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Lenovo ThinkPad T530 Hackintosh OpenCore

T530 OpenCore Clover Version MacOS release<br>10103711

TABLE of CONTENTS

About

OpenCore EFI Folder for running macOS High Sierra all the way up to macOS Sequoia on the Lenovo ThinkPad T530. There's also a Clover version which is capable of running macOS 11 and newer.

⚠️ Important Status Updates
SD Card Reader not working in Sonoma+

Noteworthy Features

Specs

ComponentDetails
ModelLenovo ThinkPad T530, Model# 2429-62G
ChipsetIntel QM77 Express
BIOS Version2.77, unlocked with 1vyRain
ProcessorIntel Core i7 3630QM
Memory16GB Samsung DDR3 1600MHz, Dual-Channel <br> Minimum: 8GB
Hard DiskSamsung 840 Evo 250GB
Integrated GraphicsIntel HD Graphics 4000, 2048 MB RAM assigned
Display15.6" HD+ TFT Display (1600x900 px)
AudioRealtek ALC269VC Rev.3 (Layout-id:39)
EthernetIntel 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection
WiFi and BluetoothBroadcom BCM94352HMB DW1550, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Multicard ReaderRicoh 4-in-1 reader (MMC, SD, SDHC, SDXC)
ExpressCard/34 slotdisabled
Docking StationLenovo ThinkPad 4338 Mini Dock plus Series 3

DOCS

macOS-incompatible Components

EFI Folder Content (OpenCore)

<details> <summary><strong>Click to reveal</strong></summary> 
EFI
├── BOOT
│   └── BOOTx64.efi
└── OC
    ├── ACPI
    │   ├── SSDT-ALS0.aml
    │   ├── SSDT-BAT1-Disable.aml
    │   ├── SSDT-EXT4.aml
    │   ├── SSDT-EXT5.aml
    │   ├── SSDT-IRQ_FIXES.aml
    │   ├── SSDT-NBCF.aml
    │   ├── SSDT-PM.aml
    │   ├── SSDT-PNLF.aml
    │   ├── SSDT-PRW0.aml
    │   ├── SSDT-PTSWAKTTS.aml
    │   ├── SSDT-SBUS-MCHC.aml
    │   └── SSDT-TEMPToFans.aml
    ├── Drivers
    │   ├── AudioDXE.efi (disabled)
    │   ├── HfsPlus.efi
    │   ├── OpenCanopy.efi
    │   ├── OpenRuntime.efi
    │   └── ResetNvramEntry.efi
    ├── Kexts (loaded based on Min/Max Kernel settings)
    │   ├── AdvancedMap.kext (macOS 12+)
    │   ├── AirportBrcmFixup.kext
    │   ├── AMFIPass.kext (macOS 12+)
    │   ├── AppleALC.kext
    │   ├── AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement.kext (macOS 13+)
    │   ├── AppleIntelCPUPowerManagementClient.kext (macOS 13+)
    │   ├── BlueToolFixup.kext (macOS 12+)
    │   ├── BrcmBluetoothInjector.kext
    │   ├── BrcmFirmwareData.kext
    │   ├── BrcmPatchRAM2.kext
    │   ├── BrcmPatchRAM3.kext 
    │   ├── BrightnessKeys.kext
    │   ├── CryptexFixup.kext (macOS 13+)
    │   ├── ECEnabler.kext
    │   ├── HibernationFixup.kext
    │   ├── IntelMausi.kext
    │   ├── IO80211FamilyLegacy.kext (macOS 14+)
    │   ├── IOSkywalkFamily.kext (macOS 14+)
    │   ├── Lilu.kext
    │   ├── NoTouchID.kext (macOS 10.13 and 10.14)
    │   ├── RestrictEvents.kext (macOS 11+)
    │   ├── SMCBatteryManager.kext
    │   ├── VirtualSMC.kext
    │   ├── VoodooPS2Controller.kext
    │   ├── VoodooSDHC.kext
    │   └── WhateverGreen.kext
    ├── OpenCore.efi
    ├── Resources (NOTE: shows sub-folders only, no files)
    │   ├── Font
    │   └── Image
    │       └── Acidanthera
    │       │   ├── Chardonnay
    │       │   ├── GoldenGate
    │       │   └── Syrah
    │       └── Blackosx
    │       │   └── BsxM1
    │       └── velickovicdj
    │       │   └── EnterTwilight
    │       └── Label
    └── config.plist
</details>

Deployment

Please read the following instructions carefully before deploying my EFI folder. Depending on your T530 model, the used WiFi/BT card and macOS version you want to run, adjustments to the config.plist and used kexts may be necessary to adapt the config to your system.

[!NOTE] Although this EFI might work with T430 and X230, is was not intended for these ThinkPad models. So don't misuse issue reports for support requests!

Preparing the config.plist

Download the EFI Folder from the Releases section and unpack it. Make sure to read the included Changelog.md as well, since it contains useful explanations.

Open the config.plist and adjust the following settings depending on your system:

  1. ACPI Section:

    • Disable SSDT-PM.aml (unless you have an i7 3630QM as well). Generate your own with ssdtPRGen in Post-Install.

  2. Booter Section (optional):

    • The entries in the MMIO Whitelist are memory regions used by my firmware. Since I don't know if these are used by all T530 BIOSes, I disabled them and the corresponding DevirtualiseMmio Quirk
    • To figure out which one(s) your system use(s), you can follow this guide
    • This is not a necessity, just some fine-tuning.

  3. DeviceProperties: Enable the correct Framebuffer-Patch for your display. The T530 comes with either one of the following display panels: HD+ or HD, supporting different resolutions. Each requires a different framebuffer patch (AAPL,ig-platform-id) with different connector patches:</br>

    AAPL,ig-platform-id 04006601 = HD+ = WSXGA and FullHD. Resolution: ≥ 1600x900 px. (Default)</br> AAPL,ig-platform-id 03006601 = HD = SD. Resolution: ≤ 1366x768 px.</br>

    If your T530 has an SD panel, do the following;

    • Go to DeviceProperties
    • Disable the entry PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x2,0x0) by placing # in front of it.
    • Enable #PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x2,0x0) 1366x768 px by deleting the leading # and the description 1366x768 px, so that it looks this: PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x2,0x0).

    :bulb: HINT: If your screen turns off during boot, you are using the wrong Framebuffer-Patch!

  4. Audio (optional):

    • If you need digital Audio over HDMI/DP, disable/delete No-hda-gfx from the Audio Device Properties in PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1B,0x0).
    • My EFI contains a custom build of AppleALC.kext which only contains layouts 18 and 39 (default) and therefore only is 95 KB in size (instead of 3.6 MB). If you are using a docking station, leave it at 39. If you don't, change it to 18.
    • Bootchime: If you want the bootchime to play, do the following:
      • Under UEFI/Drivers, enable AudioDxe.efi
      • Under EUFI/Audio, enable AudioSupport
      • Make sure ConnectDrivers is enabled

  5. SIP (optional): Under NVRAM/Add/7C436110-AB2A-4BBB-A880-FE41995C9F82, adjust csr-active-config according to the macOS version you want to use. Lowering SIP is mandatory if you want to run macOS 12 and newer in order to install and load Intel HD 4000 Drivers! If you have issues running OCLP in Post-Install, change csr-active-config to FE0F0000 (almost fully disabled).

    • SIP enabled: 00000000 (macOS Big Sur and older only!)
    • SIP disabled:
      • For Big Sur and newer: 03080000(0x803)
      • For macOS Mojave/Catalina: EF070000(0x7EF)
      • For macOS High Sierra: FF030000 (0x3FF)

  6. SMBIOS: Under SystemProductName, select the correct SMBIOS for your CPU and generate a serial, etc. for it. My EFI utilizes Patches and kexts from OpenCore Legacy Patcher which allow using the correct SMBIOS for Ivy Bridge CPUs on macOS 11.3 and newer (Darwin Kernel 20.4+), so native Power Management and OTA System Updates are working oob which wouldn't be possible otherwise past macOS Catalina.

    • For Intel i7: MacBookPro10,1 (Default)
    • For Intel i5: MacBookPro10,2

  7. WiFi and Bluetooth (Read carefully!)

    • Case 1: Intel Wifi/BT Card. In stock configuration, the T530 comes with an Intel WiFi/Bluetooth card, so you need different kexts for WiFi and Bluetooth. It may work with OpenIntelWireless kexts.
      • Check the compatibility list to find out if your card is supported.
      • Remove all kexts containing "Brcm" in the name.
      • Add the required Kexts for your Intel card to EFI/OC/Kexts folder and config.plist before attempting to boot with this EFI!
    • Case 2: 3rd Party WiFi/BT Cards. These require the 1vyrain jailbreak to unlock the BIOS to disable the WiFi Whitelist (not required if the 3rd party card is whitelisted).
      • I use a WiFi/BT Card by Broadcom, so my setup requires AirportBrcmFixup for WiFi and BrcmPatchRAM and additional satellite kexts for Bluetooth. Read the comments in the config for details.
      • BrcmFirmwareData.kext is used for injecting the required firmware for Broadcom devices. Alternatively, you can use BrcmFirmwareRepo.kext which is more efficient but has to be installed into System/Library/Extensions since it cannot be injected by Bootloaders.
      • If you use a WiFi/BT Card from a different vendor than Broadcom, remove the Brcm Kexts and add the Kext(s) required for your card to the kext folder and config.plist before deploying the EFI folder!

  8. Kernel Section

    • Kernel/Patch: If you have an HDD caddy for the DVD drive bay, you can add this kernel patch to your config to enable SATA hot plugging.
    • Kernel/Quirks:
      • If you are using a stock BIOS, you need to enable AppleCpuPmCfgLock Quirk.
      • If you are using the 1vyrain BIOS, CFG-Lock will be disabled by default (not the case for the T430). In this case, you don't need the AppleCpuPmCfgLock Quirk.
      • To figure out if the MSR 0xE2 register of your BIOS is unlocked, add ControlMsrE2.efi to EFI/OC/Tools and your config.plist (under Misc/Tools) and run it from the BootPicker. The output should look like this: </br> UNLOCKED_MSR

  9. Misc Section

    • Misc/Boot: HideAuxiliary is enabled. This hides additional items like Recovery and resetting NVRAM. You can reveal them by pressing the space bar in BootPicker. If you want all items to show by default, disable HideAuxiliary.

  10. NVRAM Section

    • Boot-args: (under GUID 7C436110-AB2A-4BBB-A880-FE41995C9F82)
      • brcmfx-country=#a: Sets Wifi Country Code (#a = generic) for Broadcom WiFi cards using AirportBrcmFixup. If you are using an Intel Card, delete this boot argument. Otherwise replace the generic country code with the one for your country listed here. This is recommended to avoid connectivity issues and getting AirDrop to work properly (which I don't use).

  11. PlatformInfo/Generic Section

    • Generate and add Serials and stuff for MacBookPro10,1 with OpenCore Auxiliary Tools or GenSMBIOS, so Facetime will work

  12. Add/enable alternative/optional Kexts:

    • itlwm: Kext for Intel WiFi Cards. Use instead of AirportBrcmFixupif you don't use a Broadcom WiFi Card
    • IntelBluetoothFirmware: Kext for Intel Bluetooth Cards. Use instead of BrcmPatchRam and Plugins if you don't use a Broadcom BT Card
    • NoTouchID: only required for macOS 10.13 and 10.14 so the boot process won't stall while checking for a Touch ID sensor.
    • Feature Unlock: Unlocks additional features like Sidecar, AirPlay to Mac and Continuity Camera.

  13. Increase Max Backlight Brightness Level (optional):

    • Add boot-arg applbkl=0 for increased maximum brightness of the display as defined in SSDT-PNLF.aml instead of letting Whatevergreen handle it. Also available as device property (see Whatevergreen documentation for details).

Used boot arguments and NVRAM variables

EFI How To

Once you're done adjusting the config.plist, mount your system's ESP and do the following:

[!NOTE]

The system may crash the first time when booting macOS Ventura or newer. That's normal. After that, it should work as expected.

BIOS Settings

<details> <summary><strong>Click to reveal</strong></summary>

Latest BIOS Version: 2.77 DOWNLOAD

TabSubmenuFunctionSetting
ConfigUSB<ul><li> UEFI BIOS Support<li>USB 3.0 ModeEnabled <br> Enabled
Display<ul><li>Boot Display Device:<li>OS Detection for NVIDIA Optimus:ThinkPad LCD </br> Disabled
SATA<ul><li> SATA Controller ModeAHCI
CPU<ul><li>Core Multi-Processing <li> Intel (R) Hyper-Threading TechnologyEnabled <br> Enabled
Security–<ul><li> Security ChipDisabled
UEFI BIOS Update Options<ul><li> Flash BIOS Updating by End-Users<li> Secure Rollback Prevention: EnabledEnabled <br> Enabled
–<ul><li> Memory ProtectionEnabled
Virtualization<ul><li> Intel Virtualization TechnologyEnabled
I/O Port Access<ul><li> Wireless WAN <li> ExpressCard Slot <li> eSATA Port <li> Fingerprint Reader <li> Antitheft and Computrace <li> Secure BootDisabled
Startup–<ul><li> UEFI/Legacy BootUEFI Only
–<ul><li> CSM SupportDisabled
–<ul><li> Boot ModeQuick
–<ul><li> Boot Order LockEnabled

[!NOTE]

Enable Boot Order Lock after you've set-up the order of the Boot Drives. This prevents WindowsBootManager from taking over the first slot of the boot drives. This way, you don't need to enable the LauncherOption in OpenCore!

</details>

Installing macOS

Coming from Windows/Linux: Follow the installation guide by Dortania.

[!NOTE]

No support from my end is provided for issues related to UBS Installers created in Windows or Linux or when using a Virtual Machine!

Coming from macOS:

Recommended macOS version

Until recently, my recommendation was macOS Catalina. While testing my own instructions for upgrading from macOS Catalina (or older) to Big Sur, I noticed that Big Sur feels snappier and more responsive overall (although benchmarks are slightly lower).

Big Sur is also the best choice if you're planing to upgrade to macOS Monterey or newer. Because macOS 11.3 introduced a virtualization technology which can be used to trick macOS into thinking that it is running in a VM. This allows installing and booting macOS 12+ with an unsupported SMBIOS designed for Ivy Bridge CPUs which improves CPU Power Management and also allows installing System Updates which wouldn't be possible otherwise.

Post-Install

Apply Root Patches with OpenCore Legacy Patcher (macOS 12+)

If you areinstalling macOS 12 or newer, you need to apply post-install root patches with OpenCore legacy Patcher so that on-board graphics and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth work. Instructions can be found in the macOS Install section.

Disable Gatekeeper (optional)

I disable Gatekeeper on my systems because it is annoying and wants to stop you from running scripts from github etc. To do so, enter sudo spctl --master-disable in Terminal.

This command no longer works in macOS Sequoia – it requires a different method to disable Gatekeeper.

Enable brightness control for external displays

There's a new app called MonitorControl which allows controlling the brightness and contrast of attached external displays right from the menu bar. I tested it with my EIZO monitor that is connected to my docking station via DVI and it's working great. Might not work with every display, though.

Strengthen Security

Once macOS is up and running, you may want to change the following settings to make your system more secure:

[!NOTE]

Fixing CPU Power Management

Follow this guide to generate an SSDT-PM.aml to fix CPU Power Management. CPU Power Management should work fine after that.

Optionally, install Intel Power Gadget to check whether or not the CPU runs within specs. You don't need SMCProcessor and SMCSuperIO kexts to monitor the CPU if you use Intel Power Gadget, btw.

NOTES:

ACPI Power Management in macOS 13+

With the release of macOS Monterey, Apple dropped the plugin-type check for handling CPU Power Management. Since then, the X86PlatformPlugin (Plugin-type 1) is loaded by default – prior to Monterey, plugin-type 0 (ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin) was the default. For Haswell and newer this is great because you no longer need SSDT-PLUG to enable Plugin-Type 1. But for Ivy Bridge and older, you now not only need SSDT-PM to inject C-States and P-States but also to declare Plugin-Type 0 usage. But using ACPI CPU Power Management is still possible. For macOS Ventura, it's a different story…

In macOS Ventura, Apple removed the actual ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin binary from the kext itself rendering SSDT-PM generated for 'plugin-type' 0 useless, since it can't address a plugin which doesn't exist any more. Instead, the X86PlaformPlugin is loaded. This results in CPU Power Management not working correctly out of the box (no Turbo states, etc.).

So when switching to macOS Ventura or newer, injecting additional kexts to re-enable ACPI CPU Power Management (Plugin-Type 0) is necessary. My EFI is already configured to boot macOS Ventura and use ACPI CPU Power Management, so you don't have to worry about it.

Fixing Sleep issues

If you have issues with sleep, run the following commands in Terminal:

sudo pmset hibernatemode 0
sudo rm /var/vm/sleepimage
sudo touch /var/vm/sleepimage
sudo chflags uchg /var/vm/sleepimage

Other Settings:

If the system still wakes from sleep on its own, check the wake reason. Enter:

pmset -g log | grep -e "Sleep.*due to" -e "Wake.*due to"

If the wake reason is related to RTC (Alarm), do the following:

[!NOTE]

Reducing boot time

In UEFI/Drivers, disable ConnectDrivers. This reduces the timeout between the LENOVO logo and the BootPicker by 5 to 8 seconds.

[!WARNING]

Swapping Command ⌘ and Option ⌥ Keys

Prior to version 0.7.4 of my OpenCore EFI Folder, the [Command] and [Option] keys were set to "swapped" in the info.plist of VoodooPS2Keyboard.kext by default. So in macOS, the [WINDOWS] key was bound to the [Option] key function and the [ALT] Key was bound to the [Command] key function which felt weird. Therefore, users had to swap these Keys back around in the System Settings so everything worked as expected.

Since then, I've undone the key swap inside the VoodooPS2Keyboard.kext plugin so that the Key bindings are working as expected out of the box. So if you are updating from 0.7.3 or lower to 0.7.4, reset the Keyboard Modifier Keys back to Default in System Settings > Keyboard so everything is back to normal.

If the "<", ">" and "^" Keys are switched/reversed, change Use ISO layout keyboard from false to true in the info.plist of VoodooPS2Keyboard.kext.

Changing Themes

Besides the 3 default themes by Acidanthera included in the OpenCore package, I've added an additional theme by Blackosx called BsxM1 which is set as default. To change the theme to something else, do the following:

To revert these changes, enter Acidanthera\GoldenGate as PickerVariant and change the Flavor for the NVRAM Reset Tool back to Auto.

Eject Button

macOS locks the optical drive sometimes so that you can't open it with the physical eject button – even if no media is present. To fix this you have 2 options:

Fixing issues with AirportBrcmFixup (Broadcom WiFi Cards only)

I've noticed recently that a lot of crash reports for com.apple.drive.Airport.Brcm4360.0 and com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family are being generated (located under /Library/Logs/CrashReporter/CoreCapture).

This issue is related to Smart Connect, a feature of WiFi routers which support 2,4 gHz and 5 gHz basebands to make the WiFi card switch between the two automatically depending on the signal quality. In my case, turning off Smart Connect resolved the issue.

CPU Benchmark

Screenshot</br>Benchmark Results

Credits and Thank Yous