System Upgrade to High Sierra - firmware update backwards compatible to Mavericks?

[tonwurm]

I have a dual boot system with an internal SSD on which OSX Sierra is located and another internal SSD with Mavericks.

I would like to upgrade Sierra to High Sierra now. The upgrade, however, requires a firmware update of my Mac Pro 5.1 (it´s a flashed 4,1 from 2009). Can someone tell me here in the forum, whether the Mac can still start after the firmware update from Mavericks? I still need Mavericks to launch Pro Tools 10 HD.

Thanks in advance for every tip.

[musicman691]

The firmware update won't interfere with being able to dual-boot. Let me understand: your machine currently is flashed to act as a 5.1 right? You do know that going to High Sierra will also change the formatting on any internal ssd's to APFS.


Until a couple of weeks ago I ran a dual-boot on the same ssd: one partition for Mavericks and one for High Sierra. Before I went to HS that partition was Sierra. When I went to HS I installed it onto the Sierra partition and that was the only partition that changed to APFS formatting. The other partition stayed the old Mac format. So your Mavericks ssd shouldn't be affected. If you're really worried about things pull the Mavericks ssd before going to HS on the Sierra drive.

[Ben Jenssen]

Originally Posted by musicman691

You do know that going to High Sierra will also change the formatting on any internal ssd's to APFS.

I'm not so shure about that. I recently found a hacked HS installer and patch online, that I used on my mac pro 3.1, and that HS drive is still Mac OS Extended (...) format. I installed on top of Sierra, so it's no wonder. Works just fine.

[Southsidemusic]

Last month We ran the Apple store combo from Sierra to HS and the Trashcan internal SSD now say APFS so are you sure that version you installed did the whole job?

I also updated a older 2015 MBP last night from Sierra to HS and same with that SSD Drive which was MacOS Extended Journaled and now APFS.

[Ben Jenssen]

Originally Posted by Southsidemusic

Last month We ran the Apple store combo from Sierra to HS and the Trashcan internal SSD now say APFS so are you sure that version you installed did the whole job?
I also updated a older 2015 MBP last night from Sierra to HS and same with that SSD Drive which was MacOS Extended Journaled and now APFS.

I'm quite shure. About this mac:
Skjermbilde 2019-12-07 kl. 21.11.28.png

Disk Utilities:
Skjermbilde 2019-12-07 kl. 21.11.28.png


Like I said, I installed HS on top of Sierra. There was no formatting of drive. Wouldn't there be a re-format to change file systems? And the installer would have to shuffle all your data first and format and copy back? I don't know.
All I know is I have High Sierra running wonderfully on my ancient 3,1. Not "flashed". And no APFS.

[Southsidemusic]

That is what we did aswell. Ran HS over Sierra and the internal drive is now a APFS format on both my older MBP and one of our trashcans we did a few weeks ago. When checking about this mac it says 10.13.6 and SSD drive is now AFPS and not Mac OS Journaled. No reformatting of any drives. Just ran the installer and then it was done. I know as I did this for once and not any of our interns or one of my brothers who are super techs

Maybe it is because it says SATA on your drive as our 3 trashcans has much faster internal drive bridge but I dont know about that stuff. Just that that HS Trashcan says the same as our two other trashcans with Mojave on them.

Think I read somewhere you needed a newer Mac and SSD drives for the APFS to work.

[tonwurm]

thank you for trying to help me and thank you to everyone else in this thread too ... very appreciated !

Originally Posted by musicman691

The firmware update won't interfere with being able to dual-boot. Let me understand: your machine currently is flashed to act as a 5.1 right?....

yes, it´s flashed to act as a 5,1

Originally Posted by musicman691

Until a couple of weeks ago I ran a dual-boot on the same ssd: one partition for Mavericks and one for High Sierra. Before I went to HS that partition was Sierra. When I went to HS I installed it onto the Sierra partition and that was the only partition that changed to APFS formatting. .....

are you still able to read files on the HS partition if you´ve booted from the Mavericks partition ?

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by tonwurm

thank you for trying to help me and thank you to everyone else in this thread too ... very appreciated !



yes, it´s flashed to act as a 5,1



are you still able to read files on the HS partition if you´ve booted from the Mavericks partition ?

I could if I had to but I really didn't have to do that. Don't know why I would have to do that anyways - my PT session files are on a separate internal spinner. I don't have that setup anymore as I'm down to a single High Sierra partition. As detailed in another thread the only reason I even had the Mavericks partition was so I could run NI's B4II and Pro 53. I have other vi's that cover those instruments so I dumped the Mavericks partition. I did have PT 10.3.1 on that partition but I hadn't used that PT in a dog's age. I opened up all my PT10 sessions in PT 11.3.2 and worked from there.

[tonwurm]

Originally Posted by musicman691

I could if I had to but I really didn't have to do that. Don't know why I would have to do that anyways - my PT session files are on a separate internal spinner. I don't have that setup anymore as I'm down to a single High Sierra partition. As detailed in another thread the only reason I even had the Mavericks partition was so I could run NI's B4II and Pro 53. I have other vi's that cover those instruments so I dumped the Mavericks partition. I did have PT 10.3.1 on that partition but I hadn't used that PT in a dog's age. I opened up all my PT10 sessions in PT 11.3.2 and worked from there.

okay ... thanks for the info

I have my huge music library on the Sierra drive since it´s way larger than the mavericks drive. So I hope I can access it under mavericks... we will see ;-)

edit: my PT projects are on an extra drive, of course

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by tonwurm

okay ... thanks for the info

I have my huge music library on the Sierra drive since it´s way larger than the mavericks drive. So I hope I can access it under mavericks... we will see ;-)

edit: my PT projects are on an extra drive, of course

I still put my samples on their own drive. Would never want to mix system stuff and samples and session on the same drive. Makes maintenance easier for me with things on separate drives. Also if the system drive takes a dump I still have access to my samples. You may want to think about that.