[Issue] Macbook Pro 9,1 fails to boot AHT.

[Overc1ocker]

This is a known issue with the Macbook pro 9,1. Generally when loading, you'll see:

Error: 0x8000000000000003, Cannot Load 'EFI/Drivers/TestSupport.efi'

Status: 0x00000003

This has nothing to do with the AHT included in this repository, but actually a bug in newer firmware updates included with the 9,1. If you have updated your Macbook 9,1 significantly, Apple hardware test WILL NOT work at all. The solution is to use the apple service diagnostic (ASD) found here: Apple Service diags 3s155

[Jimmysikisken]

I dont understand, there are 4 versions of 3S155 on there. Each 700mb.

How can we make a bootable diagnostic USB disk from 4 dmg files?

[Overc1ocker]

Download them all, then use disk utility to restore. They are all part files. This is from the website though difficult to find.

Files ending with .001.dmg (not .dmg.001)

Files that do not exactly end with .001, .002, etc... such as ASD_3S152.001.dmg (it ends with .001.dmg) are NOT file parts and should not be joined together using commands such as "copy /B" under Windows or "cat" under Linux. Those are split Disk Utility disk images. You have to do this under OSX: put all files in the same folder (e.g. on your desktop) and double click the .001.dmg file. Disk Utility will "assemble" the whole partition and mount it. If you want it on an USB stick or a DVD-R, you can then do that using Disk Utility or any of your favorite DVD burner apps.

[LogicB0red]

Overc1ocker - Thanks for posting this. I can stop fruitlessly trying AHT after a week!

I'd read a similar thing here.
https://eshop.macsales.com/Service/Knowledgebase/Article/26/780/macOS-1014-Disables-AHT-Apple-Diagnostics-on-Select-Macs

Strangely I did find that the .dmg files listed for 9,1 and 9,2 were the same, unlike any other model family (8,1/3 etc.)

I also have a MBP 8,1 (13") that can run the integrated AHT itself AND runs from the 9,1 AHT bootable USB!

Has anyone noticed and understood this?

[GittyGharial]

I saw the same behavior on a MBP 9,1.
Next I tried using Apple Service diags 3s155 and followed the instructions in the dmg to create the bootable usb. Unfortunately, I got a pretty nondescript error when I tried booting from the EFI on the USB, and then it booted into my main drive.

[mattpr]

@GittyGharial - I booted from the USB's OS partition, not the EFI and that worked. Both showed up for me doing option-boot (macos system drive, USB EFI and USB OS).

Incidentally doing the restore with disk utility in Big Sur (on a different mac) didn't work for me due to error:

Could not validate sizes – Operation not permitted

...but using asr to do the restore worked (from mounted EFI and OS images to the prepared and mounted USB EFI and OS partitions). e.g...

sudo /usr/sbin/asr restore --source /Volumes/ASD_OS_3S155 --target /Volumes/USB_ASD_OS_3S155 --erase

I was then able to option-boot my mid-2012 15" MBP, select the OS (not EFI) partition on the USB and get ASD running.

[GittyGharial]

@mattpr apologies, but I'm not understanding your instructions. Could you please write them out step by step? How did you get ASD running on your computer? And did you need to boot ASD off the USB, or were you able to boot it from your internal drive? Thanks