Apple Mac 2009 Service Manual

 Apple Technician Guide

Mac Pro (Early 2009)

Updated: 2010-06-03

 Apple Inc.

Under the copyright laws, this document may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Apple.

Every eort has been made to ensure that the information in this document is accurate. Apple is not responsible for printing or clerical errors.

Apple 1 Innite Loop Cupertino, CA 95014-2084 USA + 1 408 996 1010 www.apple.com

Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Mac Pro (Early 2009)

About This Guide

Manual Updates 8

Feedback 9

Basics

Overview 11

How to Identify Quad-Core and 8-Core Processor Congurations 12 Serial Number Location 13

Troubleshooting

General Troubleshooting 15

Update System Software 15 Troubleshooting Theory 15 Emerging Issues 15 Hardware vs. Software 15 Mac Pro Firmware Updates 16 Memory Conguration 17 Memory Diagnostic LEDs 19 PCIe/Graphics Cards 21 Functional Overview 22 Block Diagram 24 Common Reset Procedures 25 Power-On Self Test: RAM and Processor Verication 27 Minimum Conguration Testing 28 Processor Diagnostic LEDs 32

Symptom Charts Overview 34

Startup and Power Issues 37

No Power/Dead Unit 37 Intermittent Shutdown 40 Memory Issues/Kernel Panic and Freezes 43 No Video 48 Power, but No Boot 51

Noise/Hum/Vibration 52 Burnt Smell/Odor 54 Uncategorized Symptom 55

Communications 56

Ethernet Port/Device Issue 56 AirPort/Bluetooth: Defective Wireless Devices 58 No/Poor Wireless Signal 60 Wireless Input Device Loses Connection 62 AirPort Card: Kernel Panic 64 Wireless Performance Issue / Slow Connection 65 Wireless Input Device Doesn’t Pair 67 Uncategorized Symptom 69

Mass Storage 70

Hard Drive Read/Write Issue 70 Hard Drive Not Recognized/Not Mounting 72 Hard Drive Noisy 74 Optical Drive Won’t Accept/Reject Media 75 Optical Drive Read/Write Data Error 77 Optical Drive Not Recognized/Not Mounting 79 Optical Drive Noisy 81 Optical Drive Not Performing to Specs 84 Uncategorized Symptom 85

Input/Output Devices 86

USB Port Does Not Recognize Known Devices 86 FireWire Port Does Not Recognize Known Good Devices 87 No Audio from Internal Speaker 89 Distorted Audio from Internal Speaker 90 Front Headphone Jack Has No Audio 92 Line-In Jack Has No Input 93 Line-In Jack Has Distorted Input 95 Rear Line-Out Jack Has No Audio 96 Optical Digital Audio In Has No Input 98 Optical Digital Audio Out Has No Output 100 Uncategorized Symptom 101

Mechanical Issues: Thermals and Enclosure 102

Computer Runs Slow with Fast/Failed Fans 102 Power Button Stuck 104 Internal Cables and Connectors Defective 106 Mechanical/Physical Damage 107 Uncategorized Symptom 107

Take Apart

General Information 109

Orientation 109 Tools 109 Parts Requiring Enclosure Replacement 109 How to Identify Quad-Core and 8-Core Processor Congurations 109 Icon Legend 110 Note on Illustrations 110

Opening the Computer 111

Hard Drive 113

Removal 114 Reassembly 114 Formatting a New Drive 115

Optical Drive Carrier and Optical Drive 116

Removal 117 Reassembly 118

Processor Tray 119

Memory DIMMs 121

Memory Conguration 122 Removal 124

PCI Express/Graphics Card 125

Power Supply 132

AirPort Extreme Card 136

Bluetooth Card 138

Battery 140

Removal 141 Reassembly 141

PCIe Fan 142

Removal 143 Reassembly 143

Mac Pro RAID Card and Battery 144

Removal 145 Reassembly 146

Processor Cage 148

Processor Cage Fans,

Front and Rear 151

Speaker Assembly 153

Processor Heatsinks, 8 Core 155

Removal 156 Reassembly 157

Processor Heatsink, Quad Core 161

Removal 162 Reassembly 162

Processor, 8 Core 166

Removal 167 Reassembly 168

Processor, Quad Core 171

Removal 172 Reassembly 174

Processor Board, 8 Core 177

Processor Board, Quad Core 179

Processor Tray Support Plate 181

Front-Panel-Board-to-Backplane-Board Cable 183

Backplane Board 185

Front Panel Board 189

Power Button 191

Optical Drive Cable Harness 193

Bluetooth Antenna Board with Cable 195

Views

Exploded View #1 200

Exploded View #2 201

External Views 202

Front View 202 Rear View #1 203

Screw Matrix 204

 Apple Technician Guide

About This Guide

Mac Pro (Early 2009)

Manual Updates

Update 3 June 2010

Troubleshooting:

• Added Bluetooth antenna board to Communications Symptom Charts

Take Apart

• Added Bluetooth antenna board procedure

Update 4 December 2009

Basics:

• Overview: Added 3.33 GHz to processor speed options

Update 16 November 2009

Troubleshooting:

• Revised Minimum Conguration Testing procedure

• Added section on Processor Diagnostic LEDs

Take Apart:

• Backplane Board: Added disconnecting power supply cable from backplane board to “First Steps.”

Update 6 August 2009

Troubleshooting:

• Revised art for Minimum Conguration Testing

Take Apart:

• Bluetooth Card: Changed tool to jewleler’s #0 Phillips screwdriver

Update 1 July 2009

Take Apart:

• General Information: In Tools section, added Apple part number 922-7122 to long-handled, magnetized 3 mm athead hex screwdriver

• Backplane Board: Updated screws from 9 to 10

Apple Technician Guide Introduced 03 March 2009

2010-06-03

Mac Pro (Early 2009) About This Guide — Manual Updates 8

Feedback

We want your feedback to help improve this and future Technician Guides!

Please email any comments to:

smfeedback3@apple.com

2010-06-03

Mac Pro (Early 2009) About This Guide — Feedback 9

 Apple Technician Guide

Basics

Mac Pro (Early 2009)

Overview

The Mac Pro (Early 2009) computer uses Intel “Nehalem” Xeon processors and features both quad-core and 8-core congurations. The following are some basic specications:

• Processors speeds of 2.26, 2.66, 2.93, and 3.33 GHz

• 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC memory in 1 GB, 2GB, and 4 GB UDIMMs

• 18x optical drive

• 640 GB SATA hard drive

• NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics card with one Mini DisplayPort and one dual-link DVI port

• Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)

• Optional ATI Radeon 4870 graphics card, Mac Pro RAID card, AirPort card, 1 TB SATA drive, and dual-channel and quad-channel 4 Gb Fibre channel cards

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For more information, refer to http://www.apple.com/macpro/.

Mac Pro (Early 2009) Basics — Overview 11

How to Identify Quad-Core and 8-Core Processor Congurations

To identify the conguration of a Mac Pro (Early 2009) computer, check the code on the computer’s conguration label, which is located on the computer’s back panel directly below the video ports. See “Serial Number Location.”

Another quick way to identify the conguration is to open the side panel and inspect the processor heatsinks on the processor board. The congurations look like the following:

Quad-Core Conguration

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8-Core Conguration

Mac Pro (Early 2009) Basics — Overview 12

Serial Number Location

The Mac Pro (Early 2009) serial number is located on the conguration label, directly below the conguration description.

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Mac Pro (Early 2009) Basics — Overview 13

 Apple Technician Guide

Troubleshooting

Mac Pro (Early 2009)

General Troubleshooting

Update System Software

Important: Whenever possible before beginning troubleshooting, ensure the latest software

and rmware updates have been applied.

Troubleshooting Theory

For general information on troubleshooting theory, refer to:

http://service.info.apple.com/service_training/en/006/troubleshoot/index.php?page=intro

Emerging Issues

For the latest on troubleshooting issues, refer to:

http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=search&q=khot%20Mac%20Pro%20 Emerging%20Issue

Hardware vs. Software

For information on how to isolate a hardware issue from a software issue, refer to:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1388?viewlocale=en_US

TS1394—Mac OS X: Troubleshooting installation and software updates <http://support.apple.

com/kb/TS1394>

HT2956—Troubleshooting Mac OS X installation from CD or DVD <http://support.apple.com/

kb/HT2956>

For information on how to troubleshoot a software issue, refer to:

HT1199—Mac OS X: How to troubleshoot a software issue <http://support.apple.com/kb/

HT1199>

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Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Update System Software 15

Mac Pro Firmware Updates

Firmware is the name given to software that is written into memory circuits, such as ash memory, that will hold the software code indenitely, even when power is removed from the hardware. Firmware on Intel Mac computers is designed to be updated if necessary through a software update.

EFI rmware updates update the Boot ROM, and SMC updates update the System Management Controller rmware. The SMC manages fans and other environmental parameters that are independent of the Boot ROM.

Firmware symptoms can be easily mistaken for hardware issues (e.g., overheating issues, fan noise issues, etc.). Always check both EFI and SMC rmware versions and update if necessary before replacing any hardware components.

The following lists describe the type of symptoms that may be resolved by updating the EFI and SMC rmware.

Symptoms that may be resolved by updating EFI rmware:

• Cannot eject media (various conditions)

• No video on start up

• Blue system failure screens in Windows XP/Vista

• Not waking or sleeping when expected

• Bad media taking too long to eject (including holding mouse button down at startup taking minutes to eject)

Symptoms that may be resolved by updating SMC rmware:

• Fan related behavior (excessive speed or noise)

• Loud audible clicking from some fans

• Thermal shut down or warnings

• Diagnostics reporting failures

• Sleep/wake issues

• Intermittent shut down

• SMC causes bad/missing ambient sensor to cause the computer to go to sleep

• Hangs, black screen on restart from Windows

• Quick power cycle causes Memory Processor Board Diagnostic LEDs and CPU Overtemp LEDs to illuminate solidly

Important: Since the SMC rmware is stored on both the backplane board and processor board, it is important that the version of SMC rmware match on both boards.

Please follow the steps outlined in KnowledgeBase article 303364, “About Firmware Updates

for Intel-based Macs,” to perform an EFI and/or SMC rmware update. Information about

rmware versions for Intel Macs can be found in KnowledgeBase article 303880, “Mac OS X:

Firmware Updates for Intel-based Macs.”

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Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Mac Pro Firmware Updates 16

Memory Conguration

Mac Pro (Early 2009) comes with a minimum of 3 GB of memory, installed as three 1 GB unbuered dual inline memory modules (UDIMMs).

DIMMs must t these specications:

• PC3-8500,1066 MHz, DDR3 SDRAM UDIMMs

• 72-bit wide, 240-pin modules

• 18 memory ICs maximum per UDIMM

• Error-correcting code (ECC)

For proper operation of Mac Pro (Early 2009) computers, Apple recommends using only Appleapproved DIMMs. Refer to GSX for Apple DIMM service part numbers. Memory from older Macintosh computers is not compatible with Mac Pro (Early 2009).

Quad Core

Quad-core computers have four memory slots. You can install 1 GB or 2 GB DIMMs for a total of up to 8 GB of memory.

You can install dierent size DIMMs in Mac Pro (Early 2009). However, for best performance, Apple recommends you install equal-size DIMMs (all 1 GB or all 2 GB) lling the slots in the order listed in this table. Note that you cannot place a DIMM in slot 4, without rst placing a DIMM in slot 3.

If you have Fill these slots

Two DIMMs 1 and 2 Three DIMMs 1, 2, and 3 Four DIMMs 1, 2, 3, and 4

See also “Memory Slot Utility” below.

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Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Memory Conguration 17

8 Core

Eight-core computers have eight memory slots. You can install 1 GB, 2 GB, or 4 GB DIMMs for a total of up to 32 GB of memory.

You can install dierent size DIMMs in Mac Pro (Early 2009). However, for best performance, Apple recommends you install equal-size DIMMs (all 1, 2, or 4 GB) lling the slots in the order listed in this table. Note that you cannot place a DIMM in slot 4, without rst placing a DIMM in slot 3; you also cannot place a DIMM in slot 8 without a DIMM in slot 7.

If you have Fill in these slots

Two DIMMs 1 and 2 Three DIMMs 1, 2, and 3 Four DIMMs 1, 2, and 5, 6 Six DIMMs 1, 2, 3 and 5, 6, 7 Eight DIMMs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, 6, 7, 8

See also “Memory Slot Utility” below.

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Memory Slot Utility

If you install dierent size DIMMs in quad-core or 8-core processor Mac Pro (Early 2009) computers, follow the order in the tables above. If the DIMM conguration you install doesn’t provide optimized performance, the Memory Slot Utility will appear on screen and recommend an improved conguration. To use the Memory Slot Utility again, go to /System/Library/Core Services.

Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Memory Conguration 18

Memory Diagnostic LEDs

The 8-core and quad-core processor boards include a set of diagnostic memory LEDs. The following illustrations show the location of each LED and its associated DIMM slot.

Quad Core

8 Core

To diagnose memory issues, start up the computer and check the diagnostic memory LEDs. An illuminated, red LED indicates its associated DIMM may be poorly seated or failed.

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Note that Apple System Proler does not report unseated or failed memory. You must use the memory LEDs to locate DIMM issues.

Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Memory Diagnostic LEDs 19

Troubleshooting Memory LEDs

Follow this procedure when troubleshooting each DIMM identied by a red LED:

1. Remove and reseat DIMM.

2. Restart computer. If associated LED is no longer illuminated, issue is resolved.

3. If associated LED remains illuminated, replace DIMM with new DIMM.

4. Restart computer and verify LED is no longer illuminated.

There is one exception. If two LEDs illuminate at the same time for the 3 DIMM and 4 DIMM slots or for the 7 DIMM and 8 DIMM slots, check both DIMMs using this process:

Check Result Action

1. Remove both DIMMs identied by

illuminated LEDs. Set DIMM 4 (or DIMM 8) aside, and reseat DIMM 3 (or DIMM 7). Restart computer. Is DIMM 3 (or DIMM 7) LED illuminated?

2. Reinstall DIMM 4 (or DIMM 8). Restart computer. Is one or both LEDs illuminated?

Yes Replace DIMM 3 (or DIMM 7) with

new DIMM. Go to step 2.

No Go to step 2.

Yes Replace DIMM 4 (or DIMM 8) with

new DIMM.

No Issue resolved.

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Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Memory Diagnostic LEDs 20

PCIe/Graphics Cards

The Mac Pro (Early 2009) backplane board includes one double-wide PCI Express (PCIe) graphics slot and three PCIe expansion slots, for a total of four slots. The computer comes with a graphics card installed in slot 1. You can install additional PCIe graphics and expansion cards in the remaining three expansion slots.

All four slots physically support cards of up to x16 slot width.

Slot electrical specications:

• Slots 1 and 2: x16 PCIe 2.0

• Slots 3 and 4: x4 PCIe 2.0

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Important: Graphics cards from previous Power Mac G5 and Mac Pro models are not softwarecompatible with Mac Pro (Early 2009) models.

Important: Combined maximum power consumption for all four PCIe slots must not exceed 300 W.

Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — PCIe/Graphics Cards 21

CPU A Heatsink Fan and Thermal Sensor

* Intermittent shutdown * Freezes * Noisy or fast fans * Slow or reduced performance

CPU A

* Power & Fans, no boot/video * Freezes * Kernel panic

Northbridge, Heatsink and Thermal Sensor

* Intermittent shutdown * Freezes or unstable system * Noisy or fast fans * Slow or reduced performance

Backplane Interconnect

* No power * No boot * Intermittent freezes * Kernel panic

Memory Slots 5-8 (Dual CPU configuration only)

* Kernel panic * Reduced or slow system performance * Thermal issues * Frequent application crashes

CPU B (Dual CPU configuration only)

* Only 1 CPU detected by system * Freezes * Kernel panic

CPU B Heatsink Fan and Thermal Sensor (Dual CPU configuration only)

* Intermittent shutdown * Freezes * Noisy or fast fans * Slow or reduced performance

Memory Slots 4-1

* Power and fans, no boot/video * Kernel panic * Reduced or slow system performance * Thermal issues * Frequent application crashes

Functional Overview

Processor Board

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Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Functional Overview 22

Backplane Board

Front Panel Board (including front USB, FireWire and headphone ports)

* No power * Connectivity issues with front ports * No audio * Intermittent power off

AirPort

* AirPort not detected in System Profiler * Kernel panic on boot or wi-fi data transfer

Internal Speaker

* No boot chime * No or distorted sound

Processor Cage Fan - Front

* Intermittent shutdown * Freezes * Fast or noisy fans * System runs hot

Backplane Interconnect

* No Power * No boot * Intermittent freezes * Kernel Panic

Processor Cage Fan - Rear

* Intermittent shutdown * Freezes * Fast or noisy fans

PCIe Fan

* Intermittent shutdown * Freezes, graphics glitches * Fast or noisy fans * System runs hot

Optical Drive Power and SATA

* Optical drive(s) not detected in System Profiler * No startup from DVD

Optical Drive and Power Supply Fan

* Intermittent shutdown * Freezes * Fast or noisy fans * System runs hot

SATA Hard Drive 1

* Hard drive not detected in System Profiler * No startup from hard drive * Boot to flashing ?

DC Power Supply connection

* No power * Intermittent power-off * Power-off during heavy CPU/GPU/PCI load

SATA Hard Drive 2

* Hard drive not detected in System Profiler * Hardware RAID issues

PCI Aux Power

* No video (where required PCIe video cards) * PCI cards not detected

SATA Hard Drive 3

* Hard drive not detected in System Profiler * Hardware RAID issues

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Bluetooth

* Bluetooth not detected in System Profiler * Intermittent Bluetooth availability * Data transfer or pairing issues

SATA Hard Drive 4

* Hard drive not detected in System Profiler * Hardware RAID issues

Hard Drive Thermal Sensors

Gigabit Ethernet

Analogue Audio

Digital Audio

Firewire 800

PCIe Slots 1-4

USB 2.0

* No video * Freezes or unstable system * Freezes during boot * Kernel panic * No hardware RAID (No boot)

(1 per drive)

* Intermittent shutdown * Freezes or unstable system * Noisy or fast fans * Slow or reduced performance * Drive spin-down

Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Functional Overview 23

Optical

Drive

Top

PCIe Gen1 2.5GT/s

1 Lanes Each Direction

0.3GB/s Bandwidth

PCIe Gen1 2.5GT/s

1 Lane Each Direction

0.3GB/s Bandwidth

x4 ESI/DMI

Gb Enet A

x16 Gen2 PCIe Slot

PCIe Gen2 5GT/s

16 Lanes Each Direction

10GB/s Bandwidth

SATA 3 Gbps (6 channels)

USB 2.0 (2 EHCI, 12 ports)

GPIOs

CPU A

Xeon

Quad Core

2.93 GHz

8MB Shared L2 Cache

PCIe Gen2 5GT/s

16 Lanes Each Direction

10GB/s Bandwidth

x4 Gen2 PCIe Slot / RAID

PCIe Gen2 5GT/s

4 Lanes Each Direction

2.5GB/s Bandwidth

CPU B

Xeon

Quad Core

2.93 GHz

8MB Shared L2 Cache

DDR3 1066 MHz

3 Channels

1 or 2 DIMM Slot/Channel

25 GB/s Peak Bandwidth

DDR3 1066 MHz

3 Channels

1 or 2 DIMM Slot/Channel

25 GB/s Peak Bandwidth

2 x16

PCIe

x4 PCIe

x20 QPI

Port 1

x20 QPI

Port 0

x4 ESI/DMI

North Bridge

QPI

20 Lanes Each

Direction

6.4GT/s

QPI

20 Lanes Each Direction

6.4GT/s

QPI

20 Lanes Each Direction

6.4GT/s

PCIe Gen1 2.5GT/s

4 Lanes Each Direction

1.25GB/s Bandwidth

Voltage

Monitor

Temp

Sensors

Primary System

Management

Controller

Power

button/SIL

LPC

I2C

Power Supply

80A @ 12V (S0)

5A @ 5V (S5)

FW800

Optical

Drive

Bottom

PCIe Gen1 2.5GT/s

1 Lane Each Direction

0.3GB/s Bandwidth

Audio

Codec

Internal

Speaker

Rear I/O Panel

Line In

Digital

Digital Out

Headphone

/Mic/iPhone

support

PCIe

South Bridge

SPI

Ethernet

10/100/1000 Mbit

PCIe

x1 Gen1 MiniPCIe Slot

Front I/O on

enclosure

Line Out

Main Clock

Generator

PECI 2.0

PCIe

Switch

x4 Gen2 PCIe Slot

PCIe Gen2 5GT/s

4 Lanes Each Direction

2.5GB/s Bandwidth

PCIe Gen2 5GT/s

4 Lanes Each Direction

FW800 FW800

PCIe Clock

Buffer

Fans

Gb Enet B

4MB

Voltage

Monitor

Temp

Sensors

Fans

Ch 2

Ch 1

Ch 0

Ch 2

Ch 1

Ch 0

Current

Monitor

Secondary

System

Management

Controller

Primary

SMC

Current

Monitor

Port

3-6

Port

7-10

Port

1-2

Port 0

Port 1 Port 1

3 4

DIMMs

Slots

DIMMs

Slots

Secondary

SMC

USB 2.0 USB 2.0

Port 6

Port 3

Port 4

4 channels @ 0.3 GB/s Bandwidth each

1 0.3 GB/s channel to each drive

SATA/

SAS Mux

4 channels @ 0.3 GB/s Bandwidth each

Port 0

Port 1 Port 2 - 5 (to Bay 1 - 4)

1 2 3 4

Port 5

FW800 FW800

Power

Button/

SIL

1 2

Airport

Bluetooth 2.1

PROCESSOR BOARD

BACKPLANE

8-Core PROCESSOR BOARD Only

Port 10

Port

0 7 2

Port

9 4

Block Diagram

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Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Block Diagram 24

Common Reset Procedures

The following reset procedures are often helpful in troubleshooting Mac Pro issues.

Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

The System Management Controller (SMC) controls all power functions for the computer. If the computer is experiencing any power issue, resetting the SMC may resolve it. The SMC controls several functions, including:

• Telling the computer when to turn on, turn o, sleep, wake, idle, and so forth

• Handling system resets from various commands

• Controlling the fans

It is also recommended that the SMC be reset after a backplane board or processor board is replaced as part of a repair.

Note that resetting the SMC does not reset the PRAM. Resetting the SMC will not resolve issues in which the computer is unresponsive—in these situations, restarting the computer will generally suce. If the computer isn’t responding, perform these steps one at a time, in the following order, until the issue has been resolved:

1. Force Quit (Option-Command-Escape)

2. Restart (Control-Command-Power)

3. Force Shut Down (press the power button for 10 seconds)

Resetting the SMC can resolve some computer issues such as not starting up, not displaying video, sleep issues, fan noise issues, and so forth. If the computer still exhibits these types of issues after you’ve restarted the computer, try resetting the SMC by removing AC power:

1. From the Apple menu, choose Shut Down (or if the computer is not responding, hold the power button until it turns o).

2. Unplug the AC power cord.

3. Wait at least 15 seconds.

4. Plug the power cord back in, making sure the power button is not being pressed at the

time.

5. Press the power button to start up the computer.

For more information:

http://www.apple.com/support

HT1411—Mac Pro: How to reset the System Management Controller (SMC) <http://

support.apple.com/kb/HT1806>

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Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Common Reset Procedures 25

Resetting the Parameter RAM (PRAM)

To reset PRAM:

1. If the computer is on, turn it o.

2. Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to

hold these keys down simultaneously in Step 4.

3. Turn on the computer.

4. Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys.

Important: You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.

5. Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the

second time.

6. Release the keys.

For more information:

http://www.apple.com/support

HT1379—Resetting your Mac’s PRAM and VRAM <http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379>

Starting Up in Safe Mode

A Safe Boot is a special way to start Mac OS X when troubleshooting. To start up into Safe Mode (Safe Boot):

1. Make sure the computer is shut down.

2. Press the power button.

3. Immediately after you hear the startup tone, press and hold the Shift key.

Note: The Shift key should be held as soon as possible after the startup tone but not

before.

4. Release the Shift key when you see the screen with the gray Apple and progress indicator (looks like a spinning gear). During startup, ”Safe Boot” appears on the Mac OS X startup screen. To leave Safe Mode, restart the computer normally, without holding down any keys during startup.

For more information:

http://www.apple.com/support

HT1564—What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode? <http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1564>

TS1884—Safe Boot take longer than normal startup <http://support.apple.com/kb/

TS1884>

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Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Common Reset Procedures 26

Real Time Clock (RTC) Reset

The Real Time Clock (RTC) is a chip on the backplane board that controls the date and time functions of the computer. If the computer is experiencing an issue booting, resetting the RTC may resolve it. Follow these steps to reset the RTC:

1. From the Apple menu, choose Shut Down (or if the computer is not responding, hold the power button until it turns o).

2. Unplug the AC power cord.

3. Remove the battery for at least 20 seconds. You may need to remove a PCI Express card to

have access to the battery.

Alternatively, you can reset RTC by pressing the RTC reset button (small button located next to the battery). Press the button for one second when the computer is shut down but still connected to AC power.

Power-On Self Test: RAM and Processor Verication

A power-on self test in the computer’s ROM automatically runs whenever the computer is started up after being fully shut down (the test does not run if the computer is only restarted). If the test detects a problem, the status LED located above the power button on the front of the computer will ash in the following ways*:

• 1 Flash: No RAM is installed or detected. Or, the quick memory test failed. An LED will light up on the processor board next to the aected DIMM or empty DIMM slot.

• 3 Flashes: A RAM bank failed extended memory testing. An LED will light up on the processor board corresponding to the aected DIMM.

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Troubleshooting: Try reseating the memory DIMMs. Check memory installation instructions for proper installation order. Swap aected DIMM with known good DIMM.

*Note: The status LED lights up when the power button is depressed at startup. Do not count this light as one of the diagnostic ashes. The memory processor board diagnostic LEDs will also ash briey when the computer is started up or shut down and when it goes in and out of sleep mode. This is normal behavior.

Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Power-On Self Test: RAM and Processor Verication 27

Minimum Conguration Testing

The following procedure can help you troubleshoot a “No Power” or other startup related symptom.

Using this method of gradually building the system up from a bare minimum and verifying expected behaviors at each step is one way of determining which modules function together in some limited form. The goal is to identify which module(s) cause a symptom to recur when they are added. Alternatively, the method may help you discover a loose or faulty cable or connector.

If you encounter unexpected behavior at a step, the general rule of thumb is to suspect the last module you re-installed. Backtrack to the previous step, remove the last installed module, and re-verify the expected behavior.

Note: As with any troubleshooting method, minimum conguration testing is not practical for every repair. Refer to other troubleshooting sections provided in this manual for additional direction in troubleshooting.

Take Mac Pro Down to Minimum Conguration

1. Remove the following items from the Mac Pro:

• Hard drives

• Optical drives

• Processor tray and processor board (containing processors, processor heatsinks, and memory)

• PCIe cards

• AirPort card

• Bluetooth card

• Battery

• PCIe fan

• Processor cage (including fans)

• Front panel board

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Disconnect all cables from the backplane board, except the power supply.

Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Minimum Conguration Testing 28

2. Attach a known good power cord from a known good AC source to the Mac Pro.

Note: When connecting the Mac Pro to AC power, verify that the LEDs for OVTMP CPUA and

OVTMP CPUB briey ash red (less than 0.5 sec). The LEDs are located under hard drive bay 1 on the backplane board. If they do not illuminate briey, there is an issue with either the power supply or the backplane board. Generally speaking, power supplies, because of their nature, can be aected by issues more than other modules. If you suspect a power supply has failed,verify it in another Mac Pro (Early 2009), if available, before replacing any modules.

Note: The OVTMP CPUA and OVTMP CPUB LEDs on a properly functioning Mac Pro will also momentarily ash red immediately after the Mac Pro is disconnected from AC power.

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3. Press the DIAG button, and verify 5V STBY LED (amber) illuminates.

Expected behavior:

5V STBY LED illuminates, conrming power to the backplane board. If the LED does not illumuniate, suspect power supply or backplane board failure.

4. Disconnect AC power cord. Reinstall processor cage with fans and processor board. Do not reinstall processor(s), heatsinks, or memory.

Notes:

• Verify no bent pins on processor connector or mating connector of processor board and backplane board.

• Verify no grime or foreign debris is causing contact issues on processor connectors, and connectors on processor board and backplane board.

5. Connect AC power cord. Press the DIAG button to verify the 5V STBY LED illuminates. This is

Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Minimum Conguration Testing 29

a verify step, as you’ve added modules since previous step.

Expected behavior: 5V STBY LED illuminates, conrming power to the backplane board. If the LED does not illumuniate, suspect power supply or backplane board failure.

6. Momentarily jump the SYS_PWR solder pads to turn ON the Mac Pro.

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Expected behavior:

• Front and rear processor cage fans (and PCIe fan, if installed) should spin slowly

• One red-colored error LED illuminates on the processor board (next to the memory slots).

Notes:

• The solder pads are at the same location where the power button would be.

• To help troubleshoot processor issues, check the related CPU Error LED. See “Processor

Diagnostic LEDs.”

7. Press and hold the DIAG button.

Expected behavior:

• PSU PWROK (green), 5V STBY (amber), EFI DONE (green), GPU OK (green) LEDs illuminated

• No startup tone

• Front and rear processor cage fans (and PCIe fan, if installed) should spin slowly

8. Disconnect AC power cord.

At this point, if the Mac Pro powers ON using a known good front panel board, power button, and cable, make your testing easier by using it instead of jumpering SYS_PWR solder pads.

Mac Pro (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Minimum Conguration Testing 30

+ 174 hidden pages

Apple Mac 2009 Service Manual

Mac Pro (Early 2009)

Contents

About This Guide

Manual Updates

Feedback

Basics

Overview

Serial Number Location

Troubleshooting

General Troubleshooting

Update System Software

Troubleshooting Theory

Emerging Issues

Hardware vs. Software

Mac Pro Firmware Updates

Memory Diagnostic LEDs

PCIe/Graphics Cards

Functional Overview

Block Diagram

Common Reset Procedures