Mac Pro 5,1 - cannot initiate Apple Hardware Test

I have a Mac Pro (mid-2010 3.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon). I am fairly certain that it came with no disks. I have the manual in hand, and it advises to restart while holding down the D key. The point that I am making by reporting that is that those directions effectively confirm that there is no disk to insert.
These are the same instructions given in the Apple online support documents (http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1509).
Those instructions include :It takes a minute or so for AHT to start up and inspect your hardware configuration. While this is taking place, an icon appears on the screen:
I believe that I have held the D key for a considerable amount of time (no, I've not timed it) and have only seen the gray startup screen. I had given up waiting, released the D key, and waited some more, with no evidence that anything is happening. Eventually, I held the power button to shut down the system, then restarted normally.
Have I been impatient? Do I need to hold the D key until the icon appears? How long should I wait? Does the fact of my 16GB RAM and considerable HD space impact the timing? Although the instructions advise detachment of all peripherals (except the essentials), is that an absolute necessity?
Thanks for your experienced answers.
Brian

Mid-2010 came with OEM 10.6.x build on DVD. Later in 2011 summer they may have shipped with Lion but you could request the OEM DVD set.
There is no ROM firmware to do AHT over the net though regardless one way or another, the 5,1 lacks that ability.

Similar Messages

Cannot access Apple Hardware Test

I recently learned about the Apple Hardware Test, and decided to run it, just to see if it reported anything wrong.
I have a MBP from early 2008, 2.2 GHz Core 2 Duo, 15.4".
The built-in optical drive no longer reads DVD-type media. It will read CDs, but not DVDs of any kind. This has been verified by an Apple Genius; it needs to be replaced.
I have a Snow Leopard disc in an external drive, connected via USB. When the Mac is running, I see the Snow Leopard disc; I can access normally.
However, when I restart (or turn off, then on) the computer, and press and hold 'D' right away, nothing different happens; it boots into OS X just as it normally does. I have tried this a few times, both restarting and turning off then on, holding down the 'D' key right away.
Is the problem that the OS X disc is in an external drive? If this is the problem, then how is the AHT accessed on a MacBook Air?
Is the problem the Snow Leopard disc itself; does it not have the AHT on it to begin with? I can no longer locate the original 10.5 discs that came with my computer, but I believe I may be able to get ahold of a relative's later-version 10.5 discs.
Or is there some other problem or something else I'm doing wrong?

Hi again Justin,
Justin J. Rebbert wrote:
Well, as I mentioned in my original post, no, I do not have the original Leopard discs that came with my Mac. But as I also mentioned, I can probably get ahold of a set of Leopard discs that belong to a relative. One thing I did not mention, though, is that I'm pretty sure these Leopard OS X discs are retail (did not come with a computer). Do you know for sure whether or not regular Leopard discs have the AHT on them?
Yes, 100% certain. AHT comes only with the original discs that were supplied with your model MBP.
eww has suggested a link for you where they can be purchased for $33. However, with an internal optical drive that cannot read CDs/DVDs, your only options are:
1. Repair/replace the internal optical drive.
2. Purchase an external optical drive.
3. Create a partition in your external drive and then using either Carbon Copy Cloner or the Restore feature within Disk Utility, create a bootable image of the original OS DVD. When you start up from this bootable image it behaves in exactly the same way as if you started up from the OS DVD.
Justin J. Rebbert wrote:
I have no idea what you're talking about when you "like you did with Snow Leopard". I didn't have to make bootable images or use different partitions or anything like that at all, and I don't know what made you think that.
My apologies. In your original post you said:
I have a Snow Leopard disc in an external drive, connected via USB. When the Mac is running, I see the Snow Leopard disc; I can access normally.
The above made me conclude that the "external drive" was an external hard disk drive. Reading it again, I can see that you mean it's an external optical drive.
Now, I know that eww, in his reply to you stated the following:
I don't believe AHT can be run from an external drive. It requires all external devices to be disconnected except the AC adapter.
eww is very knowledgeable and well respected in these forums so I'm hesitant to disagree with him. I believe that one can carry out a AHT from an external optical drive but will test later today or tomorrow to make sure.
Justin J. Rebbert wrote:
Also, just FYI, from what I've read about accessing the AHT in other posts on these discussion forums, apparently all Macs (of a certain unknown vintage and later) have the AHT accessible from the hard drive, but this is only true if it's the original hard drive, which furthermore has never been reformatted. My MBP's hard drive is an upgraded (bigger and faster) replacement, so unfortunately, that's no longer an option.
No, it's not only true if it's the original hard drive.
It is, however, true if the OS on the replacement hard drive was installed using the original disks that came with that model Mac. The OS can the be upgraded to a later version but the fact that the original OS DVDs were used then, assuming the Mac model is of the vintage that allows it, a hidden small partition is created thus allowing the user to boot into AHT without needing the original discs to start from.
Da Vinci

Apple Hardware Test Question

I have a macbook that is currently not starting up from it's internal HD. The drive will not even show up if I hold down option at start-up and attempt to select it as the start-up disk.
I have the install disks that came with a white macbook, but the computer that I'm working on is a blackbook.
I have attempted to start-up into AHT by holding down 'd' as instructed, the system configuration test runs, I select the language, but then it says that this version is incompatable with the machine.
The AHT verison is 3A118
Is this the right version? Or is there a different version for the blackbook?
I'm going to try to run TechTool Pro a little bit later.
Secondly, I am even unable to re-install the OS from the disk that I have. Could this potentiall be a total failure of the HD that I may not even be able to recover the data from?
Any and all help will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

There have been three MacBook versions. You haven't told us which version MacBook you have, so we can't tell you if that's the right disk or not. The Apple Hardware Test is, as its name suggests, hardware-specific to the model that it shipped with. The correct version isn't dependent on the color of the MacBook, but rather the model/revision. Which processor do you have and what's the speed? Core Duo? Core 2 Duo? 1.8GHz? 2.0GHz? 2.1GHz?
If the Mac OS X installer on that disk tells you that it can't be installed on that model Mac, then you have the wrong disk. You will need the correct disk for both the Mac OS X installer and the Apple Hardware Test. Or does the Mac OS X install fail at a different place?
-Doug

Apple Hardware Test automatically runs?

Hello everyone,
When I turned on my 13" macbook pro today, it ran the Apple Hardware Test. I ran the test and found no errors.
Is it normal for macs to automatically run this diagnostic tool? Because ive done a quick search on the internet and it seems as if the Hardware Test runs when you insert the software disk that comes with the macbook.
There is no CD in my optical drive, and I bought the macbook 6 months ago.
So is everything ok? because it worried me quite considerably that something is wrong my by macbook.
Thanks!

AFAIK, they don't even document this in the ACMT material. That's nice. It means I shouldn't need to stock all those application DVDs at work. Usually I just load the appropriate ASD revision onto my external HDD, but that may just come in handy some day.
I'm also betting AHT is installed on the firmware chip. Honestly, the downloadable version for service techs is only like 3-5MB on average. And EFI is what a modern BIOS/firmware should be... It initializes the hardware, then hands things over to the OS and gets out of the way. You have a cheap little 32Mb or 64Mb flash chip, you'd probably have room to spare.

Apple Hardware Test wont start

Hey!
I hope someone can help, I have a mid 2009 Macbook Pro, I want to run Apple Hardware Test, by holding down the D key whilst restarting the computer or from the computer being completely shut down it doesn't work. I have also tried booting AHT with the installation disk in the drive.
Any thoughts?

Try starting the AHT with the OPTION + D keys.
You should be able to use the #2 install disk. It has the AHT instructions on it.
Ciao.

How to start Apple Hardware Test under OS X Lion

Since I made the upgrade to OS X Lion I cannot start Apple Hardware Test with the old method that works under Snow Leopard.
Under OS X 10.6.8 I used to keep D key pressed until a picture appeared in the middle of the screen. With Lion it doesn't work, even under Wi-Fi internet connection.
Any suggestions?

Have a look at this discussion https://discussions.apple.com/message/15772841#15772841
Stefan

Apple Hardware Test Unavailable? Mac Pro 2008, Mavericks installed

Restarting my early 2008 Mac Pro with Mavericks installed while holding down the "D" key and it's just booting up like normal. Tried holding it before it shuts down, holding it after the startup tone, and holding it after the grey screen appears (which the apple site says is wrong).
Any suggestions?

That will only work with the original discs that came with the computer.
How to invoke and interpret the Apple hardware tests | MacFixIt - CNET Reviews
Using Apple Hardware Test

I have Mac Pro 2007, which have no bluetooth hardware. What should I do to use Apple wireless keyboard and magic mouse??? Can 'third party's internal bluetooth card' be used for this purpose? Help please...

I have Mac Pro 2007, which have no bluetooth hardware. What should I do to use Apple wireless keyboard and magic mouse??? Can 'third party's internal bluetooth card' be used for this purpose? Help me please...

You can find the Apple Bluetooth card on eBay for as little ten dollars (says its for the 2008 model Mac Pro, not sure about the 2007).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bluetooth-Board-iMac-and-Mac-Pro-922-8233-922-8233-/1208 49278570
Here is a link to a full explanation of the card and how to install it. Part numbers may differ a bit as that is an old article and newer models have come out.
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/Mac_Pro/Bluetooth_MacPro_install/Bluetooth_Ma cPro_install.html
Just make sure that the part will work in your model Mac Pro. To that end, you may be better off avoiding eBay and going to a parts reseller. There are even third party cards that use the internal Apple bluetooth slot.
http://fastmac.com/bluetooth.php
In theory, using a USB or PCI card will work at login so long as it is recognized by Apples drivers. You say you need to launch an application to use your current USB Bluetooth dongle? If it is not controlled by the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar then it must be using a third party driver of some sort. Unfortunately, I don't know off hand which USB and PCI cards are supported.

I have Mac Pro 2010 model and it's giving heavy fan noise,so run the Apple hardware test but it's showing the Error: 4SMC 1 40000000 please help me in this issue.

I have Mac Pro 2010 model and it's giving heavy fan noise,so run the Apple hardware test but it's showing the Error: 4SMC 1 40000000 please help me in this issue.

Same error information here.
https://discussions.apple.com/message/13083664?messageID=13083664

How to run Apple Hardware Test on Mac Pro with ML preinstalled?

I have Mac Pro 5.1 (2012) which came with Mountain Lion preinstalled. It didn't have install DVDs. How do I run AHD? Restarting with D, or command+D, or option+D didn't work. It would just restart the OS. And Mac Pro didn't support Internet AHD eather.

Thank you for your reply, Carolyn.
I read this article. None of those applied to my case:
my Mac Pro came before 2013 and it doesn't have Apple Diagnostics built into it,
it doesn't have Apple Hardware Test built into it,
and my Mac Pro came with Mountain Lion preinstalled and it did not have system software disc or USB flash drive.
Restarting while holding down the D key simply doesn't work it just reboot back to the desktop.

Cannot start-up to the Apple Hardware Test — MacBook Pro & Lion

Whenever I try holding the D key before and throughout all of the start-up process, it simply makes the grey screen appear for longer, and slow the whole process... but never beings the Apple Hardware Test.
I'm following Apple's official instructions:
To start up your computer in Apple Hardware Test:
Press the power button to turn on your computer.
Press and hold the D key before the gray startup screen appears. An Internet-enabled connection via Ethernet or Wi-Fi is required to use this feature.
Note: Some Macintosh computers that shipped with OS X Lion support the use of Apple Hardware Test over the Internet. These computers will start up to an Internet-based version of AHT if the hard drive does not contain AHT.
Why doesn't it work?
My MBP was shipped as follows:
For Apple computers that shipped with Mac OS X v10.5.5 to 10.6.7, Apple Hardware Test is located on the Applications Install Disc 2 and should be included with your computer.
But I have upgraded to Lion! Do I need the disk still? If so, why am I to lumber around a disk from a previous OS... good that I didn't throw it out!

I'm trying to find the answer to a similiar question. Here's my thread.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3549995

Apple Hardware Test on Macbook Pro Core 2 Duo (early 2007) with no DVD?

Hi,
My Mac is keep on freezing and I would really like to know what is wrong with it. (I did PRAM NVRAM reset 100 times... didnt help.)
I can't find my OSX Tiger DVD which was included when i bought my Macbook Pro in January 2007. So I've been reading through forums like crazy trying to find another way to run AHT (apple hardware test). So far I came up empty.
So my question is: If I upgrade from Lion (which is my current osx on this machine) to Mountain Lion, will I be able to use online AHT (option + d)? Or more general: is there any way to run AHT on my machine or any other way to find the broken component. or should i just throw it away?
Thank you.

Take your machine into your local Apple Store or an AASP and they will run free diagnostics. If there's a lot that needs to be done on your machine to get it back up and running, ask about Apple's flat-rate repair pricing. For less than $350, you could have a machine that is almost like new.
Clinton

How to obtain apple hardware test for MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009), how to obtain apple hardware test for MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009)

I no longer have the software disk (OS10.5) that came with my MBP in July 2009. I only have the $10 Snow Leopard disk from Apple, which does NOT seem to contain any Apple Hardware Test (AHT). I have tried starting while holding d or option keys to no avail. Does neither my laptop nor OS 10.6 install disk have AHT? If not, can the appropriate AHT be obtained? My wife has an older MacBook & her original 10.5 install disk, but it will not launch AHT in my MBP. Any suggestions?
Thanx

I like the advice to contact Apple and simplky pay for a new AHT. I did that, giving them the serial number of my MBP and indicating it was a June 2009 model, 2.66 gHz Core 2. However .....
I received yet another Apple FedEx shipmet with yet another different Mac OS X Leopard install DVD; this makes three in all!! Just as with the 1st DVD, these two will NOT mount on my desktop, are NOT seen by Disk Utility (or by Drive Genius) and cannot boot my MBP laptop in either of 4 different modes: (1) start-up with "d" (2) start-up with "option d" (3) start-up with "option" (4) start-up with "c". Apparently none of the disks I received have Apple Hardware Test on them, although that is what I paid for in early December. It may be that the last two disks really do have Mac OS X Leopard on them, but because I am now running OS 10.7.5 (purchased from App store with no AHT), the disks cannot be seen by my laptop.
          The two most recent incorrect DVDs I received have the following part numbers:
                    SRF2Z691-6037-A [indicated on packing slip 10.5 Retail-International]
                    SRF2Z679-6341-A (indicated on packing slip 10.5.6 Retail (PCrly 09) In]
          I happen to have MacTracker app 7.2.1. It indicates that my laptop is a MacBookPro 5,3 model A1286 EMC2325 and requires Apple Hardware Test 3A171. Apple never sent me the correct AHT.
          I suspect that Apple's cost to ship 3 incorrect DVDs by 1- or 2-day FedEx vastly exceeds the $17.44 price I paid for a working version of AHT for my computer, but have yet to receive.

How can i get or download the apple hardware test for a macbook pro made in 2012 running Mavericks 10.9.3

Does anyone know how can i get or download the apple hardware test for a macbook pro made in 2012 running Mavericks 10.9.3. Thanks.

Sean and Andy -
I have to agree with Andy here. I am having the same problem on a mid 2010 MBP (6,2). I have already read the AHT info provided by Sean's link, and they are less than helpful. I'm sure they will be helpful to those who find that they work, but they are confusing if this is not the case. For example, my MBP(6,2) came with ONE (not two) installation disks, so the instructions don't work for me. Another issue is the instructions confound the descriptions related to the MBP, the original (delivered) software (OS X version), and the current installed OS X upgrade software.
So here's what does NOT work for me...
     (A) I cannot install 'Disk 2', since I never received this with my original (new) purchase in mid 2010.
     (B) I have checked my firmware versions and they are all up to date, as per Apple's information.
     (C) As suggested in another thread, I looked for /Library/Core Services/.diagnostics and it was NOT present. I followed his instructions, downloaded the correct (I believe) dmg, and installed it. It is in the correct place, and I can see all the invisible files using Pathfinder.
     (D) When I re-start holding down the D key (immediately), it just goes through the normal boot routine; no evidence of AHT.
     (E.1) When I re-start holding down OPT-D, I get a spinning globe, and then it prompts me for a network (wi-fi) connection.
     (E.2) For some unknown reason, the prompt identifies between 2 and 5 of my --neighbors'-- routers, but does not show mine. (??!!)
     (E.3) The routers are listed alphabetically; however, my router SHOULD be at the top of the list by this criterion, but it is nowhere to be seen.
     (E.4) The 'internet recovery' process then allows me to enter a network name AND password. I do this, for my current wi-fi router, and the process rejects it as an incorrect login ID. It is NOT an incorrect login ID!
So, now asking Sean and Andy (or anyone else) for further suggestions... ??? As Andy suggested, many people ask questions here because they have -already- worked through the 'official' recommendations, and have found them to be inadequate.
Any advice would be appreciated! TIA.
Ed

HT201257 Holding down "D" no longer starts Apple Hardware Test! Any idea what's happened and how I fix it? Or do I need to go to the Genius Bar? MacBook Pro with Lion Preinstalled.

I have a MacBook Pro with Lion Preinstalled, so AHT was present on the hard disc and worked when the product was new. One of the first things I did from new was run AHT and it worked fine. But now it doesn't start - instead the machine (eventually) boots into normal OS X.
Holding down "D" no longer starts Apple Hardware Test! Any idea what's happened and how I fix it? Or do I need to go to the Genius Bar?
Software Mac OS X Lion 10.7.3 (11D50b), if it makes any difference.
Any ideas?

Thanks. However, even with an internet connection that doesn't work for me - the machine just (after an extended delay) boots normally. It doesn't download.
Option-D works for an Internet-based AHT. However that only works with an internet connection. It doesn't seem to download it and install it - it needs internet every time.
Any idea how my local copy of AHT disappeared? I haven't repartitioned the drive or knowingly deleted anything. And how do I reinstate it (because if you need AHT your hardware problems may preclude internet access!)?

Mac Pro 5,1 - cannot initiate Apple Hardware Test

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for