN OWC SSD / 3RD PARTY SSD - TO INSTALL THE 10.13 BETA WITH NO 'FIRMWARE ERROR' ?

FWIW, I was able to install High Sierra Beta to a seperate partion

on my early 2011, 13', 2.7 GHz i7 Macbook Pro. Firmaware updated.

Installed High Sierra as APFS on that partition. Dual booting Sierra

and High Sierra Beta on that machine.

The install went without any issue and was installing from an external USB installer.

The drive was a 480GB Sandisk Ultra II SSD (replaced original HDD). So, atleast

with this machine and this drive it was smooth sailing.

My iMac is still a no go! Heard there is a beta 8, perhaps it will work but not

holding my breath.

Well beta 8 is same old same old firmware error!!!!!

Tried the install and got same issue.

Created a clone of Beta7 from another Mac in HFS+ format

(APFS won't boot). iMac booted and ran it just fine. Then the

MacApp Store notified me og=f the update to Beta8. Guess what?

Got and erro message saying it could not complete update and

left current install untouched! More firmware crap!

Does anyone in the world have any clue (or even care) on how to resolve

this issue or even determine why it is happening?

Beta 9 still no solution to firmware issue. Will it ever be fixed?

Does anyone even care?

Hi,

I have an iMac 27 "Mid 2010 and have tried to run High Siera GM as an update.

From the ia.log:

Sep 16 14:17:25 iMac OSInstaller[546]: System is a valid target.

Sep 16 14:17:25 iMac OSInstaller[546]: Evaluating SKDisk { BSD Name: disk19 Mount point: /private/var/tmp/InstallerCookies Role: kSKDiskRoleLegacyMacData Type: kSKDiskTypeHFS }

Sep 16 14:17:25 iMac OSInstaller[546]: untitled is a valid target.

Sep 16 14:17:26 iMac OSInstaller[546]: Package Authoring Error: PackageInfo bundle reference found without top-level bundle definition. Bundle will be skipped: <bundle id="*"></bundle>

Sep 16 14:17:26 iMac OSInstaller[546]: ROM Features returned: 3221263395

Sep 16 14:17:26 iMac OSInstaller[546]: ROM does not support APFS

Sep 16 14:17:26 iMac OSInstaller[546]: Clearing automation and attempting to rebless. source volume: SKDisk { BSD Name: disk0s2 Mount point: /Volumes/System Role: kSKDiskRoleLegacyMacSystem Type: kSKDiskTypeHFS } rebless: 7D650198-7A61-3AC1-BB5A-A043423FFCEC

Sep 16 14:17:26 iMac OSInstaller[546]: OSIInstallElement <OSIVerifyROMElement: 0x7f95f8c85a30> errored out:Error Domain=com.apple.osinstall Code=512 "Beim Überprüfen der Firmware ist ein Fehler aufgetreten." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Beim Überprüfen der Firmware ist ein Fehler aufgetreten.}

Sep 16 14:17:26 iMac storagekitd[547]: storagekitd: copyDiskForPath returned nil, error: -69808

Ok I did work around this error but it was a PITA.

Like many others I have one system with an OWC Aura upgrade and the install was failing with the firmware error. All other systems worked fine. Since it failed with the GM candidate I rolled up my sleaves here is the awful solution:"

1. Time machine backup Sierra install on the OWC 2 TB SSD
2. Open Mac Pro and remove OWC SSD and reinstall Factory SSD
3. Internet recovery boot CMD+R
4. Factory reset install of Yosemite on to the Facotry SSD
5. Do minimual user setup; and login into developer account and download the Beta Activator
6. Install High Sierra over the top of Yosemite; works perfect and firmware upgraded finally
7. After upgrade shutdown mac remove factory ssd and put in external enclosure; reinstall OWC Aura
8. Boot from the External Drive (containing factory ssd)
9. Erase all partitions on the OWC
10. Create a APFS case-insensitive volume on the Aura; and mount
11. Get the beta enable and run again.
12. Target the Install at the OWC Aura
13. High Sierra installs find now because the firmware upgrade is already on the hardware
14. Restore from Timemachine back (Don't bring over Other or System Settings)
15. Restore Crash/boots at the very end and boots into the Factory SSD
16. Manually Reboot and the system comes up as expected on the OWC Aura
17. Begin triage and clean up of the restore (including toggling (if usising) cloud keychain on and off to clear the upgrade corruption problem)

So it looks like what is need is a standalone version of the EFI firmware updating that isn't rolled in the Installer and that is compatible with the OWC drives if they are installed.

NOTE: Note removing the OWC Drive completely and attempting the same process failed every time; the drive had to be removed completely from the equation.

Hope this helps someone else. If you don't have the factory drive I think will will work from any external drive as long as the OWC Aura is pull from the computer until step 7

Did the same thing here as well for my OWC 4TB, since Apple seems to have excluded third party drives from the install, factory SDD, receieve the firmware upgrade, re-insert OWC 4TB, and resume with running the installer ...

I’be just encountered this error when trying to update my MacBook Pro to the GM seed. Anyone actually find an solution?

Have this error on MBP 13 2015 with original Apple SSD. Try to update from 10.12.6 with no luck. Log:

Sep 26 06:16:18 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: ROM Features returned: 4228117814

Sep 26 06:16:18 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: ROM does not support APFS

Sep 26 06:16:18 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: Clearing automation and attempting to rebless. source volume: SKDisk { BSD Name: disk0s2 Mount point: /Volumes/Macintosh HD Role: kSKDiskRoleLegacyMacSystem Type: kSKDiskTypeHFS } rebless: 46CC9562-A01E-3E91-8A8B-BDD957042114

Sep 26 06:16:18 MacBook-Pro OSInstaller[547]: OSIInstallElement <OSIVerifyROMElement: 0x7fbcb3f60ed0> errored out:Error Domain=com.apple.osinstall Code=512 "При проверке прошивки произошла ошибка." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=При проверке прошивки произошла ошибка.}

Sep 26 06:16:18 MacBook-Pro storagekitd[548]: storagekitd: copyDiskForPath returned nil, error: -69808

Hurray, so now I'm also a member of this (not so exclusive) club? For the first time after starting with Leopard?

Wow... Long disgusting beep on restart and then "error while verifying firmware". This is a Mid 2010 iMac. AFAIK it should be possible to install. And I installed the app store version....

I have a Mac Pro (2013) with an OWC Aura 4TB SSD drive, and had similar problems with upgrading. It appeared that during the installation process, the computer would hit a point (I guess where it was trying to install the firmware upgrade), and would reboot about a dozen times before giving up.

I did manage to successfully install High Sierra by doing the following:

1. Create a bootable USB flash drive (I used a separate 16gb flash drive) with High Sierra on it.

2. Uninstall the OWC Aura 4TB SSD drive. Reinstall the old (in my case, 1TB) flash drive that came out of the Mac Pro.

3. Erase and reformat the 1TB flash drive using Mac OS Extended (Journaled). (This seemed to be a key point; originally I formatted as an APFS, but the installer failed. Reformatting as an Mac OS Extended (Journal) drive did the trick. Note that I had to reformat my old 1TB flash drive because I had been using it as a Time Machine backup drive.)
4. Do a fresh Mac OS High Sierra install on the 1TB flash drive.
5. Once complete, shut down, swap the 1TB flash with the OWC Aura 4TB SSD drive, boot from the flash drive and run install.

After following these steps, I now have MacOS High Sierra running on my system, and I didn't have to reformat or reload my data from my Time Machine backup.

Note that after doing this, I'm still running the MacOS Extended (Journaled) formatted drive on my OWC Aura, rather than APFS. I'm going to wait until another complete backup is performed before I attempt to conver the drive to APFS. (Or maybe I won't; I'm a little nervous given the other comments here.)

To convert the OWC SSD raid to APFS, you'll have to erase the drive, that I'll not be doing if Apple can't do this as part of the install why should I risk it myself ...

Hardware: MacbookAir6,1 with an Aura 1TB SSD upgrde

OS: Fully patched Sierra 10.12.6

highSierra upgrade: Fails with firmware check

I talked to OWS support and their suggestion as to what’s worked for some is to replace the Aura with the original Apple SSD, upgrade that, swap SSDs back to the Aura and then you should be able to upgrade it. The OWS tech said that the upgrade on the Apple SSD would upgrade the EFI so it would then work with the Aura.

I still have my Apple SSD with Sierra on it. I’m going to try this path tomorrow.

Had this error with the new release of High Sierra.

Solution was to restart in Safe Mode (hold shift while restarting) and then starting the update. No problem with new file system - on system drive Apple_APFS was installed whereas and Bootcamp NTFS file system as well as on the Optibay ExFAT were kept intact.

High Sierra works fine so far (48hrs)

MBP mid 2010 with Samsung SSD and Optibay (Kingston SSD).

Did anyone post to bug reporter to see if they know about this

Huge thanks. This helped me.

Background: MacbookPro8,3 17-inch Late 2011 with OWC SSD and data-doubler (no optical drive - original HDD moved to SuperDrive spot).

Unsuccessful try: Used USB installer but eventually got "problem with firmware". After 2 or three tries, restored back to Sierra from Time Machine Backup

Successful try:

1. Downloaded High Sierra again onto hard drive (even though I already had USB with High Sierra).
2. Rebooted into Safe Mode
3. Launched "Install High Sierra" application while in safe boot mode.
4. Install went without any hitch.

Hope that helps.

OK. I just installed the 10.13.1 beta, and it installed fine, even though the official release of the 10.13 OS fails with the "firmware" issue.

I think I know what's happening.

Apple added an "anti-hackintosh" measure to the RC and release builds of 10.13. It must have not been in the betas (probably because they didn't want to tip their hand).

I have a first-gen MacBookPro TouchBar 15".

The anti-hackintosh measure sniffs firmware, and will put up alerts if it sees what it considers "bad" firmware.

I suspect that it didn't whitelist the ASICs that Apple used for some of its computers. I think they source the chips from a lot of places.

This approach worked for me as well. Thanks!

Background: MacbookPro 6,2 15-inch mid 2010 with aftermarket Samsung 850 EVO SSD. After downloading High Sierra from Mac App Store, tried several times to upgrade but each time received an unable to verify firmware during the installation process. Verified that firmware was up to date and started researching options.

Successful try:

1. Rebooted into Safe Mode
2. Launched "Install High Sierra" application while in safe boot mode.
3. Install wtook approximately 1 hour, rebooted several times during the process but upgraded without any apparent issues.
4. Verified via About This Mac that the file system was updated to APFS

How did you download the 10.13.1 beta?

Neither the DeveloperBetaAccessUtility nor the PublicBetaAccessUtility shows me the 10.13.1 beta.
It just opens the empty Updates Section in App Store.

I'm on latest Sierra btw.

Well, first, I'm a paid registered Apple developer. If you are this (you can get this, I think, without the $99/year, but not sure about what it allows for downloads).

That allows me to see the downloads for prerelease in the "Downloads" section of the dev site. Developers will see these betas before John Q. Public.

However, since I had already downloaded the pre-10.13 beta, I was automatically informed of the new beta in the App Store (the mechanism is that the beta page downloads a certificate that unlocks a capability of the app store).

I was NOT on the latest Sierra because the installer no like my firmware. I was actually on the last beta.

Yes, I'm a registered Dev. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to download the DeveloperBetaAccessUtility 🙂

After the Access Utility finishes the installation it opens the "Updates" Section in the App Store. But there are no Updates available.

So you had already installed a 10.13 beta?

I tried to install every single beta AND of course the stable version of 10.13 but it always ended in the firmware error.

Hmmm... So you’re a paid developer, and can’t get this?

That’s weird. My account is an organizational one, but that should make no difference, here.

I Just went to my downloads page, and it’s there: Mac OS 10.13.1 beta.

I was able to install all my betas without the firmware issue. It started with RC1.

That’s what makes me think it’s the “hackintosh killer” code.

On another note, I had a post rejected by the mods, in which I pasted a chat transcript with Apple Support, in which the rep. insisted that my problem was that I had a fusion drive.

On a MacBook Pro TouchBar 15 inch.

Yeah, that was a bit embarassing. I can understand why they nuked the post.