10.13 High Sierra Archives - Page 2 of 4

How To Regenerate a New FileVault 2 Personal Recovery Key (PRK)

MrMacintosh.com - How To regenerate a FileVault 2 Personal Recovery Key. — How To reissue a FileVault 2 Personal Recovery Key

It’s good practice to have a backup of important things in your life. You wouldn’t only keep one set of keys to your house or car. The same goes for your FV2 Encrypted Mac. The FileVault Personal Recovery Key is your backup key to your Mac. If your account password is not working or if you can’t remember the password, the Recovery Key will be the only way to get to your data.

Two Different Types of FileVault 2 Recovery Keys

When encrypting your Mac, you have two different types recovery key options.

(PRK) Personal Recovery Key – Every Mac has a unique Recovery Key.
(IRK) Institutional Recovery Key – One Recovery Key for every Mac

While it may be convenient to have one key for every Mac, having a Institutional Recovery Key is like having a Master Key to an Apartment Complex. If that key is stolen or lost, the bad guy has a key to every single apartment unit. The same thing goes for the (IRK) if one user has the key, it’s known for every single Mac.

The PRK is the way to go, as each Mac has a unique key.

I previously wrote about how to use the PRK to recover data from a Mac using Target Disk Mode.

https://mrmacintosh.com/filevault-2-target-disk-mode-unlock-using-the-personal-recovery-key/

Why Would Would I Need to Change my Personal Recovery Key?

Here are a few reasons why you might need to reissue or generate a new FileVault 2 Personal Recovery Key.

1. The Computer Record was deleted from your MDM.
2. The MDM Recovery Key Entry is corrupted.
3. The Recovery Key is not working.
4. The PRK is given to a user and you want to cycle and protect it.
5. The PRK user is missing, or the ? mark is not showing at FV2 login.
6. If you need to reenroll a Mac into a different MDM.

A good example of #2 is when Jamf Pro 10.7.1 screwed up the recovery key display in every computer record. This defect was fixed in Jamf Pro 10.10.

https://www.jamf.com/jamf-nation/discussions/31910/filevault-2-personal-recovery-key-issue

Reissue the FileVault 2 Recovery Key with FV2 Enabled Username and Password

To generate a new FileVault 2 Personal Recovery Key we will be using the fdesetup binary.

First you can check to see if your Mac is using a PRK or IRK.

sudo fdesetup haspersonalrecoverykey = true or false

sudo fdesetup hasinstitutionalrecoverykey= true or false

Now we can change the recovery key using username and password.

sudo fdesetup changerecovery -personal

Enter the user name:mrmacintosh

Enter the password for user 'mrmacintosh':

New personal recovery key = 'Z5V7-K464-PEVT-09OX-Q2EW-8FO8'

This works for 10.13 – 10.15

Reissue the FileVault 2 Recovery Key using the Current Personal Recovery Key (PRK)

Staring in 10.14, you can now use the current Personal Recovery Key to generate a new PRK.

You will be using the UUID of the Personal Recovery User and the current PRK as the password.

Find the UUID of the Personal Recovery Key User

sudo fdesetup list -extended

ESCROW UUID TYPE USER

0A1BCDC3-49BD-4E00-B741-813E143AD1E2 OS User mrmacintosh

EBC6C064-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC Personal Recovery Record

Note: The UUID of the Personal Recovery User is the same very every FV2 Encrypted Mac.

Let’s change it.

sudo fdesetup changerecovery -personal

Enter the user name:EBC6C064-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC

Enter the password for user 'EBC6C064-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC':

New personal recovery key = 'Z5V7-K464-PEVT-09OX-Q2EW-8FO8'

For the password field, all we need to do is enter in the current FV2 PRK.

NOTE: If you want to send the Recovery Key to Jamf Pro, you need to run Recon twice.

Running commands are great for 1 or 2 Macs, but what if I have to fix more than that?

The guys at HCS Technology Group wrote up an excellent article showing us how to create a policy for this. The policy will search for all Macs that do not have a valid recovery key and will remediate with a script kicked off by a Jamf Policy.

https://hcsonline.com/images/PDFs/Jamf_Recovery_key_Filevault.pdf

Credits

Hat Tip goes out to Johan McGwire aka yohan on #MacAdmins. He brought up the 2nd way to reissue the Personal Recovery Key with the current PRK. Johan the expert behind the following projects. Check them out!

Also HCS Technology Group, I can’t say enough about these guys. They have written some of the best MacAdmins guides available today!

Get the full list HCS White Papers, visit this link.

http://hcsonline.com/support/white-papers.

Follow them on Twitter! https://twitter.com/HCSTechnology

Can I Upgrade or Downgrade macOS? Every Mac From 2006-2020

MrMacintosh.com - Can I upgrade or downgrade macOS? What is the minimum or maximum macOS Version my Mac can run? A full index of every Mac from 2006-2020 — What is the minimum and maximum macOS Version my Mac can run?

Do you need to downgrade or upgrade macOS on your Mac? This page will show you the oldest and newest version of macOS that you can install on your Mac.

Can I upgrade or downgrade macOS? How many times has this question come up over the years? Probably hundreds if not thousands of times. Mac Hardware has a minimum and maximum version of macOS that can be installed. MacOS versions that come before or after the minimum and maximum listed OS do not have the correct drivers required. At a certain point Apple will decide that a Mac is no longer supported and will not include drivers.

Internet Recovery Version

If your Mac supports Internet Recovery, you can use this guide to find out which version of macOS you will get using the following options.

Newest OS – Option-⌘-R

This option will be the newest or latest version of macOS that can be installed on your Mac.

Shipping OS (Oldest OS Available) – Shift-Option-⌘-R

The “Shipping OS Version” is the macOS version that your Mac originally shipped with from the factory. This is the IR Version that you will see if you use Shift-Option-⌘-R.

NOTE! The “Shipping OS can change to a newer OS release as the hardware gets older. An example of this is a MacBook Pro released with 10.13 but later is shipped with 10.14.

Fun Hardware Info

As of 5/1/321, Apple has released over 150 different Intel Model Identifiers.

Most Supported Mac =

MacBookPro9,1 (15-inch Mid 2012) – 10.7.3 – 10.15 = 9 OS Versions

Least Supported Mac =

MacBook1,1 (13-inch Core Duo 2006) – 10.4.6 – 10.6.8 = 3 OS Versions

Updates

In the future when Apple releases new hardware or OS, I will update this page. You can keep track of future updates from my Twitter Account @ClassicII_MrMac using the hashtag –

#UpgradeorDowngradeMacOS

Index of Intel-Based Mac Hardware From (2006-2020)

1. MacBook Pro – (2006-2020)
2. MacBook Air – (2008-2020)
3. MacBook – (2006-2017)
4. Mac Pro – (2006-2019)
5. iMac – (2006-2020)
6. iMac Pro – (2017)
7. Mac Mini – (2006-2018)
8. Xserve – (2006-2009)

1. MacBook Pro (2006-2020)

The MacBook Pro was introduced by Steve Jobs at Macworld Conference & Expo on January 10th, 2006. The MacBook Pro has seen five redesigns over the last 15 years. Starting with Gen 1 (2006-2008), Gen 2 Unibody (2008-2012), Gen 3 Retina (2012-2015), Gen 4 Touch Bar (2016-2019) & Gen 5 16″ Scissor (2019).

Model Identifier	Machine Model	T1 T2	Ship OS	Oldest OS	Latest OS
MacBookPro16,2	(13-inch 2020)	T2	10.15.4	10.15 >	11.0 >
MacBookPro16,2	(13-inch 2020)	T2	10.15.4	10.15 >	11.0 >
MacBookPro16,1	(16-inch Late 2019)	T2	10.15.1	10.15 >	11.0 >
MacBookPro15,4	(13-inch Mid 2019)	T2	10.14.5	10.14.6	11.0 >
MacBookPro15,1	(15-inch 2019)	T2	10.14.5	10.14.6	11.0 >
MacBookPro15,3	(15-inch 2019 Vega)	T2	10.14.5	10.14.6	11.0 >
MacBookPro15,3	(15″ Mid 2018 Vega)	T2	10.14.1	10.14.6	11.0 >
MacBookPro15,2	(13-inch Mid 2018)	T2	10.13.6	10.13.6	11.0 >
MacBookPro15,1	(15-inch Mid 2018)	T2	10.13.6	10.13.6	11.0 >
MacBookPro14,3	(15-inch Mid 2017)	T1	10.12.5	10.12.6	11.0 >
MacBookPro14,2	(13-inch Mid 2017)	T1	10.12.5	10.12.6	11.0 >
MacBookPro14,1	(13-inch Mid 2017)	T1	10.12.5	10.12.6	11.0 >
MacBookPro13,3	(15-inch Late 2016)	T1	10.12.1	10.12.6	11.0 >
MacBookPro13,2	(13-inch Late 2016)	T1	10.12.1	10.12.6	11.0 >
MacBookPro13,1	(15-inch Late 2016)	T1	10.12.1	10.12.6	11.0 >
MacBookPro11,5	(15-inch Mid 2015)		10.10.3	10.10.5	11.0 >
MacBookPro11,4	(15-inch Mid 2015)		10.10.3	10.10.5	11.0 >
MacBookPro12,1	(13-inch Early 2015)		10.10.2	10.10.5	11.0 >
MacBookPro11,3	(15-inch Mid 2014)		10.9.4	10.9.5	11.0 >
MacBookPro11,2	(15-inch Late 2013)		10.9.0	10.9.5	11.0 >
MacBookPro11,1	(13-inch Late 2013)		10.9.0	10.9.5	11.0 >
MacBookPro10,2	(13-inch Early 2013)		10.8.2	10.8.5	10.15 >
MacBookPro10,1	(15-inch Early 2013)		10.8.2	10.8.5	10.15 >
MacBookPro10,2	(13-inch Ret 2012)		10.7.4	10.7.5	10.15 >
MacBookPro10.1	(15-inch Ret 2012)		10.7.4	10.7.5	10.15 >
MacBookPro9,2	(13-inch Mid 2012)		10.7.3	10.7.5	10.15 >
MacBookPro9,1	(15-inch Mid 2012)		10.7.3	10.7.5	10.15 >
MacBookPro8,3	(17-inch Late 2011)		10.7.2	10.7.5	10.13.6
MacBookPro8,2	(15-inch Late 2011)		10.7.2	10.7.5	10.13.6
MacBookPro8,1	(13-inch Late 2011)		10.7.2	10.7.5	10.13.6
MacBookPro8,3	(17-inch Early 2011)		10.6.6	10.6.6*	10.13.6
MacBookPro8,2	(15-inch Early 2011)		10.6.6	10.6.6*	10.13.6
MacBookPro8,1	(13-inch Early 2011)		10.6.6	10.6.6*	10.13.6
MacBookPro7,1	(13-inch Mid 2010)		10.6.3	10.6.3*	10.13.6
MacBookPro6,2	(15-inch Mid 2010)		10.6.3	10.6.3*	10.13.6
MacBookPro6,1	(17-inch Early 2010)		10.6.3	10.6.3*	10.12.6
MacBookPro5,5	(13-inch Mid 2009)		10.5.7	10.5.7*	10.11.6
MacBookPro5,4	(15-inch Mid 2009)		10.5.7	10.5.7*	10.11.6
MacBookPro5,3	(15-inch Mid 2009)		10.5.7	10.5.7*	10.11.6
MacBookPro5,2	(17-inch Early 2009)		10.5.6	10.5.6*	10.11.6
MacBookPro5,1	(15-inch Late 2008)		10.5.5	10.5.5*	10.11.6
MacBookPro5,1	(17-inch Late 2008)		10.5.5	10.5.5*	10.11.6
MacBookPro4,1	(15-inch Early 2008)		10.5.2	10.5.2*	10.11.6
MacBookPro4,1	(17-inch Early 2008)		10.5.2	10.5.2*	10.11.6
MacBookPro3,1	(15-inch Late 2007)		10.4.9	10.4.9*	10.11.6
MacBookPro3,1	(17-inch Late 2007)		10.4.9	10.4.9*	10.11.6
MacBookPro2,2	(15-inch Late 2006)		10.4.8	10.4.8*	10.7.5
MacBookPro2,1	(17-inch Late 2006)		10.4.8	10.4.8*	10.7.5
MacBookPro1,2	(17-inch 2006)		10.4.5	10.4.5*	10.6.8
MacBookPro1,1	(15-inch 2006)		10.4.5	10.4.5*	10.6.8
*Available on	Reinstall DVD or CD

2. MacBook Air (2008-2020)

The MacBook Air was first introduced at Macworld San Fransisco by Steve Jobs on January 15th, 2008. For the 1st Generation from 2008-2010 the screen size was or a 13.3″ and included a Intel Core 2 Duo Processor. The Second Generation introduced in 2010 added an 11″ version. From 2017 on you could only get the 13″ Model. The 3rd Generation 13-inch MacBook Air was released in 2018.

Model Identifier	Machine Model	T1 T2	Ship OS	Oldest OS	Latest OS
MacBookAir9,1	(Retina, 13-inch, 2020)	T2	10.15.3	10.15>	10.15>
MacBookAir8,2	(Retina, 13-inch, 2019)	T2	10.14.5	10.14.6	10.15>
MacBookAir8,1	(Retina, 13-inch, 2018)	T2	10.14.1	10.14.6	10.15>
MacBookAir7,2	(Mid 2017)		10.12.6	10.12.6	10.15>
MacBookAir7,2	(13-inch Early 2015)		10.10.2	10.10.5	10.15>
MacBookAir7,1	(11-inch Early 2015)		10.10.2	10.10.5	10.15>
MacBookAir6,2	(13-inch Early 2014)		10.10.2	10.10.5	10.15>
MacBookAir6,1	(11-inch Mid 2013)		10.8.4	10.8.5	10.15 >
MacBookAir6,2	(13-inch Mid 2013 )		10.8.4	10.8.5	10.15 >
MacBookAir6,1	(11-inch Mid 2012)		10.7.4	10.7.5	10.15 >
MacBookAir5,2	(13″ EDU Mid 2012)		10.8.2	10.8.5	10.15 >
MacBookAir5,2	13-inch Mid 2012)		10.7.4	10.7.4*	10.15>
MacBookAir5,1	(11-inch Mid 2012)		10.7.4	10.7.4*	10.15 >
MacBookAir4,2	(13″ EDU Mid 2012)		10.7.3	10.7.4*	10.15 >
MacBookAir4,1	(11-inch Mid 2012)		10.7	10.7.4*	10.15 >
MacBookAir3,2	(13-inch Late 2010)		10.6.4	10.6.4*	10.13.6
MacBookAir3,1	(11-inch Late 2010)		10.6.4	10.6.4*	10.13.6
MacBookAir2,1	(13-inch Mid 2009)		10.5.7	10.5.7	10.11.6
MacBookAir2,1	(13-inch Late 2008)		10.5.5	10.5.5	10.11.6
MacBookAir1,1	(13-inch Early 2008)		10.5.1	10.5.1	10.11.6
*USB Installer

3. MacBook – (2006-2017)

This Section covers the original 2006 13-inch MacBook all the way to the 2017 12″ Version. The MacBook has seen 4 different designs since 2006. Gen 1 Polycarbonate (2006-2008), Gen 2 Aluminum Unibody (2008-2009). Gen 3 Polycarbonate Unibody (2009-2010) & Gen 4 12″ USB-C (2015-2017).

Model Identifier	Machine Model	Ship OS	Oldest OS	Latest OS
MacBook10,1	(Mid 2017)	10.12.5	10.12.6	10.15 >
MacBook9,1	(Early 2016)	10.11.4	10.11.6	10.15 >
MacBook8,1	(Early 2015)	10.10.2	10.10.6	10.15 >
MacBook7,1	(Unibody Mid 2010)	10.6.3	10.6.3 DVD	10.11.6
MacBook6,1	(Unibody Late 2009)	10.6.1	10.6.1 DVD	10.13.6
MacBook5,2	(White Mid 2009)	10.5.7	10.5.7 DVD	10.11.6
MacBook5,2	(13-inch C2D Early 2009)	10.5.6	10.5.6 DVD	10.11.6
MacBook5,1	(13-inch C2D Late 2008 Aluminum)	10.5.5	10.5.5 DVD	10.11.6
MacBook4,1	(13-inch C2D Early 2008)	10.5.2	10.5.2 DVD	10.7.5
MacBook3,1	(13-inch C2D Late 2007)	10.5	10.5 DVD	10.7.5
MacBook2,1	(13-inch C2D Mid 2007)	10.4.9	10.4.9 DVD	10.7.5
MacBook2,1	(13-inch C2D Late 2006)	10.4.8	10.4.8 DVD	10.7.5
MacBook1,1	(13-inch Core Duo 2006)	10.4.6	10.4.6 DVD	10.6.8

4. Mac Pro – (2006-2019)

The Mac Pro was first introduced at WWDC on August 7, 2006. It has seen 3 Generations from 2006-2019. Gen 1 “Cheese Grater” V1 (2006-2012), Gen 2 “Trash Can” (2013) & Gen 3 “Cheese Grater” V2 (2019).

Model Identifier	Machine Model	T1 T2	Ship OS	Oldest OS	Latest OS
MacPro7,1	(2019)	T2	10.5.1	10.15 >	10.15 >
MacPro6,1	(Late 2013)	NA	10.9.1	10.9.5	10.15 >
MacPro5,1	(2012 Server)	NA	10.7.4	10.7.5	10.14.6*
MacPro5,1	(Mid 2010)	NA	10.6.4	10.6.4 DVD	10.14.6*
MacPro4,1	(Nehalem 2009)	NA	10.5.6	10.6.6 DVD	10.11.6
MacPro3,1	(Eight Core 2008)	NA	10.5.1	10.5.1 DVD	10.11.6
MacPro2,1	(Eight Core 2007)	NA	10.4.9	10.4.9 DVD	10.7.5
MacPro1,1	(Quad Core 2006)	NA	10.4.7	10.4.7 DVD	10.7.5
*Metal Graphics	Video Card Required

5. iMac – (2006-2019)

The iMac was first introduced at an Apple Special Event at the Flint Center, Cupertino on May 6, 1998 by Steve Jobs. The First Intel Based iMac was introduced at Macworld Conference and Expo on January 10, 2006 by Steve Jobs. It has seen seven different designs since 1998.

Model Identifier	Machine Model	Ship OS	Oldest OS	Latest OS
iMac20,2	(5K, 2020; 5700/XT)	10.15.6	10.15.6	10.15>
iMac20,1	(27-Inch 5K, 2020)	10.15.6	10.15.6	10.15>
iMac19,2	(21.5-Inch 4k, 2019)	10.14.4	10.14.6	10.15 >
iMac19,1	(27-Inch 5k, 2019)	10.14.4	10.14.6	10.15 >
iMac18,3	(27-Inch 5k Mid-2017)	10.12.4	10.12.6	10.15 >
iMac18,2	(21.5-Inch 4k Mid-2017)	10.12.4	10.12.6	10.15 >
iMac18,1	(21.5-Inch Mid-2017)	10.12.4	10.12.6	10.15 >
iMac17,1	(27-Inch 5k, Late 2015)	10.11	10.11.6	10.15 >
iMac16,2	(21.5-Inch 4k. Late 2015)	10.11	10.11.6	10.15 >
iMac16,2	(21.5-Inch Late 2015)	10.11	10.11.6	10.15 >
iMac16,1	(21.5-Inch Late 2015)	10.11	10.11.6	10.15 >
iMac15,1	(27-Inch 5K, Mid-2015)	10.10.2	10.10.5	10.15 >
iMac15,1	(27-Inch 5k, Late 2014)	10.10	10.10.5	10.15 >
iMac14,4	(21.5-inch Mid 2014)	10.9.3	10.9.5	10.15 >
iMac14,3	(21.5-inch Late 2013)	10.8.4	10.8.5	10.15 >
iMac14,2	(27-inch Late 2013)	10.8.4	10.8.5	10.15 >
iMac14,1	(21.5-inch Late 2013)	10.8.4	10.8.5	10.15 >
iMac13,2	(27-Inch Late 2012)	10.8.2	10.8.5	10.15 >
iMac13,1	(21.5-inch Late 2012)	10.8.2	10.8.5	10.15 >
iMac12,1	(21.5-inch Late 2011)	10.7.2	10.7.5	10.13.6
iMac12,2	(27-inch Mid 2011)	10.6.6	10.6.6 DVD	10.13.6
iMac12,1	(21.5-inch Mid 2011)	10.6.6	10.6.6 DVD	10.13.6
iMac11,3	(27-inch Mid 2010)	10.6.3	10.6.3 DVD	10.13.6
iMac11,2	(21.5-inch Mid 2010)	10.6.3	10.6.3 DVD	10.13.6
iMac11,1	(27-inch Late 2009)	10.6.2	10.6.2 DVD	10.13.6
iMac10,1	(21.5-inch Late 2009)	10.6.1	10.6.1 DVD	10.13.6
iMac10,1	(27-inch Late 2009)	10.6.1	10.6.1 DVD	10.13.6
iMac9,1	(20-inch Mid 2009 EDU)	10.5.8	10.5.8 DVD	10.11.6
iMac9,1	(24-inch Early 2009)	10.5.6	10.5.6 DVD	10.11.6
iMac9,1	(20-inch Early 2009)	10.5.6	10.5.6 DVD	10.11.6
iMac8,1	(24-inch Early 2008)	10.5.2	10.5.2 DVD	10.11.6
iMac8,1	(20-inch Early 2008)	10.5.2	10.5.2 DVD	10.11.6
iMac7,1	(24-inch Mid 2007)	10.4.10	10.4.10 DVD	10.11.6
iMac7,1	(20-inch Mid 2007)	10.4.10	10.4.10 DVD	10.11.6
iMac6,1	(24-inch Late 2006)	10.4.7	10.4.7 DVD	10.7.5
iMac5,2	(17-inch Late 2006)	10.4.7	10.4.7 DVD	10.7.5
iMac5,1	(20-inch Late 2006)	10.4.7	10.4.7 DVD	10.7.5
iMac5,1	(17-inch Late 2006)	10.4.7	10.4.7 DVD	10.7.5
iMac4,2	(17-inch Mid 2006)	10.4.7	10.4.7 DVD	10.6.8
iMac4,1	(20-inch Early 2006)	10.4.4	10.4.4 DVD	10.6.8
iMac4,1	(17-inch Early 2006)	10.4.4	10.4.4 DVD	10.6.8

6. iMac Pro (2018)

The iMac Pro was introduced at WWDC on June 5, 2017.

Model Identifier	Machine Model	T2	Ship OS	Oldest OS	Latest OS
iMacPro1,1	(5k, 27-inch Late 2017)	T2	10.13.2	10.13.6	10.15 >

7. Mac Mini – (2006 -2018)

On January 10, 2005, the Mac mini was announced at the Macworld Conference & Expo by Steve Jobs. He said at the time the Mac Mini was “the cheapest, most affordable Mac ever”. The Intel Version was announced on February 28, 2006.

Model Identifier	Machine Model	T1 T2	Shipping OS	Oldest OS	Latest OS
Macmini8,1	(Late 2018)	T2	10.14	10.14.6	10.15 >
Macmini7,1	(Late 2014)	NA	10.10	10.10.5	10.15 >
Macmini6,2	(Late 2012 Server)	NA	10.8.2	10.8.5	10.15 >
Macmini6,2	(Late 2012)	NA	10.8.1	10.8.5	10.15 >
Macmini6,1	(Late 2012)	NA	10.8.1	10.8.5	10.15 >
Macmini5,3	(Mid 2011 Server)	NA	10.7	10.7.5	10.13.6
Macmini5,2	(Mid 2011)	NA	10.7	10.7.5	10.13.6
Macmini5,1	(Mid 2011)	NA	10.7	10.7.5	10.13.6
Macmini4,1	(Mid 2010 Server)	NA	10.6.4	10.6.4 DVD	10.13.6
Macmini4,1	(Mid 2010)	NA	10.6.4	10.6.4 DVD	10.13.6
Macmini3,1	(Late 2009 Server)	NA	10.6.1	10.6.1 DVD	10.11.6
Macmini3,1	(Late 2009)	NA	10.6.1	10.6.1 DVD	10.11.6
Macmini3,1	(Early 2009)	NA	10.5.6	10.5.6 DVD	10.11.6
Macmini2,1	(Mid 2007)	NA	10.4.10	10.4.10 DVD	10.7.5
Macmini1,1	(Late 2006)	NA	10.4.7	10.4.7 DVD	10.6.8
Macmini1,1	(Early 2006)	NA	10.4.5	10.4.5 DVD	10.6.8

8. Xserve – (2006-2009)

I almost forgot about Xserve. How could I forget about one of my favorite most reliable Macs ever created? The Xserve was introduced on May 14, 2002. The First Generation was based on a G4 Processor. The 2nd Generation was based on the G5 and the 3rd and final Generation was based on Intel’s Xeon Processor.

Model Identifier	Machine Model	Shipping OS	Oldest OS	Latest OS
Xserve3,1	(Quad Core Early 2009)	10.5.6 Server	10.5.6 Server DVD	10.11.6
Xserve2,1	(Eight Core Early 2008)	10.5 Server	10.5.0 Server DVD	10.7.5
Xserve1,1	(Quad Core Late 2006)	10.4.8 Server	10.4.8 Server DVD	10.7.5

If you have information for this page or find an error, please Contact Me.

Thank You!

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2020-002 Update Causes Some Macs to Freeze When Using HW Accelerated Video

MrMacintosh.com - Some Intel GPU Only Based Macs are Freezing / Crashing while using Hardware Acceleration for Video After Installing the 2020-002 Security Update for 10.14 and 10.13. — *Some Intel GPU Only Based MacBooks Airs are Freezing / Crashing while using Video Conf apps like Zoom After installing the 2020-002 Security updates.*

After Apple Released the 2020-002 Security Updates, some users started to report that their Mac would would freeze up when using GPU Hardware Accelerated apps or video.

UPDATE 05/26/20 – Apple has just released the 2020-003 Security Update for macOS Mojave 10.14 and High Sierra 10.13. Please let me know if the new update fixes the issue for you!!!

UPDATE 05/18/20 – On Friday I tested Zoom client v4.6.8 on a 2017 MacBook Air with 10.13.6. I experienced a freeze & 5 different app crashes on a multi user meeting. Today I installed 2020-003 Beta and did not see a single crash for over 6 hours on the same meeting. The 2020-003 Security Update is looking really good, but I still would like to see more confirmations. If you installed 2020-003 Beta and it fixed the issue for you , please let me know. I am hoping the update is released tomorrow or sometime this week!

UPDATE 4/29/20 – Today Apple released the Developer Beta version of 2020-003 Security Update for Mojave and High Sierra. I am trying to find out if it includes a fix for this issue. I will update you as soon as I have more information.

UPDATE 4/28/20: The consensus amongst users is upgrading to Catalina fixes the issue. The only problem with this is, some users have reported other GPU related weird issues in 10.15.4. Sometimes the system will freeze for a few seconds in Finder, Safari or performing other tasks. The good news is, even if the Mac does freeze (only for a few seconds) it will not require a hard power down. With that said, you could upgrade to Catalina and not have any of the above issues! If you are cautious, it might be better to wait for an update from Apple.

UPDATE 4/08/20: As the update is installed on more Macs, reports continue to come in. Apps like Illustrator and Animate from the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite are now causing freezing A MacAdmins User who has a ticket in, says Apple is aware of the issue and is actively working on a fix.

UPDATE 4/03/20: MacAdmins User Bollman decided to test the latest Zoom installer (4.6.9) and has not had any crashes for 6 hours. I loaded up (4.6.8) 3 times to confirm the crashes and gather additional logs. Then I updated to Zoom 4.6.9 and have not had any crashes for over an hour. I added this new information to the work around section below. I can’t explain this as the Zoom update patch notes only mention updates to fix the installer issues brought up by Security Researchers.

UPDATE 4/02/20: New reports are still rolling in. As each new report rolls in with a confirmed .gpuRestart log I will add that application to affected list below. The issue might not be only related to Video Conference Apps. Some users are seeing the issue with anything that is related to Hardware Accelerated Video. Full screen video, video in Safari, or YouTube.

I reported on a similar issue in August of 2019 when the macOS Mojave 10.14.6 Update started to cause Kernel Panics if you used the Built In FaceTime Camera.

https://mrmacintosh.com/10-14-6-update-causes-kernel-panic-when-using-facetime-camera/

This article has seen a big uptick in traffic as of a few days ago. Then I started to receive emails from users who were having their Mac freeze up after installing the Security Updates. After that the reports started to come in on MacAdmins Chat.

In this article, I will give you you an overview of the issue. In the end, I will show you a few workarounds that might work until Apple releases a fix.

Let’s dive right in and see what’s going on here.

1. Affected macOS Build Versions
2. Affected Mac Hardware & Intel GPU Versions
3. User Reports
4. What is the Issue? Mac will Freeze up requiring a hard shutdown
5. .gpuRestart Freeze Log Report
6. Software that can cause the Freezing Issue
7. This time around the issue CAN be reproduced
8. Why rolling back with Automatic Update Snapshots will NOT work.
9. Workarounds
10. If you are seeing this issue, please let Apple know.
11. Conference Software Freezing Issue Links
12. Hat Tip/Credits

1. Affected macOS Build Versions

This issue affects the following macOS Build Versions.

Catalina 10.15.4 Update (19E266) March 24th, 2020
Mojave 10.14.6 Security Update 2020-002 (18G4032) March 24th, 2020
High Sierra 10.13.6 Security Update 2020-002 (17G12034) March 24th, 2020

2. Affected Mac Hardware & Intel GPU Versions

I have looked over a bunch of MacAdmin and User reports reports. It looks like the affected machines are 5th Generation Intel HD Graphics GPU only based Macs.

This is the Hardware that we think is affected so far.

1. 2015 MacBook Air
2. 2017 MacBook Air
3. 2015 12″ MacBook
4. 2015 13″ MacBook Pro
5. 2015 21.5″ iMac

Intel only GPU Versions

1. Intel HD Graphics 6000
2. Intel HD Graphics HD 5300
3. Intel Iris 6100
4. Intel Iris Pro 6200

If you have the issue on other Macs like the Mac Mini or older Macs, please do not hesitate to Contact Me.

3. User Reports.

The first report came in just two days after Apple released the Security Updates.

Anyone have issue with Zoom 4.6.7 for the Mac running on 10.14.6 where the use of the internal camera causes it to crash.
MacAdmins Slack User diefledermaus

The next day more detailed reports started to roll in.

We’ve seen hard crashes on macs running 10.13.6 with latest security update (17G12034) and latest zoom version 4.6.8 (19178.0323). So far, 4 out of 80 machines with this combination of OS and zoom. What’s more in common with these machines is that they are MBA 2015 (non-retina). Anyone else seeing problems with latest security update on 10.13.6?
MacAdmins Slack User bollman

After doing this job for many years, I get an sense when things are starting to become an issue. It was not until this post came in on the following Monday.

For those running 10.15.4 (or latest 10.14/10.13 Security Update 2020-002 update) on the following hardware, can you try starting a zoom video conference (possibly may happen with other video conference software)? do you experience a hard crash?
MacAdmins Slack User bp

After Balmes posted this, it was enough for me to take a closer look. Sure enough, users have started to report the same issues.

4. What is the Issue? The Mac will Freeze up requiring a hard shutdown.

UPDATE 04/01/20: After posting the article, I am getting a ton of reports that this issue is not just Video Conference Apps. Users are saying the Freeze / Lockup issue happens when using GPU Hardware Accelerated Video. This could be full screen video based activity.

How does the issue start? All you need to do is use some type of Video Conference Software that has multiple users with video enabled.

Once in the meeting the affected Mac can freeze up within one minute!

After the Mac Freezes, it will become 100% non responsive. The screen will freeze up and you will not be able to force quit. The only thing you can do is force power down the Mac.

5. .gpuRestart Freeze / Crashing Log Report

After you power up the Mac again, macOS will say that it was shut down due to a problem. At this point you need to look at the log to find the .gpuRestart log file.

UPDATE 04/02/20: To get the .gpuRestart log to show up, you have to let the Mac say on the frozen screen for at least a few minutes.

/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports

You can also do a quick search by running this command

sudo ls -lah /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports | grep .gpuRestart

Or use the Console.app, select “System Reports”.

MrMacintosh.com - 10.15.4 & 2020-002 Security Update Causing Video Conference Freezing. Console app and a few 2017 MacBook Air .gpuRestart error log files. — A look at the console app and a few 2017 MacBook Air .gpuRestart error log files.

The log file will read like this.

Tue Mar 31 14:54:03 2020

Event: GPU Reset

Date/Time: Tue Mar 31 14:54:03 2020

Application: zoom.us

Path:

Tailspin: /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/gpuRestart2020-03-31-145403.tailspin

GPUSubmission Trace ID: 0

OS Version: Mac OS X

Graphics Hardware: Intel HD Graphics 6000

Signature: 802

Report Data:

=========================================================

Intel GPU Hang Summary

Differences in the logs that you might see.

Application example Google Chrome He - Slack Helper (GP - zoom.us
Graphics Hardware example Intel HD Graphics 6000 - Iris Pro 6100
Signature example 803 - 802 - 806

6. Software that can cause the Freezing Issue

The following software can cause your affected Mac to freeze up. Below is a list of confirmed applications with a confirmed .gpuRestart freeze.

Zoom.us
Slack
Webex
Teams
Skype
BlueJeans
FaceTime
Sublime Text
Google Meet
Google Hangouts
Adobe Creative Cloud apps
Illustrator & Animate
VMWare Fusion
Spotify Helper
AnyDesk
ScreenConnect
Visual Studio Code

NOTE: Some of the new reports say that this happens when running the Video Conference Software from a Chrome Browser.

7. This time around the issue CAN be reproduced

I am able to reproduce this issue. If you would like to see what happens all you need to do is setup your Mac with the following.

2015-2017 MacBook Air
10.13.6 High Sierra with the 2020-002 Update installed.
Install zoom.us
Join any zoom meeting with multiple active users with their camera activated.
Join with Computer Audio. You can activate your own video or not does not matter.

Wait

Within about 1-5 min the MacBook Air screen will completely freeze and become unresponsive. You will need to hard power it off.

UPDATE 04/01/20: I was able to ssh into one of the MacBook Airs that was frozen. You can run commands like top and others. I attempted to force quit zoom.app and that did not change anything. I also tried to kill the loginwindow no go. Finally I attempted to restart the device with sudo reboot , I got the message that the ssh connection was closed like it was going to reboot but it didn’t.

8. Why rolling back with Automatic Update Snapshots will NOT work.

You might think, what if I roll back to a previous version of Mojave before the Security Update? In the past, this might have worked as the Update or security update is supposed to take an automatic tmutil localsnapshot before installing the update. If something went wrong you could boot to recovery and restore from that snapshot taken just before the update.

In this case that will not work because Update Snapshots are no longer working since 10.15.3!

https://mrmacintosh.com/10-15-3-combo-security-updates-are-not-creating-backup-snapshots/

9. Workarounds

Most issues like this have some type of workaround. Sometimes a workaround is found by accident or after hours of testing. This time around a few users on MacAdmins Slack have reported the following workarounds.

UPDATE 4/02/20: We are now hearing that Apple Support is recommending that users upgrade to macOS Catalina 10.15.4 to fix the issue. I can’t confirm if this fixes the issue but after looking at a large amount of .gpuRestart logs, I have not seen one from 10.15.4 yet. Many users are writing to me that after updating to 10.15.4, they are not having the freezing issue anymore.
UPDATE 4/03/20: For users who are having the freezing issue when using the Zoom.app, update to the latest version (4.6.9) and you should not see any more crashes.
Disable Zoom’s “Enable hardware acceleration for receiving video” option in the application video preferences. Scroll down and then hit the advanced button.
If the issue is happening in Chrome, some users found success with turning off Use hardware acceleration when available in Preferences > Advanced> System .
Use Firefox instead of Chrome when joining a browser based conference meeting.
Use conferencing in a browser instead of the application. An example of this is zoom. If you cancel out of the constant prompts to download the zoom.app, you will finally get an option to “Join Meeting with your Browser”

If you find any other workarounds please Contact Me

10. If you are seeing this issue, please let Apple know.

The only way to let Apple know that this is a big issue is to file a FeedBack Report. AppleCare Call or an Apple Enterprise Support Ticket.

This will help Apple Prioritize the issue.

11. Conference Software Freezing Issue Links

I created a MacAdmins Chat Channel to disccus the issue.

12. Hat Tip / Credits

A big thanks goes out to the following people.

Bollman – MacAdmins Slack User who did a ton of testing. He also spun up a zoom meeting room where we could all test.
bp – MacAdmins Slack User who’s post get me to take a closer look.
vplc – MacAdmins Slack User who was able to get me info and logs
Georgia – MrMacintosh Reader who was able to quicly answer a bunch of questions along with logs and a sysdiagnose.
Apple Engineer – Who jumped on the issue almost immediately after being invited to the #conf-freezing-issue chat. Gathered logs and FB and Enterprise Support Tickets to help get attention on the issue.
Everyone who emailed me, shared information in Slack, DM’d me or shared my article. Without your help I wouldn’t have been able to put all this information together.

10.15.4 2020-002 Freezing Crashing

MacOS Security Updates – Mojave 2020-002 & High Sierra 2020-002

MrMacintosh.com - MacOS Mojave Security Update 2020-002 (18G4032), High Sierra Security Update 2020-002 (17G12034) and Safari 13.1. Security Notes, Download Links & more! — The Security Update 2020-002 for Mojave and High Sierra is now available.

Security Updates for macOS 10.14 & 10.13 are now Available.

Today, Apple released macOS Mojave Security Update 2020-002 and High Sierra Security Update 2020-002. Below you will find Build Versions, Download Links, Update Sizes and previous Security Update Links. MacOS Sierra is no longer supported by Apple for Security Updates.

How do I keep track of all the macOS Build Versions?

I document all of the macOS Build Versions like the latest Mojave 2020-002 High Sierra 2020-002 along with most Apple Applications, XProtect, Gatekeeper and MRT updates in one database. You can check out the link below.

mrmacintosh.com/macos-system-status-version-info-for-macadmins/

MacOS Mojave Security Update 2020-002 (18G4032)

macOS Mojave Security Update 2020-002
Size = 1.62gb
Package Download and Information Link
https://support.apple.com/kb/DL2035

Information on the Security fixes included in the 2020-002 Mojave Security Update

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211100

MacOS High Sierra Security Update 2020-002 (17G12034)

10.13.6 High Sierra Security Update 2020-002
Size = 2.1gb
Package Download and Information Link
https://support.apple.com/kb/DL2034

Information on the Security fixes included in the 2020-002 High Sierra Security Update

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211100

Safari Update

Safari was updated to version 13.1

Download Size for High Sierra = 66.2mb

Downloads Size for Mojave = 70.5mb

T2 BridgeOS Update

Both the 2020-002 and 2020-002 Security Updates upgrade BridgeOS to version – 17.16.14263

Security Content for Safari 13.1

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211104

Previous Releases

Security Related Content for 2020-002

Security Update 2020-002 Mojave, Security Update 2020-002 High Sierra

Released March 24, 2020

AppleGraphicsControl

Available for: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, macOS Mojave 10.14.6, macOS Catalina 10.15.3

Impact: A malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges

Description: Multiple memory corruption issues were addressed with improved state management.

CVE-2020-3904: Proteas of Qihoo 360 Nirvan Team

Bluetooth

Available for: macOS Mojave 10.14.6, macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, macOS Catalina 10.15.3

Impact: A local user may be able to cause unexpected system termination or read kernel memory

Description: An out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2020-3907: Yu Wang of Didi Research America

CVE-2020-3908: Yu Wang of Didi Research America

CVE-2020-3912: Yu Wang of Didi Research America

Bluetooth

Available for: macOS Mojave 10.14.6, macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, macOS Catalina 10.15.3

Impact: A malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges

Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2020-3892: Yu Wang of Didi Research America

CVE-2020-3893: Yu Wang of Didi Research America

CVE-2020-3905: Yu Wang of Didi Research America

Bluetooth

Available for: macOS Mojave 10.14.6, macOS High Sierra 10.13.6

Impact: An application may be able to read restricted memory

Description: A validation issue was addressed with improved input sanitization.

CVE-2019-8853: Jianjun Dai of Qihoo 360 Alpha Lab

IOHIDFamily

Available for: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, macOS Mojave 10.14.6, macOS Catalina 10.15.3

Impact: A malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges

Description: A memory initialization issue was addressed with improved memory handling.

CVE-2020-3919: an anonymous researcher

IOThunderboltFamily

Available for: macOS Mojave 10.14.6, macOS High Sierra 10.13.6

Impact: An application may be able to gain elevated privileges

Description: A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management.

CVE-2020-3851: Xiaolong Bai and Min (Spark) Zheng of Alibaba Inc. and Luyi Xing of Indiana University Bloomington

Kernel

Available for: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, macOS Mojave 10.14.6, macOS Catalina 10.15.3

Impact: An application may be able to read restricted memory

Description: A memory initialization issue was addressed with improved memory handling.

CVE-2020-3914: pattern-f (@pattern_F_) of WaCai

libxml2

Available for: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, macOS Mojave 10.14.6, macOS Catalina 10.15.3

Impact: Multiple issues in libxml2

Description: A buffer overflow was addressed with improved bounds checking.

CVE-2020-3909: LGTM.com

CVE-2020-3911: found by OSS-Fuzz

libxml2

Available for: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, macOS Mojave 10.14.6, macOS Catalina 10.15.3

Impact: Multiple issues in libxml2

Description: A buffer overflow was addressed with improved size validation.

CVE-2020-3910: LGTM.com

Mail

Available for: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, macOS Catalina 10.15.3

Impact: A remote attacker may be able to cause arbitrary javascript code execution

Description: An injection issue was addressed with improved validation.

CVE-2020-3884: Apple

TCC

Available for: macOS Mojave 10.14.6, macOS Catalina 10.15.3

Impact: A maliciously crafted application may be able to bypass code signing enforcement

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved restrictions.

CVE-2020-3906: Patrick Wardle of Jamf

Mojave 2020-002 High Sierra 2020-002

10.15.3 Combo & Security Updates are not Creating Backup Snapshots

MrMacintosh.com - 10.15.3 Combo & Security Updates no Longer Creating Restore Snapshots + 10.15.3 Update Deletes All Previous tmutil localsnapshots — 10.15.3 Combo & Security Updates are no Longer Creating Restore Snapshots + 10.15.3 Update Deletes All Previous tmutil localsnapshots /

The 10.15.3 Combo & Security Update Automatic Backup Snapshots are no Longer Created.

UPDATE: 5/15/20 – A few questions came up on MacAdmins Slack about the current state of Automatic Snapshots today. To clarify, the following is now true.

Automatic Update Snapshots are no longer automatically created during the 10.15.3+ Combo but ARE for 10.14 & 10.13 Security Updates
The 10.15.3+ Combo Update REMOVES previous manual localsnapshots.
10.14 & 10.13 Security Updates do NOT remove previous manual snapshots.
Automatic Snapshots were never taken during an OS Upgrade.

UPDATE: 4/24/20 – Apple has removed the “Restore from snapshot” feature description from apple.com/macos/catalina/features! This means that the feature is no longer available in Catalina. I really hope Apple can fix this.

The APFS Update Automatic Snapshot was a new option offered when Apple released APFS in macOS 10.13 High Sierra. If you were worried about something going wrong after installing a macOS Combo or Security update, you could always fall back to a backup taken right before the update. The process was automatic and was performed by the Combo Update and Security Update Installer. To restore, all you needed to do is, boot to the recovery partition and restore to a tmutil localsnapshot / right before the update.

NOTE: you only have 24 hours to restore or the snapshot is automatically deleted.

Apple explains how this works below.

MrMacintosh.com - Apple.com Restore from Snapshot. — apple.com/macos/catalina/features

Automatic Update Backup Snapshots are no Longer Working.

Something happened in the latest set of Apple updates released on January 28th. The Automatic Backup Snapshots are no longer working!!! At first, I thought it only happened on the 10.15.3 Combo update. I then checked the 2020-001 Security Update on High Sierra and it’s not working either!

I found this out while I was writing another article on Catalina Logs. I built a 10.15.2 device and updated it to 10.15.3. I booted to recovery to restore the from the automatic snapshot only to find that it was missing!

Manual tmutil localsnapshots are deleted during the 10.15.3 Update installation!

Ok, what would happen if I created a manual snapshot before the update? If the automatic snapshot is not working, I could get by with just creating one right before I install the 10.15.3 combo update.

MrMacintosh.com - Manual tmutil localsnapshot / created before the 10.15.3 combo update. — Manual tmutil localsnapshot / created before the 10.15.3 combo update.

After installing the 10.15.3 Combo Update, I booted back into Recovery only to find that the manual tmutil localsnapshot / that I created was gone!!!

What should happen after the update.

Below is what you should see if you booted to recovery after a combo or security update. The below example is a backup snapshot taken by the 10.14.2 Combo Update.

MrMacintosh.com - automatic update backup localsnapshot — This is what you should see if you booted to recovery after a combo or security update. (within 24 hours after the update install)

Let’s take a look at the logs

What do the logs say? Well first I would like to see what a successful snapshot says. Searching the install.log, I found exactly what I was looking for.

MrMacintosh.com - 10.14 Automatic Snapshot. — That is just what I’m looking for. The automatic snapshot was taken right before the installation.

Let’s take a closer look to see what’s happening during the 10.15.3 combo update install. Looking at the install.log again, I found this entry.

MrMacintosh.com - 10.15.3 purges localsnapshots — The 10.15.3 Combo Update purging snapshots.

There it is, the Installer is purging available snapshots on /Volumes/Macintosh HD. The 10.15.3 install.log does not contain any of the log items like the one from 10.14.

The good news is that the (2020-001) 10.14 and 10.13 Security Update installers do NOT purge your manual tmutil localsnapshots.

What’s going on, is this a bug?

I am not totally sure what’s going on here, if I had to guess this a bug. I wanted to let you know about this. The last thing you want to do is rely on that automatic backup snapshot only to find out it was never created.

Either way, please let Apple know about this!

If you have any questions or comments please Contact Me or leave a note below. Thanks!

MacOS Security Updates – Mojave 2020-001 & High Sierra 2020-001

On January 28th, Apple released macOS Mojave Security Update 2020-001 and High Sierra Security Update 2020-001. Below you will find Build Versions, Download Links, Update Sizes and previous Security Update Links. MacOS Sierra is no longer supported.

How do I keep track of all the macOS Build Versions?

I document all of the macOS Build Versions like the latest Mojave 2020-001 High Sierra 2020-001 along with most Apple Applications, XProtect, Gatekeeper and MRT updates in one database. You can check out the link below.

mrmacintosh.com/macos-system-status-version-info-for-macadmins/

MacOS Mojave Security Update 2020-001 (18G3020)

macOS Mojave Security Update 2020-001
Size = 1.62gb
Package Download and Information Link
https://support.apple.com/kb/DL2031

Information on the Security fixes included in the 2020-001 Mojave Security Update

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210919

HT goes out to Dan Kuehling, for the Mojave Security Update Build Version! HT goes out to Nicolas Aragone, Ian Trimnell & Joost-Wim for sending over the Security Update Download Links!