THANK YOU SOOOO much! Flashed my Nvidia 765m this morning. The only thing that I had to do in addition to these steps is disable the write protection on the firmware with the "--protectoff" command. After that I walked through these steps and it worked like a charm!! I am SOOO Happy!
Hi Curtis, Thank you so much for this video, I followed instructions to the letter and now have my iMac mid 2010 running a fully functional K4100M GPU. Brilliant!
Please, can you help me. When I enter the command "cd / lib / live / mount / medium / flash" it gives me an error: "no such file or directory" What am I doing wrong? ...i have the same Card (K1100)
@@marcelmertens7140 All the current vBIOS files are availible in the MacRumors thread. It might be that you ordered a different K2100M spec, which has a different vendor. In that case I'm not sure if you will be able to flash it, really depends. I flashed mine by installing the card into the iMac and followed the steps that Curtis described (using SSH). I was surprised that it worked, but it did.
This is so awesome, thank you so much Curtis. I've saved my 2011 iMac that I had already baked twice, now running amazingly well with k1100m. You're a legend, I owe you a beer (BTC on the way!)
XANDERON! What a life saver, this is a brilliant video Curtis, thanks for highlighting this method. My iMac 27 2011 i7 3.4 with a 6790 suddenly went blue screen on me and from there it is on a reboot loop so yeah my video card is on the blink. This video is inspiring me to go one up on the video card. Thank you for putting this together.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I did the whole remove/bake/re-install on my 2011 27" and it worked: for three months. Was just about to do the same thing again and then found this and the macrumors thread you linked. So great.
Just finished upgrade right now! Imac mid 2011 - 27. My choice is a K2100. Flashing works perfectly. Just one advice from checking ip address from terminal (more fast) with arp-scan --localnet (need to install with brew install arp-scan). Thanks so much from Italy! you got a subscriber! :D
your videos are the best man i watch your video were you used to flash a k610m just want to say thinks for all your hard work im going to get a e1270 xeon and the wx7100 for my 27 inch imac 2011
Glad I could help! Your iMac will be a beast! Look out for the wx7100 - it sounds like there are certain models that work (dell?) and others just dont...
@@messing-with-computers your welcome I Ben reading about that some work and some dont to the ones that do work dont have a chip bye the GPU I think its a 2nd bios chip or something on the right side of of the GPU core I think that the model number 109-c95847-00c_02 I Ben reading about that on mac rumors.com the chip is bye the 4 memory chips were it sas amd and that would be v345 1.0 but the versions v345 1.1 dont have that chip at all I did try the amd 4150 and that didnt work at all I wish it did cuz I have 4 of them cards but I just put them in my other laptops with hackintosh and the wx4150 works very well thanks for all your help stay safe to
Thanks so much, just installed K3100M 4GB using this method in mid-2010 27 inch iMac, it was surprisingly easy besides making it fit with 3 pipe heatsink, minor Dremel mods were needed. Rom file was not in the standard package but it was available on the main forum so was pretty easy; drag and drop; rename it for ease of use with the same command using your example, nothing too extreme. Thanks again great video, subscribed to your channel.
Maxi, can you provide a link to the ROM file for the K3100M so that I can copy it to the USB stick. Haven't been able to track it down in the forum. Thanks
Curtis Gross perfect description! Got a K4100m coming in [however long it takes to ship to China] after sitting on a GTX 770 for months hoping for brightness control. Lol. Thanks for the Google Doc too - I started one to share myself but never went through with. Might have a few notes on the heat sink modification if you’re looking for contributors
Max Meier yes Aliexpress seems to be the source. I think they’re trustworthy! I think the problems come with e.g the AMD cards where it has to have a certain chip on it. I think any K4100m is fine. Will try and remember to post here when it arrives :) If you’re in the US though I think you e got a decent chance of scoring on eBay. Not the case in Europe
Another thought that might work for some. Would connecting an external monitor work as opposed to doing it doing it blind. So you don't need to put everything back together but still be able to see what is happening.
There’s no reason why that shouldn’t work, except for one; I don’t think display mode works in recovery or boot modes. I think it only gives an output once the computer boots into the software, but I might be wrong.
@@walshmagic Haha - well, check out my staingate removal video! Cause yeah.. I have experienced it on pretty much 100% of my 2013-2015 macbook pros (which are still my favorite)
Please, can you help me. When I enter the command "cd / lib / live / mount / medium / flash" it gives me an error: "no such file or directory" What am I doing wrong? ...
See Jamie Robinsons comment below - new file structure in certain downloads: Here are the instructions: 1. first type "lsblk" to list out the block devices on the drive, which will look like this: NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT loop0 7:0 0 259.9M 1 loop /lib/live/mount/rootfs/grml64-small.squashfs sdb 8:16 1 7.2G 0 disk └─sdb1 8:17 1 7.2G 0 part /lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb1 sr0 11:0 1 1024M 0 rom 2 . The second file path is the one you need to use for your command In my case it was "cd /lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb1/flash" However "sdb1" might be different, although if you have no other drives connected, then it might well be the same (please let me know in the comments!) 3. The path to run the rom is now ./nvflash_linux -6 QUADRO/K2100.rom (change according to which rom you need!) Hopefully this saves some googling for everyone
@@tylercaton6145 This solved my first problem, but now i get the message: Firmware image must have a valid extension (.rom .nvr .efr .efirom) but i did that several times with the line: ./nvflash_linux _6 QuadroK3000M_STE3.rom What is going wrong?
2011 iMac 27" ssh in OK from other mac however after logging in and ls, appears everything good ready to flash, I enter the final command exactly to flash and receive "nvflash_linux command not found". I double checked the USB and all was there... Help Please UPDATE: After reviewing command line I found I was missing the "./" before the nvflash_linux command. Done & Done!!!!!!
I'm stuck here too - what exactly did you type './nvflash_linux -6 Quadro_Beta1.2/K610M_EG2.rom' is what i've got and it's giving me either permission denied or no such directory found depending on if i put a space after the slash
@@jameslittlewood Yes, I was missing the "./" before the command line. Make sure you have the ".rom file" located in your beta1.2 folder. Remember that even a space is a character placeholder and can effect the command.
@@tomaigner7070 Hi Tom, thanks for your reply. I made sure there was no spaces or anything of that nature and I put the file in the same folder as the other '.rom' files for the K2100m etc. Is that correct?
When I list out all the files in terminal I can see it display correctly. I think the error is something to do with a permission error for the './' but I'm an absolute novice here so i'm not sure what that really means.
attempting to flash K1000m; 3 led light doesn't come on on the motherboard. I have the flash drive connected to usb bt it never boots from usb stick?? this stick will work in other working Macs!!
@@messing-with-computers thank you! It's been a lot for me to wrap my head around all of this, despite your succinct explanations. Had a faulty sata cable & usb stick too had my head spinning. I'm a complete novice, but finally getting it to work. Your channel is amazing. ty.
Hey! My ethernet isn’t working and we’re on a COVID lockdown in bcn. I wanted to know if there is any way I can use the wifi option (maybe introducing the setup on a file or blind working)..?
Please, can you help me. When I enter the command "cd / lib / live / mount / medium / flash" it gives me an error: "no such file or directory" What am I doing wrong? ...i have the same Card (K1100m) Please help me!
When I ssh to the target iMac I get all the same text as per your screen shot at 09:52 up to “Host key verification failed”, but I don’t get the remaining lines or the option to continue. Any help in sorting out what I’ve missed would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance
Thank you for this tutorial. I am still a bit confused about the flashing process specifically for a K4100, which I bought when you mentioned that it was now possible to flash those. However I do not quite get if I can just load the K4100 bios nickey22 offers on macrumours onto a USB stick via the Xanderson method, or is the K4100M bios only for the longer non-USB type transfer, (which I am not confident enough to try yet...)
Hi, I'm exactly in that situation. I have the Nickey22 3 files (.rom) and I'm not too sure if i should copy or replace them in the USB Xanderson´s method. Did you manage to do it properly?
Looks like the directory structure provided by The_Croupier is flawed. It does not have a flash sub directory under medium. I managed to still download the original zip file from the first link, which worked. (the mediafire link)
Please help! I get this error on the last command: ERROR: GPU mismatch I am trying to flash a K610M card. UPDATE: I HAVE RESOLVED THE ISSUE. I was trying to use the K2100M rom file, because the K610M rom file was not in the file. I had to download it from Curtis' google drive folder.
@@quintijnbulterman4753 - Both are options, but I like to put all the flashable bios files on the usb stick that is running linux so I don't have to sftp/ssh them over.
I know this is an old video but I am just upgrading my 2011 iMac. Put in an SSD and an i7 CPU and now I want to install the K2100M GPU I have but your instructions link has been deleted. Do you still have your instructions handy?
Great video, thank you. I can’t get the SSH to work - says connection refused. Have tried on Terminal on a Mac, in Command Prompt and Putty on a Windows 10 machine and same on all. Any tips on how to get the connection working please? I’ve spent a fortune on a k4100m in the UK (115GBP) and hours installing it and modifying the heat sink, seems like will all be wasted.
Great video, I just got a 765m in the mail and wil be doing this soon. I am also considering upgrading the cpu for the i7 2600s while I am in there. Do you know if upgrading the wifi card from a 2012 imac will enable airport to talk to newer devices?
@@alexandertomak4199 I did, the instructions for the directory were off. I had to back out yo the root and find find the directories from there to where the commad works. It did work for me.
@@alexandertomak4199 I had the same issue. Turns out the instructions in this video are for the first uploaded files, the subsequent re-uploaded files have a different file path. I got around it using this line (its time consuming, but you must write down each line of text exactly, including spaces etc each time otherwise you may find yourself lost in the wrong directory): /lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # L (this lists all the different files available on the memory stick) /lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # cd QUADRO/GTX/AMD (chose the category for the card you have installed) /lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # cd QUADRO/GTX/AMD # L (this lists all the available Bios' for those cards available on the memory stick. Write down the bios file EXACTLY for the next step) /lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # ./nvflash_linux --protectoff (You should now see the 'Nvidia firmware update utility' text) /lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # ./nvflash_linux -6 QUADRO/K610M_EG2.rom Then type 'Y' when it asks you if you want to flash the new BIOS. I hope this helps someone. I've just performed this process twice in the last two weeks on different cards and it worked for me. I hope it also works for you.
Hi I have a problem, I followed everything, I flashed with the key, it gave me the ok, but my screen continues to remain black after putting the ssd back, imac 2011 21.5 with k2100m whits catalina patch installed
hello curtis i like the process but i installed a k100m and now i try to do the flash connected to the network but it just stays black and i can't boot from the usb i disconnect the drives and connect it to an external screen but i still can't get the flash to start only black screen I would appreciate your help My ImaC IS A1211 MID 2011 ON GPU NVIDIA QUADRO K1100M🙂
Hey Curtis, knowing what you know now about the entire process of upgrading your 2011 iMac, did you find the investment worth it and how much did the upgrade cost? I'm looking to do a similar upgrade on my mid 2010 iMac. Thanks! Eddy.
I’m just giving up at this point. Like wow. What am I doing wrong, i finally got the router and iMac to an ethernet. Shows up on the website and everything as with an IP but the my ssh port 22 still times out. I’m using a windows, and have tried terminal and putty!🤦♂️
It’s really more of a software process and the headaches begin when you have to dismantle the. Computer. Also I don’t have the HDD or OD just flash drive with files...:/
please help me, I have to enter the password of the imac lock screen . Clicking for the 3rd time, it still says permission denied( publicky,password) help me , thank
Great video, as always 😀. I've just got my Nvidia Quatro K1100m from China. Just one question: If I don't flash the card will my iMac boot and work properly? Flashing is only for the boot menu and brightness control, right?
I think I have worst luck ever. Ive tried this on my 24” with k610m with no luck. Returned the gpu for replacement and ordered a k1100m as backup. Have another 27” 2011 imac that original gpu was failing. White screen on start up. No matter what card I put in I could not get it to boot up. The new k610 or the k1100m? Im at a loss. Was using external monitor booting to windows. After like 8 teardowns and put togethers, i ended up baking the original card and putting it back in. Not sure where to go from here... do I just have worst luck in the world and got 3 non working mxm cards?
Dear Sir, may I ask You whether it could be possible to reuse the same Logic Pro program which was in a preceding OS High Sierra , after a renewal of the same computer , submitted under a new open core procedure and , so to say , a new OS Big Sir or whatever ? Waiting for Your kind reply , I salute You with Best Regards
Hi, i have 2 questions , 1; are mac vbios work in windows based laptops with mxm slot? If it works , the second question , someone has an r9 m395x or 295x or 485x vbios?
Great video! I’m planning to install a K4100m in a 2011 27” iMac in the near future as well. I was wondering if using a thunderbolt cable to connect MBP to iMac for the flashing be feasible? Or is the only option is to connect iMac via Ethernet then ssh and flash? Thanks in advance
Amazing guide, in following both the guides, yours and the guide from the forum, I've successfully managed to grml into my black screen imac with a gtx 980m in, everytime I try to load the flash via cd lib/live/mount/medium/flash I get a no directory found :(, should I try 2 or 3 different usb sticks? I'm just so close to running NVflash 😄
I had the same issue. Turns out the instructions in this video are for the first uploaded files, the subsequent re-uploaded files have a different file path. I got around it using this line (its time consuming, but you must write down each line of text exactly, including spaces etc each time otherwise you may find yourself lost in the wrong directory): /lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # L (this lists all the different files available on the memory stick) /lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # cd QUADRO/GTX/AMD (chose the category for the card you have installed) /lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # cd QUADRO/GTX/AMD # L (this lists all the available Bios' for those cards available on the memory stick. Write down the bios file EXACTLY for the next step) /lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # ./nvflash_linux --protectoff (You should now see the 'Nvidia firmware update utility' text) /lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # ./nvflash_linux -6 QUADRO/K610M_EG2.rom Then type 'Y' when it asks you if you want to flash the new BIOS. I hope this helps someone. I've just performed this process twice in the last two weeks on different cards and it worked for me. I hope it also works for you.
@@Balderz337 Sweet lord this needs to be pinned to the very top. I also encountered the dread file structure change and the ever so helpful macrumors didn't have an edit to update either. I've been fighting with this iMac for the better part of a week.. Purchased a dead 2nd 2011 27 inch that was in better physical shape to swap the exterior case and internal LCD over as my other one had yellowed. swapped everything over, cut myself while trimming the GPU heatsink, and now FINALLY got everything put back together and assembled. Just literally about to put the screws in it for what is potentially going to be one of the final times I open this bastard up. The *only* things I have left to do (I may regret writing this, karma can be a bitch) are potentially upgrade the wifi, and install a two drive SSD bay in the hard drive area for a 2nd SSD. Ideally, I want to run windows 10 on one hard drive and Mac OS Sonoma on the other, with maybe a boot drive for High Sierra in case things go squirrely sideways. needless to say, getting this flashed could NOT have been done without your help Balderz. @messing-with-computers definitely got me along the path here, but I cannot help but feel a more recent update on this how to is needed, or at least these directions pinned. once again, thanks to all of those who made this possible. my dream of ripping the GPUs out of a dead Alienware 14 laptop just to stuff them into my maxed out 27 inch 2011 iMac that runs better than an iMac 8 years newer has finally been achieved :D
I think it could be more automated if the Linux ran a startup script to flash a file that you previously need to copy to a directory, t then reboot automatically
What a great update - 2 days after i installed my 765m. Now I might be asking a blondie question here :) if i dont remove the hd and screen and just hold Alt > click on the right arrrow and hit return.... will the linux Black window be shown when it has loaded...so I dont need to SSH from another mac? Or is this because its not showing anything at all and only way in is through SSH remote
Hello Curtis, Is there any other way to flash K610m, I installed it today and followed your guide, when it was all done with linux I installed the screen and the imac has nothing coming up on the screen. Can you reflash it a again or a different way.HELP
Why not to modify files in such a way that you just need to plug USB flash in, wait, it restarts and you can see everything working? Fully automated process.
Hi, I updated my k1100m but i cannot download the Catalina loader from your drive, it says it is a virus. I have no antivirus on my system, is just pure catalina on imac 2011 21.5 How can I get that file in order to fi the brightness please?
Hi Curtis. Great video. I tried to fix new Nvidia GPU as instructions. After connecting cables everything but without hdd. Tried to power up but no noise. No fan. Nothing. Is it brick? Also I redid and realised I snapped off two small cables. I want to add photo but cannot do that. Is it due to these two small cables that causing psu to fail powering on? Pls advise. Thanks.
I’m planning to install the $20 K610M sometime in the near future. When it comes to the thumb-drive issue, can’t I just test it first by attempting to start the machine while holding option down, to see if it shows on the boot menu? I kinda got lost around that because the OP was suggesting to place the linux and the other files on more than one thumb-drive. Is that our only option to ensure success?
hello curtis, thanks for the sharing, need your insight...i got a k1100 and follow your method...and try 4 different usb stick and none of them recognize....do you have any insight on this issue? what brand of usb stick you are using and disconnect everything and nothing happen. put the stick to the macbook to test it, hit option key will show on boot screen. please help, much appreciated.
Daft question maybe. I have Catalina running with a K1000m and am trying to follow the instructions here, however, I can see my screen and having booted from the flash-drive I'm now at the option menu. How do I do what needs done? Do I need to ssh if I can already see my screen?
If you can see the option menu with the new video card... you might not need to do anything. When you get into MacOS check and see in the 'about this mac' to see if maybe you got a video card that was previously flashed?
@@messing-with-computers That makes sense! Thank-you. Fully upgraded 21.5" now. Really appreciate it! It has a name after the K1000m so maybe been flashed by the seller?
I changed the gpu of the 27 inch 2011 iMac to k2100m. Of course, the boot screen did not appear, and the booting was completed with the High Sierra screen. It works very well. However, the brightness control was not available, and I used usb to change the rom, but the screen was not showing anything, so I couldn't change the rom. Nothing on the original screen? Ethernet cable is not connected. Is it because of this?
Hi Curtis, great video!! I was looking for the NVIDIA K2100m or at least one that meets the power specs of my 21,5” 2,8Ghz i7, SSD, 16GB RAM Mid 2011 iMac. How do I recognize the correct card and it’s chipset for instance when to by on eBay or AliExpress? The MacRumors forum has become a complete bookstore on this topic of GPU upgrades for iMacs. At the end I would like to move from High Sierra to Big Sur on this machine. Many thanks!
Hello Curtis, thanks for the video. I need your help. I have a iMac (27-inch, Late 2009) with a Quadro K1100M 2048 MB update in High Sierra.My iMac still working well, but no graphic aceleration. Can you help me please?...this method work for this case?...Thanks for you time.
Hi All, I have just had a K4100M installed in my 27" imac mid 2010 as the original GPU failed after many years faithful service. The new GPU works fine except I have no boot options or access to keystrokes for recovery mode so even though I was told that the GPU does not need flashing, having studied this excellent tutorial video, I reckon that is not true. I have tried to access the end to end instructions doc but the google link to the doc is non existent, does anyone have a copy they would be willing to share? Thanks Tate
Hi Curtis. Please help me, I'm frustrated. I am logged into imac with grml linux without problem, but after typing 'cd / lib / live / mount / medium / flash' I get the comment 'no such file or directory: / lib / live / mount / medium / flash'. What's wrong? Could you help me?
Update* I got it to boot off of a usb drive but now there’s an error right as I boot in saying “No ER state object for volume Preboot - rolling is not happening, nothing to recover”
Hi Curtis, thanks so much for all your videos, I have mid 2010 27imac not metal support running on big sure... of course not good at all. Do you know if a GTX 460M (from a gamer laptop PC) is likely to work?.. Thanks again
So the problem I have is when I flash my k1100m or the k2100m when it boots I get boot screen and boot options but once in linux I get pink horizontal lines on the right side of the screen that move around, until I reflash back to the oem vbios. Know why that is?
THANK YOU SOOOO much! Flashed my Nvidia 765m this morning. The only thing that I had to do in addition to these steps is disable the write protection on the firmware with the "--protectoff" command. After that I walked through these steps and it worked like a charm!! I am SOOO Happy!
Hi John, both computers connected by ethernet cable?
Hi Curtis,
Thank you so much for this video, I followed instructions to the letter and now have my iMac mid 2010 running a fully functional K4100M GPU. Brilliant!
how is it holding up? do you get any visual glitches?
Flashed mine (K1000m) yesterday with the same method, absolutely doable und recommended!
Please, can you help me. When I enter the command "cd / lib / live / mount / medium / flash" it gives me an error: "no such file or directory" What am I doing wrong? ...i have the same Card (K1100)
@@javieralbornoz4098 remove the spaces
@@javieralbornoz4098 cd /lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb1/flash
Just received package with k2100m card. Planning now for upgrade 2011 27 iMac next week. And here is a new video with easy nvflash method, thanks!
whats official name and brand of the card?
Awesome, thanks for the great explanation! Managed to upgrade my 21" mid-2010 iMac to a K2100M, it's working great thus far.
Are you able to use a new iOS with it?
Hi Floris, I also bought a K2100M but can't find the right bios file. Could you share? I want to try to flash with a pcie adapter card in a pc...
@@marcelmertens7140 All the current vBIOS files are availible in the MacRumors thread. It might be that you ordered a different K2100M spec, which has a different vendor. In that case I'm not sure if you will be able to flash it, really depends. I flashed mine by installing the card into the iMac and followed the steps that Curtis described (using SSH). I was surprised that it worked, but it did.
Something that should be mentioned is turning on sharing permissions in system pref so you can remote into machine
This is so awesome, thank you so much Curtis. I've saved my 2011 iMac that I had already baked twice, now running amazingly well with k1100m. You're a legend, I owe you a beer (BTC on the way!)
Can You explaint me, how i can do it, I am from Brazil and I Only know a little of English, I have a iMac 2010 and a Quadro K1100m.
Why docs marked as deleted?
XANDERON! What a life saver, this is a brilliant video Curtis, thanks for highlighting this method. My iMac 27 2011 i7 3.4 with a 6790 suddenly went blue screen on me and from there it is on a reboot loop so yeah my video card is on the blink. This video is inspiring me to go one up on the video card. Thank you for putting this together.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I did the whole remove/bake/re-install on my 2011 27" and it worked: for three months. Was just about to do the same thing again and then found this and the macrumors thread you linked. So great.
Done! Success. Thank you much.
Hi Tobi, which gpu did you use and what was the cost of it? Thanks
Just finished upgrade right now! Imac mid 2011 - 27. My choice is a K2100. Flashing works perfectly. Just one advice from checking ip address from terminal (more fast) with arp-scan --localnet (need to install with brew install arp-scan). Thanks so much from Italy! you got a subscriber! :D
Awesome tip! Glad to hear it worked!
Thanks so much for this and other videos - equipped me to replace a failed GPU and upgrade CPU in my late 2011 iMac :) all in working order now!
Omg this is so much easier than the previously suggested methods. I basically gave up on the other methods so this is really awesome
Yeah, I’m impressed by how much easier it was. I need to learn how to make simple Linux distributions like this!
your videos are the best man i watch your video were you used to flash a k610m just want to say thinks for all your hard work im going to get a e1270 xeon and the wx7100 for my 27 inch imac 2011
Glad I could help! Your iMac will be a beast! Look out for the wx7100 - it sounds like there are certain models that work (dell?) and others just dont...
@@messing-with-computers your welcome I Ben reading about that some work and some dont to the ones that do work dont have a chip bye the GPU I think its a 2nd bios chip or something on the right side of of the GPU core I think that the model number 109-c95847-00c_02 I Ben reading about that on mac rumors.com the chip is bye the 4 memory chips were it sas amd and that would be v345 1.0 but the versions v345 1.1 dont have that chip at all I did try the amd 4150 and that didnt work at all I wish it did cuz I have 4 of them cards but I just put them in my other laptops with hackintosh and the wx4150 works very well thanks for all your help stay safe to
Thanks so much, just installed K3100M 4GB using this method in mid-2010 27 inch iMac, it was surprisingly easy besides making it fit with 3 pipe heatsink, minor Dremel mods were needed. Rom file was not in the standard package but it was available on the main forum so was pretty easy; drag and drop; rename it for ease of use with the same command using your example, nothing too extreme. Thanks again great video, subscribed to your channel.
Maxi, can you provide a link to the ROM file for the K3100M so that I can copy it to the USB stick. Haven't been able to track it down in the forum. Thanks
@Curtis Gross - The Google doc link is not valid. Your “end-end instructions” have been deleted?
Thanks so much for these videos, that MacRumors thread is a mess. It took me at least a week of reading to get a step by step process laid out lol
Yup! It is a wealth of knowledge, but a hot mess. Happy to help!
Curtis Gross perfect description! Got a K4100m coming in [however long it takes to ship to China] after sitting on a GTX 770 for months hoping for brightness control. Lol. Thanks for the Google Doc too - I started one to share myself but never went through with. Might have a few notes on the heat sink modification if you’re looking for contributors
@@coulddooooo where did you buy it from? Do you think the ones on aliexpress are trustworthy?
Max Meier yes Aliexpress seems to be the source. I think they’re trustworthy! I think the problems come with e.g the AMD cards where it has to have a certain chip on it. I think any K4100m is fine. Will try and remember to post here when it arrives :)
If you’re in the US though I think you e got a decent chance of scoring on eBay. Not the case in Europe
@@coulddooooo Ok then I'll try Aliexpress as I'm in Europe and lets hope for the best.
Yes please let me know how it went :) Good luck to you!🍀
I try but : cd : cd : no directory how about that? Whats wrong..thanks before
its cd ..
Another thought that might work for some. Would connecting an external monitor work as opposed to doing it doing it blind. So you don't need to put everything back together but still be able to see what is happening.
There’s no reason why that shouldn’t work, except for one; I don’t think display mode works in recovery or boot modes. I think it only gives an output once the computer boots into the software, but I might be wrong.
dude. thank you so much for this! i successfully flashed using your method. so awesome
You responded to your comment on last video with a video response very quickly! You'll get far with this attitude Curtis! :D
Thanks! It did seem like a natural next step, especially when it can help out.
@@messing-with-computers Keep up the good work!! That spade on the wall might come in handy if you ever experience staingate! :'D Take care Curtis!
@@walshmagic Haha - well, check out my staingate removal video! Cause yeah.. I have experienced it on pretty much 100% of my 2013-2015 macbook pros (which are still my favorite)
God bless you, man! Helped me a lot! Thank you very much! Kazakhstan
Please, can you help me. When I enter the command "cd / lib / live / mount / medium / flash" it gives me an error: "no such file or directory" What am I doing wrong? ...
See Jamie Robinsons comment below - new file structure in certain downloads:
Here are the instructions:
1. first type "lsblk" to list out the block devices on the drive, which will look like this:
NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
loop0 7:0 0 259.9M 1 loop /lib/live/mount/rootfs/grml64-small.squashfs
sdb 8:16 1 7.2G 0 disk
└─sdb1 8:17 1 7.2G 0 part /lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb1
sr0 11:0 1 1024M 0 rom
2 . The second file path is the one you need to use for your command
In my case it was "cd /lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb1/flash"
However "sdb1" might be different, although if you have no other drives connected, then it might well be the same (please let me know in the comments!)
3. The path to run the rom is now
./nvflash_linux -6 QUADRO/K2100.rom
(change according to which rom you need!)
Hopefully this saves some googling for everyone
@@tylercaton6145 This solved my first problem, but now i get the message: Firmware image must have a valid extension (.rom .nvr .efr .efirom) but i did that several times with the line: ./nvflash_linux _6 QuadroK3000M_STE3.rom
What is going wrong?
Inmiddels opgelost.
Can I get the update for the links plz
Hello I have followed the instructions, but they seemed outdated for K3100M. the version now does not contain the folders "flash". please, Help?
Hi dude. Same problem here :(
2011 iMac 27" ssh in OK from other mac however after logging in and ls, appears everything good ready to flash, I enter the final command exactly to flash and receive "nvflash_linux command not found". I double checked the USB and all was there... Help Please
UPDATE: After reviewing command line I found I was missing the "./" before the nvflash_linux command. Done & Done!!!!!!
I'm stuck here too - what exactly did you type './nvflash_linux -6 Quadro_Beta1.2/K610M_EG2.rom' is what i've got and it's giving me either permission denied or no such directory found depending on if i put a space after the slash
@@jameslittlewood Yes, I was missing the "./" before the command line. Make sure you have the ".rom file" located in your beta1.2 folder.
Remember that even a space is a character placeholder and can effect the command.
@@tomaigner7070 Hi Tom, thanks for your reply. I made sure there was no spaces or anything of that nature and I put the file in the same folder as the other '.rom' files for the K2100m etc. Is that correct?
When I list out all the files in terminal I can see it display correctly. I think the error is something to do with a permission error for the './' but I'm an absolute novice here so i'm not sure what that really means.
@@jameslittlewood Yes:
attempting to flash K1000m; 3 led light doesn't come on on the motherboard. I have the flash drive connected to usb bt it never boots from usb stick?? this stick will work in other working Macs!!
Hello, when I connect via SSH I get the message, port: 22 operation timed out. I don't know how to proceed now?
So for flash k610m I have to put "./nvflash_linux -6 Quadro_Beta1.2/K2100.rom"??????
Why into the files we dont have quadro k610m? That doesnt work?
Fantastic video as usual... I'm still waiting in argentina a K4100m from eBay and GTX 765m from Amazon for two 27" iMacs mid 2011.
There is a new k4100m vbios out that removes the requirement for Opencore at all! nikey22 posted it to the macrumors thread in the last ~2 days.
Thanks Curtis, awesome update...
Yōsuke Araki well, you create and use a very simple Linux usb stick to flash your video card, rather than a full Linux install.
@@messing-with-computers thank you! It's been a lot for me to wrap my head around all of this, despite your succinct explanations. Had a faulty sata cable & usb stick too had my head spinning. I'm a complete novice, but finally getting it to work. Your channel is amazing. ty.
Watching this in 2024 I need the end-end instructions doc that was somehow deleted?
Hey! My ethernet isn’t working and we’re on a COVID lockdown in bcn. I wanted to know if there is any way I can use the wifi option (maybe introducing the setup on a file or blind working)..?
I can’t find the flash file via the working directory. Any suggestions for how to access?
i have flashed my k1100m!!! great tutorial!!!
Please, can you help me. When I enter the command "cd / lib / live / mount / medium / flash" it gives me an error: "no such file or directory" What am I doing wrong? ...i have the same Card (K1100m) Please help me!
When I ssh to the target iMac I get all the same text as per your screen shot at 09:52 up to “Host key verification failed”, but I don’t get the remaining lines or the option to continue. Any help in sorting out what I’ve missed would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance
ssh-keygen -R 127.0.0.1 (obviously replace with the server's IP) dans le terminal
Thank you for this tutorial. I am still a bit confused about the flashing process specifically for a K4100, which I bought when you mentioned that it was now possible to flash those. However I do not quite get if I can just load the K4100 bios nickey22 offers on macrumours onto a USB stick via the Xanderson method, or is the K4100M bios only for the longer non-USB type transfer, (which I am not confident enough to try yet...)
Hi, I'm exactly in that situation. I have the Nickey22 3 files (.rom) and I'm not too sure if i should copy or replace them in the USB Xanderson´s method. Did you manage to do it properly?
I'm trying to flash my k1100 gpu but grml is not letting me ssh into it. any suggestions?
Looks like the directory structure provided by The_Croupier is flawed. It does not have a flash sub directory under medium. I managed to still download the original zip file from the first link, which worked. (the mediafire link)
Please help! I get this error on the last command:
ERROR: GPU mismatch
I am trying to flash a K610M card.
UPDATE: I HAVE RESOLVED THE ISSUE. I was trying to use the K2100M rom file, because the K610M rom file was not in the file. I had to download it from Curtis' google drive folder.
Ah - great to hear you solved it!
How did you copy it to the iMac? just on the usb driver or via ssh?
@@quintijnbulterman4753 - Both are options, but I like to put all the flashable bios files on the usb stick that is running linux so I don't have to sftp/ssh them over.
Curtis Gross thanks!
Hello mate! Can I do with a Windows keyboard or Apple keyboard wireless? I dont have an apple cable keyboard
Thanks
I keep getting the error nvflash_linux command not found.
Hi there great video ! Done with a 7100 firepro. Is there a way to get the original apple logo back ?
The link for 'My end-end instructions doc' does not work - can you reinstate please!
I know this is an old video but I am just upgrading my 2011 iMac. Put in an SSD and an i7 CPU and now I want to install the K2100M GPU I have but your instructions link has been deleted. Do you still have your instructions handy?
Great video, thank you. I can’t get the SSH to work - says connection refused. Have tried on Terminal on a Mac, in Command Prompt and Putty on a Windows 10 machine and same on all. Any tips on how to get the connection working please? I’ve spent a fortune on a k4100m in the UK (115GBP) and hours installing it and modifying the heat sink, seems like will all be wasted.
Hey, were you able to get that to work? Im running the same problem.
What can the issue be if the iMac is not shown for me on my router page?
Great video, I just got a 765m in the mail and wil be doing this soon. I am also considering upgrading the cpu for the i7 2600s while I am in there.
Do you know if upgrading the wifi card from a 2012 imac will enable airport to talk to newer devices?
I get "no such file or directory" after cd /lib/live/mount/medium/flash :( WHAT DO I DO!
Thanks for video
I did it completely but I see so many red dots on screen and is hanging on start up
i dont have 2 imac i have a imac and a windows pc.... whitch commands must i type in the command promt ????
Hola. tengo una gpu nvidia quadro k5000 con bios mac. sera posible instalar una bios para utilizar esta gpu con windows?? alguien podria ayudarme?
I got an m5100 on the way, does this method works with a 27 imac 12.2 and ventura?
great tutorial, It seems when I ssh into the machine I have no flash directory. I get to medium do a ls and don't see anything. Any ideas?
i'm having the same exact issue. Find a solution?
@@alexandertomak4199 I did, the instructions for the directory were off. I had to back out yo the root and find find the directories from there to where the commad works. It did work for me.
@@alexandertomak4199 I had the same issue. Turns out the instructions in this video are for the first uploaded files, the subsequent re-uploaded files have a different file path. I got around it using this line (its time consuming, but you must write down each line of text exactly, including spaces etc each time otherwise you may find yourself lost in the wrong directory):
/lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # L (this lists all the different files available on the memory stick)
/lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # cd QUADRO/GTX/AMD (chose the category for the card you have installed)
/lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # cd QUADRO/GTX/AMD # L (this lists all the available Bios' for those cards available on the memory stick. Write down the bios file EXACTLY for the next step)
/lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # ./nvflash_linux --protectoff (You should now see the 'Nvidia firmware update utility' text)
/lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # ./nvflash_linux -6 QUADRO/K610M_EG2.rom
Then type 'Y' when it asks you if you want to flash the new BIOS.
I hope this helps someone. I've just performed this process twice in the last two weeks on different cards and it worked for me. I hope it also works for you.
this isn't working for me. I can ssh in but after that the cmds aren't working I need some help please
Hi I have a problem, I followed everything, I flashed with the key, it gave me the ok, but my screen continues to remain black after putting the ssd back, imac 2011 21.5 with k2100m whits catalina patch installed
hello curtis i like the process but i installed a k100m and now i try to do the flash connected to the network but it just stays black and i can't boot from the usb i disconnect the drives and connect it to an external screen but i still can't get the flash to start only black screen I would appreciate your help My ImaC IS A1211 MID 2011 ON GPU NVIDIA QUADRO K1100M🙂
Hi Guys, does this mean I can also use Windows Bootcamp now with the new flashed GPU?
Hey Curtis, knowing what you know now about the entire process of upgrading your 2011 iMac, did you find the investment worth it and how much did the upgrade cost? I'm looking to do a similar upgrade on my mid 2010 iMac. Thanks! Eddy.
very informative. Thanks a bunch! however, your google doc links don't work. would you please make them live again?
im getting, ssh: Connect to host "my imac ip" port 22: connection timed out. is it because im not on ehternet?
Got the same error, connecting via Ethernet solved the problem. Give it a try.
I’m just giving up at this point. Like wow. What am I doing wrong, i finally got the router and iMac to an ethernet. Shows up on the website and everything as with an IP but the my ssh port 22 still times out. I’m using a windows, and have tried terminal and putty!🤦♂️
It’s really more of a software process and the headaches begin when you have to dismantle the. Computer. Also I don’t have the HDD or OD just flash drive with files...:/
@@andrewrcustoms260 do you have problems with disassembling or assembling the mac?
The link is not working. Can you upload again?
question, can you install big sur with the patcher with a flashed GPU?
Can this work for a 1070 MXM and for t to only run Bootcamp windows 10
please help me, I have to enter the password of the imac lock screen . Clicking for the 3rd time, it still says permission denied( publicky,password) help me , thank
Great video, as always 😀. I've just got my Nvidia Quatro K1100m from China. Just one question: If I don't flash the card will my iMac boot and work properly? Flashing is only for the boot menu and brightness control, right?
Correct - flash is for boot options and brightness.
Can't ssh into the target mac, am I doing something wrong???
Hello, nice video!
which graphics card do you recommend for an imac 27 inch late 2009 with a 2011 heatsink?
I think I have worst luck ever. Ive tried this on my 24” with k610m with no luck. Returned the gpu for replacement and ordered a k1100m as backup. Have another 27” 2011 imac that original gpu was failing. White screen on start up. No matter what card I put in I could not get it to boot up. The new k610 or the k1100m? Im at a loss. Was using external monitor booting to windows. After like 8 teardowns and put togethers, i ended up baking the original card and putting it back in. Not sure where to go from here... do I just have worst luck in the world and got 3 non working mxm cards?
Dear Sir, may I ask You whether it could be possible to reuse the same Logic Pro program which was in a preceding OS High Sierra , after a renewal of the same computer , submitted under a new open core procedure and , so to say , a new OS Big Sir or whatever ?
Waiting for Your kind reply , I salute You with
Best Regards
can I ssh from my PC into Mac, or has to be ssh from Mac?
Hi there, noob question what does the -6 option after nvflash mean? Thanks
Can you put the m1 mac mini into the imac Chad is.
And one with a bluesy or uhd drive in size.
Hi, i have 2 questions , 1; are mac vbios work in windows based laptops with mxm slot? If it works , the second question , someone has an r9 m395x or 295x or 485x vbios?
Great video! I’m planning to install a K4100m in a 2011 27” iMac in the near future as well. I was wondering if using a thunderbolt cable to connect MBP to iMac for the flashing be feasible? Or is the only option is to connect iMac via Ethernet then ssh and flash?
Thanks in advance
I think the problem is that you would have to share screen on both Macs. That doesn’t seem like much of a possibility off of boot with no screen
Amazing guide, in following both the guides, yours and the guide from the forum, I've successfully managed to grml into my black screen imac with a gtx 980m in, everytime I try to load the flash via cd lib/live/mount/medium/flash I get a no directory found :(, should I try 2 or 3 different usb sticks? I'm just so close to running NVflash 😄
Hi, can you please post a link to his guide doc? The one in the description doesn't work
Hi did you ever get passed the no directory found, i'm on the same boat with differrent usb sticks.
I had the same issue. Turns out the instructions in this video are for the first uploaded files, the subsequent re-uploaded files have a different file path. I got around it using this line (its time consuming, but you must write down each line of text exactly, including spaces etc each time otherwise you may find yourself lost in the wrong directory):
/lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # L (this lists all the different files available on the memory stick)
/lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # cd QUADRO/GTX/AMD (chose the category for the card you have installed)
/lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # cd QUADRO/GTX/AMD # L (this lists all the available Bios' for those cards available on the memory stick. Write down the bios file EXACTLY for the next step)
/lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # ./nvflash_linux --protectoff (You should now see the 'Nvidia firmware update utility' text)
/lib/live/mount/persistence/sdb2/flash # ./nvflash_linux -6 QUADRO/K610M_EG2.rom
Then type 'Y' when it asks you if you want to flash the new BIOS.
I hope this helps someone. I've just performed this process twice in the last two weeks on different cards and it worked for me. I hope it also works for you.
@@Balderz337 Sweet lord this needs to be pinned to the very top. I also encountered the dread file structure change and the ever so helpful macrumors didn't have an edit to update either. I've been fighting with this iMac for the better part of a week.. Purchased a dead 2nd 2011 27 inch that was in better physical shape to swap the exterior case and internal LCD over as my other one had yellowed. swapped everything over, cut myself while trimming the GPU heatsink, and now FINALLY got everything put back together and assembled. Just literally about to put the screws in it for what is potentially going to be one of the final times I open this bastard up. The *only* things I have left to do (I may regret writing this, karma can be a bitch) are potentially upgrade the wifi, and install a two drive SSD bay in the hard drive area for a 2nd SSD. Ideally, I want to run windows 10 on one hard drive and Mac OS Sonoma on the other, with maybe a boot drive for High Sierra in case things go squirrely sideways.
needless to say, getting this flashed could NOT have been done without your help Balderz. @messing-with-computers definitely got me along the path here, but I cannot help but feel a more recent update on this how to is needed, or at least these directions pinned.
once again, thanks to all of those who made this possible. my dream of ripping the GPUs out of a dead Alienware 14 laptop just to stuff them into my maxed out 27 inch 2011 iMac that runs better than an iMac 8 years newer has finally been achieved :D
Dude Can we do it without Lan Cable Connection ?
hello,kann u tell me what comand must type for windows???
I think it could be more automated if the Linux ran a startup script to flash a file that you previously need to copy to a directory, t then reboot automatically
Would be nice, that is a likely next step.
What a great update - 2 days after i installed my 765m. Now I might be asking a blondie question here :) if i dont remove the hd and screen and just hold Alt > click on the right arrrow and hit return.... will the linux Black window be shown when it has loaded...so I dont need to SSH from another mac? Or is this because its not showing anything at all and only way in is through SSH remote
So - you won’t have a screen in Linux until the flash is done. So ssh is needed here.
Hello Curtis, Is there any other way to flash K610m, I installed it today and followed your guide, when it was all done with linux I installed the screen and the imac has nothing coming up on the screen. Can you reflash it a again or a different way.HELP
Any other option without other mac, I have K1100
Why not to modify files in such a way that you just need to plug USB flash in, wait, it restarts and you can see everything working? Fully automated process.
Hi, I updated my k1100m but i cannot download the Catalina loader from your drive, it says it is a virus. I have no antivirus on my system, is just pure catalina on imac 2011 21.5 How can I get that file in order to fi the brightness please?
Hi Curtis. Great video. I tried to fix new Nvidia GPU as instructions. After connecting cables everything but without hdd. Tried to power up but no noise. No fan. Nothing. Is it brick? Also I redid and realised I snapped off two small cables. I want to add photo but cannot do that. Is it due to these two small cables that causing psu to fail powering on? Pls advise. Thanks.
Thanks for the video, can you update instructions doc link ?
Will this work for a 2009 iMac 27” core 2 duo?
I’m planning to install the $20 K610M sometime in the near future.
When it comes to the thumb-drive issue, can’t I just test it first by attempting to start the machine while holding option down, to see if it shows on the boot menu?
I kinda got lost around that because the OP was suggesting to place the linux and the other files on more than one thumb-drive. Is that our only option to ensure success?
hello curtis, thanks for the sharing, need your insight...i got a k1100 and follow your method...and try 4 different usb stick and none of them recognize....do you have any insight on this issue? what brand of usb stick you are using and disconnect everything and nothing happen. put the stick to the macbook to test it, hit option key will show on boot screen. please help, much appreciated.
Daft question maybe. I have Catalina running with a K1000m and am trying to follow the instructions here, however, I can see my screen and having booted from the flash-drive I'm now at the option menu. How do I do what needs done? Do I need to ssh if I can already see my screen?
If you can see the option menu with the new video card... you might not need to do anything. When you get into MacOS check and see in the 'about this mac' to see if maybe you got a video card that was previously flashed?
@@messing-with-computers That makes sense! Thank-you. Fully upgraded 21.5" now. Really appreciate it! It has a name after the K1000m so maybe been flashed by the seller?
I changed the gpu of the 27 inch 2011 iMac to k2100m. Of course, the boot screen did not appear, and the booting was completed with the High Sierra screen. It works very well. However, the brightness control was not available, and I used usb to change the rom, but the screen was not showing anything, so I couldn't change the rom. Nothing on the original screen? Ethernet cable is not connected. Is it because of this?
Hi Curtis, great video!! I was looking for the NVIDIA K2100m or at least one that meets the power specs of my 21,5” 2,8Ghz i7, SSD, 16GB RAM Mid 2011 iMac. How do I recognize the correct card and it’s chipset for instance when to by on eBay or AliExpress? The MacRumors forum has become a complete bookstore on this topic of GPU upgrades for iMacs. At the end I would like to move from High Sierra to Big Sur on this machine.
Many thanks!
Hello Curtis, thanks for the video. I need your help. I have a iMac (27-inch, Late 2009) with a Quadro K1100M 2048 MB update in High Sierra.My iMac still working well, but no graphic aceleration. Can you help me please?...this method work for this case?...Thanks for you time.
Hi All,
I have just had a K4100M installed in my 27" imac mid 2010 as the original GPU failed after many years faithful service. The new GPU works fine except I have no boot options or access to keystrokes for recovery mode so even though I was told that the GPU does not need flashing, having studied this excellent tutorial video, I reckon that is not true. I have tried to access the end to end instructions doc but the google link to the doc is non existent, does anyone have a copy they would be willing to share?
Thanks
Tate
Hi Curtis, would it be possible for my imac to upgrade to the newest OS if i made these changes so i can run new software like Adobe CC?
Hi Curtis. Please help me, I'm frustrated. I am logged into imac with grml linux without problem, but after typing 'cd / lib / live / mount / medium / flash' I get the comment 'no such file or directory: / lib / live / mount / medium / flash'. What's wrong? Could you help me?
same problem. It seems that the medium file is empty, because when I list, nothing comes up.
@@chasekahle4618 here is solution:
forums.macrumors.com/threads/2011-imac-graphics-card-upgrade.1596614/post-29723850
I just created a drive that was formatted with the files inside but it is not coming up as a bootable drive I’m not sure why
I tried multiple usb sticks but none of them work
Update* I got it to boot off of a usb drive but now there’s an error right as I boot in saying “No ER state object for volume Preboot - rolling is not happening, nothing to recover”
it won't let me cd into the directory
Hi Curtis, thanks so much for all your videos, I have mid 2010 27imac not metal support running on big sure... of course not good at all. Do you know if a GTX 460M (from a gamer laptop PC) is likely to work?.. Thanks again
whats the correct brand name of the card ? i dont want to grab the wrong one .. and how much should they cost - where to find one / thanks .
So the problem I have is when I flash my k1100m or the k2100m when it boots I get boot screen and boot options but once in linux I get pink horizontal lines on the right side of the screen that move around, until I reflash back to the oem vbios. Know why that is?
Strange. Any chance you have a different motherboard or monitor to test on? Does it work in Mac OS?