Serial Number Unavailable

[Takahashi]

Hello again!

 

I'm having a problem with my serial number. I have a SMBIOS that Chameleon uses for my system, but the serial doesn't get processed (or something). Whenever I open the Mac App Store and try to login, I get a message saying that my system can't be identified. I open About This Mac, and find that my serial number is listed as "Unavailable". I have a verified serial number (unused).

 

What may I do to make Chameleon inject it?

 

 

Thanks!

 

[Hervé]

Did you verify your SMBIOS plist with Chameleon Wizard? It looks as if the file does not actually contain a serial number. I guess you have the same reported info in your SysProfiler.

[Takahashi]

In Chameleon Wizard and the smbios.plist itself, a serial number is shown. I generated it using Chameleon Wizard.

[Hervé]

Post it.

[Takahashi]

Here we are...

 

The attachment system doesn't allow me to upload this type of file, so I will upload it to DropBox and send it to you.

 

Thank you!

 

EDIT: I forgot that I could insert its contents into the post...

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>SMbiosdate</key>
	<string>05/10/12</string>
	<key>SMbiosvendor</key>
	<string>Apple Inc.</string>
	<key>SMbiosversion</key>
	<string>MBP101.88Z.00EE.B00.1205101839</string>
	<key>SMboardproduct</key>
	<string>Mac-C3EC7CD22292981F</string>
	<key>SMexternalclock</key>
	<string>3.5GHz</string>
	<key>SMfamily</key>
	<string>MacBook Pro</string>
	<key>SMmanufacturer</key>
	<string>Apple Inc.</string>
	<key>SMmaximalclock</key>
	<string>2.5GHz</string>
	<key>SMmemspeed</key>
	<string>800MHz</string>
	<key>SMmemtype</key>
	<string>24</string>
	<key>SMproductname</key>
	<string>MacBookPro10,1</string>
	<key>SMserial</key>
	<string>C02LY915DKQ1</string>
	<key>SMsystemversion</key>
	<string>1.0</string>
</dict>
</plist>

[Hervé]

You must zip files to attach them...

 

Coming back to your SMBios, you should not have to specify those CPU/clock speeds in the plist, nor the RAM speed (is it really DDR3@800MHz by the way, not 1600MHz?), all being incorrectly specified as far as I can see... Those values should be entered as numbers expressed in MHz, not text with "GHz" inside, i.e. "2500" for max/nominal CPU speed, "3500" for external clock (this is the bus speed (like old FSB) not CPU max/turbo speed like you seem to believe) or "800" ("1600"?) for RAM speed. Please note this information is purely cosmetic and has no incidence on system behaviour or operation.

 

If I take the example of a computer with a good old Intel Core2Duo T9300 2.5GHz CPU (LFM/HFM/IDA speed 1.2/2.5/2.7GHz, FSB 800MHz) and PC2-5300 RAM modules (DDR2-667), the SMBIOS data could be manually entered as follows:

• max CPU speed: 2500
• external clock: 800
• memory type: DDR2
• memory speed: 667

 

Where is your plist located and under which name (full extension included)? You sent me a file called SMBios.plist.txt and that won't work, it must be called SMBios.plist (or smbios.plist) and placed in /Extra. Try the attached file.

SMBios.plist.zip

 

What's the reason for choosing the MacBookPro Retina (MBP10,1) profile by the way?

[Takahashi]

I apologize for the attachment confusion.

 

As for the memory speed, it IS 800 megahertz (PC3-12800). I have verified all of this information, for the record. I had it all placed in Clover when I last used it, and CPU (APU for me) speeds along with memory speeds were listed in the megahertz unit of frequency. Yes, I know, it had no effect on system operation.

 

My System Management BIOS property list's path is /Extra/SMBios.plist, where Chameleon wants me to place it. I uploaded this to DropBox in the correct format, however, I do not know what added the .txt extension to it.

 

Thank you again!

[Hervé]

Technically, you are absolutely correct in the sense that PC3-12800 does indeed operate at a clock rate/bandwidth of 800MHz just like PC2-6400 (DDR2-800) operates at 400MHz or PC2-5300 (DDR2-667) operates at 333MHz. However, that is not how DDR RAM is dubbed in "marketing" terms. PC3-12800 = DDR3-1600 and in the SMBIOS context this is meant to be reflected as 1600 "MT/s", even though OS X uses the term "MHz". You may consider this artificial/incorrect doubling of memory speed but DDR means Double Data Rate and a confusion between MT/s and MHz (you may call it an abuse of language) has just generally settled in... 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR2_SDRAM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR3_SDRAM

 

Even respectable distributors like Crucial refer to speed in MHz rather than MT/s most of the time...

http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/latitude-d630/CT2344599

http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/latitude-e6440/CT4972439

 

Anyway, any Apple Mac or Hackintosh with XX Go of DDRz-YYY RAM will/should report "XX GB YYY MHz DDRz" in "About This Mac". YYY is what the SMBIOS memory speed field will address.

 

For instance, my Dell E6440 has 8Go of DDR3-1600 RAM in the form of 2 x PC3L-12800S SODIMMs. OS X reports RAM as follows:

[Takahashi]

Thank you! I will read the article that you have linked from Wikipedia.

 

As for why I chose the MacBookProRetina10,1 profile, I wanted to come as close as possible to my system specs and form. I may have focused a bit too much on processor speed. Do you have a better system profile in mind, or will this work?

[Hervé]

CPU speed really is not a valid criteria at all; it's much better to choose by CPU family closeness and/or GPU closeness. In your case, you have an AMD CPU with an unsupported GPU... I'm not familiar at all with recent AMD CPUs but assuming your APU is say a direct competitor of an Intel Haswell, choose MacBookAir6,2 to begin with but you may also opt MacBookPro11,1 (that's what I use on my Dell E6440 as it gives me an extra intermediary CPU multiplier). If your APU is more comparable to Sandy or Ivy Bridge, choose a corresponding model in the list offered by the Cham Wizard.