Mac pro 5.1 High sierra replace 250gb hd

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Halo2021 Author

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Mac pro 5.1 High sierra replace 250gb hd

I am trying to install 4TB hd as boot drive. Mac pro 5.1 high sierra flashed gtx 980 video card.Tried disk utility to restore failed. created bootable high sierra os and installed on new hd. But because high sierra version was not the same Nvidia driver did not work and there is not one for the new version High sierra os. tried cloning on external dock that worked except the 4Tb hd now shows as 250 gb patition and I cannot add partitions! Help thanks, Mike

Posted on Oct 13, 2024 12:17 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 13, 2024 4:41 PM in response to Halo2021

When you do the install, it will wake up running from the newly-installed version. That may mean your screen may not light up afterward. (or it may survive on primitive graphics until you try to log in.)

Just shut down the computer (hold power button for ten seconds). Then power up again holding the Alt/Option key. This will draw Icons for each of your bootable drives. Just select the old one, and it will boot from the old one, your screen will light up and you can move stuff around.

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Answer 2

Halo2021 Author

Level 1

10 points

Oct 14, 2024 1:36 PM in response to Halo2021

Update. I was able to complete job. I needed to downloadd 2 security updates then download driver from Nvidia. thanks for the guidance, appreciate it, Mike

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Answer 3

Oct 13, 2024 1:03 PM in response to Halo2021

Erase your 4TB drive and install MacOS from scratch on it . Installing MacOS USING MacOS is generally easier than any stand-alone.

Before you switch over to using the new system, boot back to the old drive, and copy the drivers you need or obtain the Web Drivers you need direct from NVIDIA, and install them on the 4GB drive.

MacOS can have as many bootable drives attached as there are places to attach them. There is no confusion. The startup disk is specified in startup Disk control panel (also available from recovery when you specify what drive to restart from).

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Answer 4

Halo2021 Author

Level 1

10 points

Oct 13, 2024 2:18 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

thank you for the quick reply! I did not make myself clear. The high sierra 13.6 OS that I download is not the same revision as the old even though it is 13.6? There are no new drivers on Nvidia for the newer? 13.6. I was hoping to clone old hd with older Sierra and nvidia driver that works to the new 4Tb hd. So far the best I could do was to clone via docking station, but I cannot get access to the full 4Tb. Hope that makes sense, thanks again, Mike

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Answer 5

Oct 13, 2024 2:35 PM in response to Halo2021

You have explained what you are trying to do. It is a dead end.

NVIDIA drivers in MacOS were were included in High Sierra. You may have manually added additional drivers, commonly called Web Drivers.

Don't clone your current drive. Install a new copy of macOS on the new drive after erasing it. If you don't have the right drivers, get them from other sources or copy them from your old system (while running from your old system).

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Answer 6

Halo2021 Author

Level 1

10 points

Oct 13, 2024 3:00 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Yes there is a downloaded and in use Web driver (387.10.10.10.40.139) on the 250GB hd and is stable. The Nvidia gtx980 card was added by the previous owner and is not original. If I use the Mac os supplied driver it is glitchy and is not stable. When I try to download updated Web driver for the newer build version the site does not have one. And the Nvidia panel will not let me access Web driver (not compatable?) . So my options are to stay with the existing 250Gb hd with a build version of HS 13.6 that is comparable with the web driver, or go with the different build version HS 13.6 with the mac os supplied driver, but I can use the 4TB hd? I am a bit of unusefull idiot when it comes to all this, thanks for your patience, Mike

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Answer 7

Oct 13, 2024 3:46 PM in response to Halo2021

<< Yes there is a downloaded and in use Web driver (387.10.10.10.40.139) on the 250GB hd. >>

Do you have the original download? copy it onto the newly installed High Sierra.

Do you have only the extension? copy that to the same location in the system folder or wherever it is after you install on new MacOS.

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Answer 8

Halo2021 Author

Level 1

10 points

Oct 13, 2024 4:12 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Ok I will try that tomorrow, I am not where the computer is now. thank you again, Mike

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Answer 9

Oct 14, 2024 1:40 PM in response to Halo2021

great work!

you kept at it and did not let the inanimate objects win!

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