Clover: iMessage/Facetime Fix for Yosemite

[doylet84]

 I too am having a problem logging in after following the above guide. 

 

I used the magic wand, creating a unique SN not found by selfserve.apple.com. 

I generated a unique UUID x 6 times. Pasted that into clover configurator as smUUID. I then copied my SN to the Board Serial Number, where I added an additional 5 characters for 17 total. 

I deleted my network interfaces.plist and preferences.plist.

Disconnected from the internet. Rebooted

Verified in iMessage debug 3 times that the values were consistent. 

 

I rebooted and connected to the internet, where i logged into iMessage and got the customer code. I contacted apple, but I was unable to log in after they unlocked the code.

I changed my apple ID password. 

I deleted the majority of files listed above in /Users/username/Library/Preferences and /Caches, however 3 where not even listed and a few were being used so I couldn't delete them.

Deleted the network interfaces.plist and preferences.plist

I then changed my Board Serial Number's final 5 characters to the last 5 of my en0 mac address. 

I rebooted. 

I got another customer code, called apple and was not  able to login to iMessage. I then booted into safe mode via clover, booted back to OS X and then and only then was I able to login into imessage.

Yet, my account is inactive.

I have again changed my password.

Whats going on here? 

 

 

I rebooted. 

[doylet84]

I just spent 2.5 hours on the phone will apple support. My serial number is now recognized by apple as an iMac after the 4th call today?

 

Anyway - I kept getting a message saying that I was unable to login to iMessage, check your network connection. 

 

Any ideas?

[barracudamuscle]

This seems to be a new issue involving apples servers. It seems theres another matrix they are using to verify the ROM/MLB values. It is a recent issue that has popped up in the past few days. Been following the issue for the past week and it is also talked about on another forum with the same result.

 

The end game here is some how apple is only accepting ROM/MLB values made by their legit hardware it seems by first look. Another user utilized his sisters ROM/MLB values but kept his generated mackintosh serial and it started working. This leads me to believe there is something new going on with the ROM/MLB values.

[doylet84]

I'm looking into the network connection issue on my end. 

 

DPCIManager shows that my V8579V is en0 built in 

Wireless network adapter (802.11/a/b/g/n) en1 NOT built in

 

How do I inject that into clover?

 

thanks 

[rev4turbomonster]

Hi guys,

 

Any idea why iMessage debug seems to refuse to save the serial number and board id I have input 

 

Thanks 

 

Matt

[barracudamuscle]

Got my iMessage working via taking ROM/MLB values from a real mac book. Kept my generated s/n, rebooted and logged into iMessage. It worked and I didn't have to call apple back from the last time they unlocked it but it didn't work.

[NX9420MAX]

I can confirm to the real MLB/ROM from real Mac as well.  It was working perfectly fine and I have called Apple 4 times to unblock without luck.  I use my macbook air MLB/ROM in clover keeping everything the same, restart and iMessage/facetime working now!! 

Hi guys,

 

Any idea why iMessage debug seems to refuse to save the serial number and board id I have input 

 

Thanks 

 

Matt

Matt,

 

Do you edit the config.plst with Text Editor or Clover Configurator?  iMessageDebug doesn't save anything, it just read what clover booted with.

 

LT

[C.44]

I wonder, does it still work when you set the ROM back to the calculated ROM from your networkcard? I can understand Apple checking the MLB against one of their databases since it's quite hard to replace but a ROM is no more than the MAC address right?

 

Edit: on a hunch I tried a real Mac's serialnumber and now I get another Customer Code to call Apple Support with.

[fusion71au]

@C.44,

 

You will need the MLB AND ROM from a real Mac (they work as a pair, from the same Mac) a calculated ROM won't work.

 

And ROM is more than simply a MAC address - in the context of iMessage activation, it is being used as another verifiable serial number by Apple - see my post#161 in the AIO guides.

 

Even using genuine MLB and ROM won't work if they come from 2 different Macs....

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Addendum

 

Have a look at this insightful post by ElNono_ about what the developers of VMWare Fusion 7 had to do to enable iMessage to work on OSX Yosemite Guests running on real Mac Hosts:

 

"Welp, it looks like it only copies ROM/MLB. Obviously the two matching kernel hashes, oycqAZloTNDm and abKPld1EcMni end up being the same too, which is expected. The rest of the values (IOPlatformSerialNumber, IOPlatformUUID, boot-uuid, board-id, product-name) are VM generated.

 

system-id seems not to be populated by the VM. I noticed there's a "system-id.enable" option for the vmx, but have not played with it, and it's apparently off by default. Since system-id is disabled, the IOPlatformUUID value follows the legacy convention: prefix "00000000-0000-1000-8000-" followed by the VM "primary" (en0) ethernet mac address.

 

I guess it makes sense, you want the VM to look like a different machine than the host, but at the same "pass" whatever server-side checks are there. AFAIK, VMWare has been in contact with Apple about this issue, per the previous thread link"

 

So the only values from the real Mac hosting the VM that are required to activate iMessage on the OSX Yosemite guests are its MLB and ROM combo - everything else like system-id and system serial are "generated"/"fake" values!

 

About the ethernet MAC address used by the VMWare guest :

"The MAC address prefix is non-Apple (VMWare), so having an Apple MAC address is apparently also not a requirement"

[C.44]

@C.44,

 

You will need the MLB AND ROM from a real Mac, a calculated ROM won't work.

 

And ROM is more than simply a MAC address - in the context of iMessage activation, it is being used as another verifiable serial number by Apple - see my post#161 in the AIO guides.

 

I understand that the ROM is calculated from either the firewire mac address or ethernet mac address, but aren't those also replaceable? For instance, let's say I have an authentic Mac Pro, wouldn't the FireWire or Ethernet card be replaceable if either fail? If I replace them with a non-genuine Apple product that will result in a ROM that isn't in any of Apple's databases right? The MLB I understand, once you have to replace that you're basically replacing the heart of the system and since those are proprietary they will always be in Apple databases.

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong but that was my whole logic behind my previous question about whether or not the ROM is actually something that needs to be registered with Apple.

 

Now that I think about it, making up a MLB by simply sourcing a genuine serialnumber on for instance eBay and then adding a few random characters to make it 17 characters long is probably useless as well. If Apple is now actually checking the MLB against their database there is no way for us to tell if that MLB is actually valid.

[teddybearapple]

So is there no way to make it work with generated MLB n ROM like before? I now get a customer code and have called apple like 5 times still get the same code any progress on this?

[holyfield]

I suspect, if you don't have a working iOS device, you wouldn't get it to work on Hackintosh

[teddybearapple]

I suspect, if you don't have a working iOS device, you wouldn't get it to work on Hackintosh

How I use iMessage on my iphone anyway

[ballistic]

On a real Mac, where do I find the ROM and MLB values?

[C.44]

On a real Mac, where do I find the ROM and MLB values?

 

Same way as on a Hackintosh really, run iMessage_debug on it. The only difference between a real Mac and a Hackintosh is how the MLB and ROM values get into the NVRam. Whatever you plan on doing though, don't bother trying to get the MLB and ROM from a Mac you don't own. If multiple accounts are active on the same MLB-ROM combination simultaneously that eventually will get all accounts blocked and possibly the MLB-ROM blacklisted. That means you're not just screwing up access to Messages for Mac for yourself but also to the person that rightfully owns the Mac that the MLB-ROM combination belongs to.

[leodaniel]

Same way as on a Hackintosh really, run iMessage_debug on it. The only difference between a real Mac and a Hackintosh is how the MLB and ROM values get into the NVRam. Whatever you plan on doing though, don't bother trying to get the MLB and ROM from a Mac you don't own. If multiple accounts are active on the same MLB-ROM combination simultaneously that eventually will get all accounts blocked and possibly the MLB-ROM blacklisted. That means you're not just screwing up access to Messages for Mac for yourself but also to the person that rightfully owns the Mac that the MLB-ROM combination belongs to.

Sorry for the long inactive time!

 

As for now, if your imessage is working, DO NOT LOG OUT.

As seen in the comments before, it has to do with new verification steps from apple. Indeed it seems to be related to MLB and ROM, personally I think it's related to the MLB. I don't know if they check for a valid pattern or compare it to the database. 

 

Generating new ID's won't help you in any way for now. Maybe real Mac ROM & MLB works, but I would not use them, as C.44 said, it could end in a mess for you. I would never use Real ID's from a mac on a Hackintosh.

[fusion71au]

Sorry for the long inactive time!

 

As for now, if your imessage is working, DO NOT LOG OUT.

As seen in the comments before, it has to do with new verification steps from apple. Indeed it seems to be related to MLB and ROM, personally I think it's related to the MLB. I don't know if they check for a valid pattern or compare it to the database.

 

Generating new ID's won't help you in any way for now. Maybe real Mac ROM & MLB works, but I would not use them, as C.44 said, it could end in a mess for you. I would never use Real ID's from a mac on a Hackintosh.

I would qualify some of your statements to lessen some of the FUD being spread from the "other" forum:

 

"Maybe real Mac ROM & MLB works" - Yes, it has been PROVEN many times to work and is currently the only method still working...

 

"it's related to the MLB. I don't know if they check for a valid pattern or compare it to the database" - I agree with you here and the answer to that question is still uncertain - I wouldn't be surprised if its like the system serial database at Apple Self Solve.  MLB on a real Mac is certainly NOT system serial + 5 random numbers/letters like a lot of guides state (it looks similar but is a different string value to system serial).  Also older Macs have shorter MLBs than current Macs eg a MBP 6,2 has 13 character MLB and this is still valid if put in RtVariables/config.plist.

 

"it could end in a mess for you" - maybe, if you don't own the Mac whose MLB/ROM you are using. Nobody knows what Apple will do in the future but if you own the Mac, then you can always legitimately call Apple Support to fix any block on your Apple ID to make your real Mac work again.

 

The other forum spreads misinformation about SMBIOS mismatches and lockouts which are simply untrue - eg you can use the MLB/ROM from a MBP in a hack using an iMac SMBIOS. This is also essentially how iMessage on VMWare Fusion 7 is working (host and guest have different SMBIOS but guest uses host MLB/ROM to login to iMessage/Facetime).

 

I would contend that from Apple's perspective, someone calling Apple support to register a Hackintosh when they don't own a Mac is the greater evil to a real owner using their own MLB/ROM on their other hacks - it wastes Apple's time and resources and prevents genuine owners from getting support promptly so I'm not surprised that Apple has closed this loophole. In fact there is always the risk that if they do find out you have been calling support about a Hackintosh, they may come back to you and CHARGE you for the support call.

 

"I would never use Real ID's from a mac on a Hackintosh" - That's your choice and I respect that. Personally, I have been using the MLB/ROM from my mac mini on 3 other hacks (sometimes with more than one switched on at the same time) with no problems for over 6 months and through all the Yosemite updates. Note I haven't publicly shared my MLB/ROM and only logged in with my own AppleID and some other family members.

[carbo178]

I can confirm the MLB/ROM from a real Mac is working on a hackintosh, i put MLB and ROM from a MBP 2008 on my system with MacPro smbios.

Of course I do not have to divulge the values to all the world, and it does not seem a good idea to go to a store, put a SD in a mac and launch iMessage debug, as suggested by someone in the forum Italian, first for the possibility of being discovered, second because if more hackintoshers they do on the same Mac then you have the saturation of devices with the same MLB / ROM, and Apple would stop in again.

 

Sorry for my english, thanks to fusion71au for his contribute to explain the method and solution

[leodaniel]

I would qualify some of your statements to lessen some of the FUD being spread from the "other" forum:

 

"Maybe real Mac ROM & MLB works" - Yes, it has been PROVEN many times to work and is currently the only method still working...

 

"it's related to the MLB. I don't know if they check for a valid pattern or compare it to the database" - I agree with you here and the answer to that question is still uncertain - I wouldn't be surprised if its like the system serial database at Apple Self Solve.  MLB on a real Mac is certainly NOT system serial + 5 random numbers/letters like a lot of guides state (it looks similar but is a different string value to system serial).  Also older Macs have shorter MLBs than current Macs eg a MBP 6,2 has 13 character MLB and this is still valid if put in RtVariables/config.plist.

 

"it could end in a mess for you" - maybe, if you don't own the Mac whose MLB/ROM you are using. Nobody knows what Apple will do in the future but if you own the Mac, then you can always legitimately call Apple Support to fix any block on your Apple ID to make your real Mac work again.

 

The other forum spreads misinformation about SMBIOS mismatches and lockouts which are simply untrue - eg you can use the MLB/ROM from a MBP in a hack using an iMac SMBIOS. This is also essentially how iMessage on VMWare Fusion 7 is working (host and guest have different SMBIOS but guest uses host MLB/ROM to login to iMessage/Facetime).

 

I would contend that from Apple's perspective, someone calling Apple support to register a Hackintosh when they don't own a Mac is the greater evil to a real owner using their own MLB/ROM on their other hacks - it wastes Apple's time and resources and prevents genuine owners from getting support promptly so I'm not surprised that Apple has closed this loophole. In fact there is always the risk that if they do find out you have been calling support about a Hackintosh, they may come back to you and CHARGE you for the support call.

 

"I would never use Real ID's from a mac on a Hackintosh" - That's your choice and I respect that. Personally, I have been using the MLB/ROM from my mac mini on 3 other hacks (sometimes with more than one switched on at the same time) with no problems for over 6 months and through all the Yosemite updates. Note I haven't publicly shared my MLB/ROM and only logged in with my own AppleID and some other family members.

 

"Maybe real Mac ROM & MLB works - Yes, it has been PROVEN many times to work and is currently the only method still working..." I hadn't tested it before and didn't want to misinform 

I agree with you, I have now tested it with my own MLB/ROM combination from my old MacBook and it worked fine. And like you said, SmBios have nothing to do with it, I'm using MacPro 6.1 and old ROM/MLB.

What I'm actually not sure, is how they check the MLB/ROM, if they just require a valid pattern or if they are checked agains a whitelist. In my opinion it could be both, even if the Whitelist/Database is more probable. 

Also the Serial + 5 Random Letters/Numbers was only to keep them Random and for convenience... It's certainly not correct. 

 

An other point that I have read in some forums, is that it only relays on the MLB, the ROM value can still be Random. I haven't actually tried that.

 

I also agree with you, that using MLB/ROM from yourself is okey, I only wanted to point out not to use some found over the internet. And in any way I personally always prefer to use generated ones.

[holyfield]

Proabably Apple seeks for certain pattern in MLB value. If MLB does not follow certain pattern, you are unable to get iMessage to work. 

[ballistic]

Same way as on a Hackintosh really, run iMessage_debug on it. The only difference between a real Mac and a Hackintosh is how the MLB and ROM values get into the NVRam. Whatever you plan on doing though, don't bother trying to get the MLB and ROM from a Mac you don't own. If multiple accounts are active on the same MLB-ROM combination simultaneously that eventually will get all accounts blocked and possibly the MLB-ROM blacklisted. That means you're not just screwing up access to Messages for Mac for yourself but also to the person that rightfully owns the Mac that the MLB-ROM combination belongs to.

 

Thanks. I have a MBP 10,1 so I've used the MLB and ROM values from that using iMessage Debug and entered them into my hack (Mac Pro 6,1) using Clover Configurator and the hack now signs in to iMessage and FaceTime just fine. In fact, using Clover and UEFI has made my hack work perfectly so I'll put up a success post.

 

Many thanks.     

[fusion71au]

An other point that I have read in some forums, is that it only relays on the MLB, the ROM value can still be Random. I haven't actually tried that.

 

 

A user on the "other" forum removed the 4 middle digits from his old, generated MLB to make it 13 characters long and along with using his old generated ROM, reported getting a different Customer Error code ---> rang Apple support and claimed iMessage working again....

 

He may have accidentally created a "valid" MLB and his report (a single report, yet to be replicated) suggests that once you have a valid/genuine? MLB, then it is still possible to ring Apple support to fix iMessage while still having a random/generated ROM....

 

Having said that, I have tried, in the past, mixing a genuine MLB and genuine ROM from 2 different real Macs and placing those values in the config.plist of my hack ---> still get customer error code and failure to login.  Not sure if ringing Apple Support in this scenario would fix the login failure but that experiment suggests that if there is any mismatch checking done by Apple at present, it is between MLB and ROM ie MLB & ROM work as a pair to unlock iMessage.

 

It would also be interesting to find out from Mac owners that lack an ethernet or firewire interface (eg MacBook Air owners) what their ROM values actually correspond to.....maybe Airport MAC address? Bluetooth serial?

[carbo178]

I am convinced that what makes access to iMessage is the combination MLB/ROM, it does not matter if the ROM belongs to the ethernet card, to wifi or firewire, probably the device is registered by Apple with a single MLB and the (variable) ROM of all possible network connections.
Out of curiosity I tried to insert only the MLB and only the ROM, I found that code is generated for assistance, there is no automatic access.

 

Sorry for my english

[UltraLaser]

I am convinced that what makes access to iMessage is the combination MLB/ROM, it does not matter if the ROM belongs to the ethernet card, to wifi or firewire, probably the device is registered by Apple with a single MLB and the (variable) ROM of all possible network connections.

Out of curiosity I tried to insert only the MLB and only the ROM, I found that code is generated for assistance, there is no automatic access.

 

Sorry for my english

Yess, i used rom and mlb from my macbook into my asus z97i (with wifi+combo) and run fine.

[holyfield]

I believe, this validation is based on certain pattern.