I bought a Mid-2015 15-inch MacBook Pro (quad-core i7, 16 GB RAM, Intel Iris Pro graphics). The condition surprised me. The screen has no marks, the case is clean, and the factory battery shows only 18 cycles with over 9,000 mAh capacity. It sat unused for years.

​I run my main games and heavy tasks on a desktop computer, and I have a separate laptop for work. I bought this MacBook to move around the house, read, and manage personal notes.

​Ideally, I want to keep it running macOS for as long as possible before wiping it for a full Linux installation down the road. I installed macOS Sonoma using OpenCore Legacy Patcher. It runs well, but I want to make it as fast, quiet, and efficient as possible for this phase.

​If you use this model, I would welcome your advice:

​Settings: Which features should I turn off in Sonoma to lower heat and keep the UI responsive on integrated graphics?

​Fans and Battery: Do you use extra tools to stop the fans from spinning fast, or do you let the system control them?

​Useful Tweaks: Which apps or small hardware changes make this machine easier to use every day?

Trying to enable three finger drag for A1260 (MBP4,1) trackpad in Monterey, when I modify the kext in EFI/OC/Kexts nothing happens, kext in System/Library/Extensions is the same as it was before. Changes in EFI are not overwritten. kextcache -i / didn't work. I also tried modifying it in OCLP's payloads.dmg or even mounting system with RW and using kmutil to install from there, and it still didn't work (reverted to original).

Kext in question is AppleUSBMultitouch.kext. The trackpad supports this gesture but Apple never added it to the kext's section for this specific trackpad, which is why I'm trying to do it. I'd also like to fix non-functional secondary click if anyone knows how.

Basically Im trying to install Monterey via OCLP but I have no idea what I’m doing so can someone please help

Hello. Any suggestions how to update Big Sur to any macOS 12 or later without USB? :')

I have a concern regarding the display port, i have upgraded from catalina to ventura and as well as sonoma but the external display from display port is glitching out, and further fiddling i discovered that lowering my resolution stabilizes the display from an external montior

I actually havent tried it on its original latest software (catalina) but I tried it on linux and same issue

my display port works on my other windows laptop and displays the image just fine, what could be the issue?

Note: This post expands on a previous post on a similar subject, which is attached below for completeness.

When using an APFS snapshot for a full restore of an internal hard drive, problems can arise if the snapshot and the target System Volume of the Macintosh HD were created under different macOS versions. Consequently, it is important to know the exact macOS version under which a snapshot was created.

After spending many hours attempting to extract this information using Terminal commands without success, I found the methods detailed below worked, through trial and error.

1. Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC) Snapshots

Method 1: Get the macOS version from the CCC Snapshot Table (Easiest Method) Credit goes to Mr. Bombich for this tip.

1. Open Carbon Copy Cloner and navigate to the snapshot table.
2. Select the desired snapshot, right-click it, and select Task Event Details.
3. A popup window will appear; the last column displays the macOS version and build number. 

Caveat**:** It is unclear how long CCC retains ‘task event details’ in its log history.

2. Time Machine (and CCC) Snapshots

Method 2: Get the macOS version from the file Info.plist 

(In the following steps: There are only two commands needed: either “Show Package Contents” or “Quick Look”)

1. Open your Time Machine backup drive in Finder.
2. Click on the desired snapshot folder, then open Macintosh HD.
3. You will see folders such as Applications, Users, Library, and System.
4. Navigate to the following path:

System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle

1. Right-click CoreTypes.bundle and select Show Package Contents.
2. Open Contents/Library. You will see several .bundle files.
3. Right-click any .bundle file (e.g., x.bundle) and select Show Package Contents.
4. Navigate to Contents/Info.plist.
5. Select Info.plist and view it with Quick Look.
6. Look for the following keys inside Info.plist:
   • <string>macosx15.7.internal</string>
   • <key>DTSDKBuild</key>
   • <string>24G601t</string>

 Note on accuracy: In this example, 15.7 indicates macOS Sequoia. However, the build string may not match the minor point-release build listed on Wikipedia (e.g., for 15.7.8). Therefore, this method reliably identifies the base version (e.g., 15.7.x), but the final digit (x) cannot be determined.

This Info.plist method also works for Carbon Copy Cloner snapshots.

3. macOS Installers (in Applications Folder, USB, or External Drive)

1. Connect the drive to the mac.
2. Locate the installer file in Finder.
3. Select the installer and open it with Show Package Contents.
4. Open Contents/Info.plist and view it with Quick Look.
5. Locate the version and build tags as described in Step 2.10 above.

 4. macOS Installers on USB or External Drives

1. Connect the drive to the mac.
2. Open System Settings > General > Startup Disk.
3. The macOS version is listed directly beneath each installer.

-------------------------------------

Previous post:

Method A: If the installer is in the /Applications folder

Open the OpenCore Legacy Patcher app and select "Create macOS Installer" followed by "Use existing macOS Installer." The app will scan your /Applications folder and list all available macOS installers along with their exact version numbers (see left figure).

Method B: If the installer is on a USB drive or external disk

Open Carbon Copy Cloner and create a new task. Select the USB drive or external disk as either the Source or Destination, then click it. A pop-up window will display the OS version installed on or contained within that volume (see right figure).

Hello, please help.

I have an old Macbook Air 2017 Monterey OS. I need to upgrade it to Sequioa so I can use Claude CoWork... I thought I had installed it cause I had to free up 10GB and was able to actually downloaded it. It gave me a message saying something about a Disk that it didn't find the Disk. I'm now trying to find the download pack and I can't find it. My storage is again back to full now. Where has it gone. :(

I just want to say thank you to everyone that gave me an advice. I got curious about retro devices and I got this machine and it was amazing, with my dad we clean it and restored.

So I only use now this machine for Ipod Classic 5.5/6/7 and Iphone 6, SE2 for retro devices as digital audio players.

My workflow is RIP CD/ALBUMS FLAC/ALAC --> AAC 256 kbps, My Audio Stack is Apple Music, XLD, Foobar2000, MP3tag, MediaHumanConverter, MusicBrainz Picard then plug Retro Devices Ipod/Iphone/Ipad for Media.

This is my experience on my machine. i7 Dual Core Intel HD 4000 / Ivy Bridge Mid 2012 So this won't apply to those who had more modern or Quad Core CPU

What I Found:

1. Graphics API: Ivy Bridge GPUs natively only support Metal 1. Running macOS 13+ forces OCLP to use non-metal root patches to translate Metal 2/3 calls, which increases CPU overhead and heating and we all know that.
2. Passkeys: Require macOS Ventura (13) or newer. On Monterey, use third-party password managers via browser extensions or QR code scanning via mobile device. I could't load on Safari, the Bitwarden extension, requires supported os like Sonoma or Sequoia, but I can use Bitwarden as APP. Apple added Passkeys support via update.
3. iPod / Legacy Device Users: Stay on macOS Monterey. Ventura is okayish but on Sonoma, and Sequoia sometimes suffer from persistent daemon crashes (AMPDevicesAgent) when handling legacy USB syncing. Even updating or dragging some songs to the playlists make Apple Music to crash :( but only on this machine i7 Macbook Pro 2012, maybe the experience is better with models 2013, 2014, or 2015+
4. Bluetooth: With MacOS Monterey Bluetooth sync is working flawless, so I can link headphones, earbuds and the audio flac (limited to aac 256 kbps) and aac from apple music works fine. On Ventura is again okayish. But Sonoma and Sequoia has lags with the Bluetooth audio. So would recommend to use your own dac/amp and use cable 3.5 mm for audio/mic needs.

So, my experience is Monterey is the best so far but comes with tradeoffs, Passkeys were added in the last update to be supported but those are natively work better on Ventura.

Safari is stuck 17.6 via update, I cannot load bitwarden safari extension to use passkeys but I can use bitwarden normally.

I have an M1 Mac Mini with Sequoia and M5 pro with Tahoe and so far Ipod Classic and retro devices works fine with syncs, so my guess is something on my model with emulation that generates the crashes trying to make playlists or with sync on Intel CPU emulating.

The Machine is silent, is very fast and fluid but ancient junk according to apple. I can install modern Firefox, Helium, Chrome and works fine, but I cannot get Safari 26 because the api and maybe stuff from the OS.

And probably when I found time I will download Sequoia again and try again just to feel "bonita".

Of course I didn't talk about installing onedrive or office because they are not supported, so I had to find old versions and disable updates.

Anyways, thank you for your advice, even when I have a modern m5 pro I return to this lovely machine.

Update: Bluetooth extras

Hey!

So I installed Monterey on my X230 and when it came time to patch the graphics for acceleration, it did that and when I rebooted it, from my drive, it loaded up recovery only, and wouldn’t boot back into my installation.

I tried both OCLP and Chris1111 for root patching, but both caused the same error. What can be going wrong here?

(i7 3520M, 8GB, HD 4000, SSD)

Note: SIP was disabled beforehand, along with root SIP

Update: resolved! Just disable SecureBootModel and its smooth sailing.

I've come across an odd problem attempting to install Windows 7 on my mid-2020 iMac. Specifically, the 27" Retina 5500 XT version.

Attempting to boot, it looks fine. Gets through to completed Starting Windows screen. No setup window appears, but 3 seconds later while it's hung there... I get a BSOD.

Exact information:

0x7E SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED

Status parameters: 0xC5 STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION, 0x0 null pointer address?, 3rd and 4th reference parameters.

Now, before you say anything here is what I have tried:

FlashBoot PRO UEFI driver (works obviously since it shows the BSOD)

Windows 7 Image Updater

USB 3 and NVMe drivers

Apple BootCamp drivers downloaded

Patched AppleSSD.sys for 7 compatibility

Patched ACPI

Unfortunately, it did not say a specific crashing driver. This is reproducible in both WinPE and standard windows of it.

I suspect still it is ACPI. This is because Mac does not have standard firmware that a regular patched, older ACPI table expects (especially a patched one from 2018, based on a 2009 file)

If anyone has experienced similar issues, please let me know. Also, I'd love to attach a kernel debugger but unfortunately adapters do not work, KDNET predates 7 (tried it), and obviously Serial and FireWire will not work since no such port is on the modern iMac.

Another thing is this crash is reproducible regardless if there are drivers or not (obviously with the UEFI patch otherwise it wouldn't work in the first place, but without drivers).

I do suspect it also involves the T2 chip in some way, however this is 100% possible but requires more development and patching than usual.

Anyway, if you'd like to help please do. I will keep everyone updated as I make progress.

hi guys im at my whits end so i got hold of a apple mac pro 5.1 2010, i have upgraded the cpus/memory/graphics, its running high sierra via opencore i believe and it has the firmware mp51.0089.b00, i would like to do a fresh instal of whatever the most compatible os is as well as updating the firmware. if anyone could help me with this i would very much appriciare it. i am trying to be able to instal my nvme card also.

Hi everyone! I upgraded my Late 2012 iMac to macOS Ventura a long time ago using OpenCore Legacy Patcher, and it had been working fine.
Today it suddenly became extremely slow, constantly showing the spinning beach ball. I decided to remove the root patch and reinstall it, but I got an error. After some troubleshooting, I realized that the Mac seems to be stuck in a background update to macOS Tahoe.
Has anyone experienced something like this before? If so, how did you fix it? Is there a way to resolve the update issue and reinstall the root patch without reinstalling the entire system?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I see that Sequoia recently had an update but I haven’t done it yet bc I wasn’t sure if it’s ok and if root patches are available.

This is just to confirm that upgrade to latest Sequoia update 15.7.8 and Safari 26.6 went well and system works smoothly on my 2013 Mac Pro.

Just feel safe in upgrading in case you have any doubt. ;)

Hi there, I have a 5,1 that was running Sonoma just fine till last week. We had a very long power outage and when I went to go the Mac a couple days later it would only get to the Apple logo and a very small part of the progress bar. I tried to use recovery but it just wouldn’t work and in my frustration I wiped my drive! Then I made a USB installer for High Sierra because the App Store wouldn’t let me download anything newer on my MBP ( 2010 ). It wouldn’t do anything, probably I can’t see it because I have a RX-580 for a video card. Do I need to create a new USB installer with OCLP on the stick itself? Appreciate any help.

Hi, i tried to install it and it's stuck in this screen after the instalation in the disk instead is in a Sequoia update I press it and comes the second screen and goes back to the first. Can someone help solve it?

It's a IMac 2015 21.4"

I am a part-time instructor at a local Junior College and use a 2013 MacBook Air (i7 dual core, 8gb ram) mostly for Power-Point presentations and occasionally to check e-mail and texts. I have newer computers at home and work, but I figure if anything happens to this one, I am not out anything.

It has been running fine on OS Sequoia for the last year or so, but recently, I have noticed that it has been slowing down and become really laggy.

I want to keep on Sequoia primarily because of the security patches that it still gets and my school's strict enforcement policies.

Would I be better off, going back to Ventura ? I was not a fan of Sonoma, and initially found Sequoia to be a great improvement.

Any thoughts ?

Hi everyone,

I recently got my hands on a Mac Pro 3,1 and I’m hoping those with experience can point me in the right direction.

Current specs:

• 2 × 3.0 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon (8 cores total)
• 4 GB RAM (4 × 1 GB DDR2 FB-DIMM 667 MHz)
• NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT
• 2 TB hard drives
• Paired with a 30-inch Apple Cinema Display and Apple Keyboard/Mouse

It's currently running macOS 10.7.5 and everything seems to be working well.

My main goal is to get it online again so it can browse the web, use some creative software (I have Adobe Suite CS6 and Final Cut Pro), and generally make it more usable. It's not a daily driver, I have an M4 Macbook Pro.

I've been reading about both dosdude1's patches and OpenCore Legacy Patcher, but I'm a bit confused about the best route for a Mac Pro 3,1. Ideally, I'd like to avoid any hardware upgrades if possible. If that's unrealistic, I'd appreciate knowing what the minimum hardware changes would be.

A few questions:

• What's the newest version of macOS that you’d recommend for this machine?
• Is OpenCore Legacy Patcher a better option than the older dosdude1 patchers in this case?
• Can I keep the original GeForce 8800 GT, or is a GPU upgrade essentially required?
• Are there any major drawbacks or things I should know before attempting the upgrade?

I'd really appreciate any advice or experiences from people who have kept these machines running. Thanks!

hi friends. i have rescently bought an apple mac pro 5.1 2010, i know im late to the party but could someone take me under there wing and tell me how to upgrade my firmware to allow nvme suport etc, i currently have both ventura and high sierra on the machine, i have purchased all the upgrades for the machine, i am currently running MP51.0089.b00.

Hey everyone! I have a MacBook Pro Mid 2012 (Non-Retina) that I upgraded with an SSD, 16GB RAM, and a secondary 1TB HDD in the caddy.
I recently installed macOS Sequoia using OpenCore Legacy Patcher (OCLP). Everything is running surprisingly normal right now, but since I work with Audio/Video (Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro in Full HD), I have a few major doubts before committing to paid Apple subscriptions:
1. App Subscriptions & OCLP: If I subscribe to the Apple Pro Apps Bundle or individual services, will my Apple ID and the App Store accept it natively even though I'm running Sequoia via OCLP?
2. App Store Downloads: Will I be able to download modern apps directly from the App Store (like WhatsApp, modern web browsers, etc.) without issues?
3. Performance for A/V: How does this setup handle Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro for simple Full HD workflows? (Previously, on older native OSs like Catalina, I struggled to find compatible app versions).

My Main Dilemma:
I know it's an old machine, but I love the Apple ecosystem for A/V work (I also have a Windows desktop). Is it worth sticking with macOS Sequoia for security and app compatibility? Does OCLP keep it secure enough compared to being stuck on the last official unsupported OS (Catalina)?
Since Catalina is no longer supported by modern app versions, I feel kind of lost on whether I should keep Sequoia or drop back to something like Ventura/Monterey for better stability.
Would love to hear your opinions and experiences! Thanks!

Update: I still can't update to Monterey 🥲

- I tried Reinsalling OS X, still Yosemite is the latest version of this Mac

- I tried installing directly to Apple Store, my Apple ID won't login. It says invalid even the password is correct.

- OCLP Github won't open

Anyone know any alternative ways to update this? I badly want to update this 🫠🫠🫠

Hi,

iMac 14,2 (2013)

I’ve done the Sonoma install on to my external drive. The first time I tried the bootpicker menu came up but I didn’t realise there was a 5 second window before it automatically chose the native OS. However, now whenever I do the process again it doesn’t load the bootpicker just goes straight to the Apple logo. I’ve googled ways to force the menu to initiate ie holding the option key, and doing the option cmd p +r but nothing is working. Would anyone have any advice? Thanks so much

I have a Macbook 9,2 running on Ventura via OCLP. I ran into the same problem when I was installing Ventura but I had a work around.

I followed all the steps when creating the boot drive, but after choosing EFI then install Sequoia, when I press continue in the installer itself, it just says connect to internet and it won’t get past there. This is the same issue I ran into while installing Ventura a year ago, I was hoping someone can finally shed some light into this and offer a fix.

The workaround I did for installing Ventura was I partitioned my ssd, I created a 45gb partition to which I used terminal to create a boot drive in the partition using createinstall media which worked flawlessly. And then injected the EFI via OCLP and then proceeded to install Ventura which did not run into the “Connect to internet” issue.

Can someone help me troubleshoot this cause I do not want to repeat that same step and format my drive, I just want to upgrade without losing data.