SW:NVRAM

Types

• string: A standard string.
• bin-string: A URL-encoded string containing binary data.
• boolean: A string with value of either true or false.
• int: A decimal integer.
• bin-int(n): A bin-string-encoded integer, little-endian, n bytes.
• hex-int: A hexadecimal integer.
• volume: A string of format <gpt-partition-type-uuid>:<gpt-partition-uuid>:<volume-group-uuid>. The GPT partition UUID seems to be a bit weird, with its first three components byteswapped.

Values

Boot

• auto-boot: boolean: Whether to automatically boot. Setting this to false on at least the Mac M1 mini causes a boot failure;
• boot-args: string: Boot arguments to pass to the kernel. Possibly filtered by the boot policy.
• boot-info-payload: bin-string: Some kind of opaque, high-entropy payload.
• boot-note: bin-string: Unknown. Example: %00%00%00%00%00%00%00%bb%0ez%e5%00%00%00%00%a0q%d4%07%08%00%00%00
• boot-volume: volume: Default boot volume.
• upgrade-boot-volume: volume

Updates

• IDInstallerDataV1: bin-string:lzvn:bin-plist: Compressed binary plist containing information about the most recent installer action. Seems to be absent starting somewhere between macOS 10.12 and 11.0.
• IDInstallerDataV2: bin-string:lzvn:bin-plist: Compressed binary plist containing an array of information items in the same format as IDInstallerDataV1.
• ota-controllerVersion: string: Over-the-air update controller identifier. Examples: SUMacController-1.10 (Mac Mini M1), SUS-1.0 (iPhone, iPad).
• ota-updateType: string: Type of over-the-air updates to apply. Example: incremental.
• usbcfwflasherResult: string: Example: No errors.
• update-volume: volume 　　　　　　　　　

Settings

• backlight-nits: hex-int: Presumably the screen backlight strength. Mac Mini M1 example: 0x008c0000.
• current-network: bin-string: Last Wi-Fi networks to have connected to.
• fmm-computer-name: string: Computer name.
• good-samaritan-message: string: Message to show on the boot/password screen in case the device is lost and found.
• preferred-networks: bin-string: List of stored Wi-Fi networks.
• preferred-count: int: Number of networks in preferred-networks, if not 1.
• prev-lang:kbd: string: Keyboard layout, format: <lang>:<locale-id>, reference. Example: en-GB:26.
• prev-lang-diags:kbd: string: Keyboard layout in diagnostics: Example: en-GB.
• SystemAudioVolume: bin-int(8): Volume. Example: %80 (128).
• SystemAudioVolumeExtension: bin-int(16): Example: %ff%7f (32767).

Examples

IDInstallerDataV2

Example with successful Big Sur 11.2 beta 1 (20D5029f) upgrade

<?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">
<array>
	<dict>
		<key>505</key>
		<string>auth not needed</string>
		<key>6</key>
		<string>key recovery assistant</string>
	</dict>
	<dict>
		<key>505</key>
		<string>auth not needed</string>
		<key>6</key>
		<string>key recovery assistant</string>
	</dict>
	<dict>
		<key>0</key>
		<string>20D5029f</string>
		<key>100</key>
		<string>passed</string>
		<key>6</key>
		<string>upgrade</string>
	</dict>
	<dict>
		<key>505</key>
		<string>auth not needed</string>
		<key>6</key>
		<string>key recovery assistant</string>
	</dict>
	<dict>
		<key>505</key>
		<string>auth not needed</string>
		<key>6</key>
		<string>key recovery assistant</string>
	</dict>
	<dict>
		<key>505</key>
		<string>auth not needed</string>
		<key>6</key>
		<string>key recovery assistant</string>
	</dict>
	<dict>
		<key>6</key>
		<string>key recovery assistant</string>
	</dict>
	<dict>
		<key>6</key>
		<string>key recovery assistant</string>
	</dict>
</array>
</plist>

Example with crashed upgrade

<?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">
<array>
	<dict>
		<key>100</key>
		<string>crashed</string>
		<key>102</key>
		<string>initializer</string>
		<key>103</key>
		<string>1</string>
		<key>7</key>
		<string>NO</string>
	</dict>
</array>
</plist>

Example with successful Sierra 10.12.2 (16C67) upgrade

<?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">
<array>
	<dict>
		<key>0</key>
		<string>16C67</string>
		<key>100</key>
		<string>passed</string>
		<key>103</key>
		<string>1</string>
		<key>202</key>
		<string>832.499040</string>
		<key>203</key>
		<string>41.700535</string>
		<key>205</key>
		<string>30.318743</string>
		<key>206</key>
		<string>0.003648</string>
		<key>207</key>
		<string>0.156793</string>
		<key>208</key>
		<string>2.215885</string>
		<key>209</key>
		<string>8.130921</string>
		<key>299</key>
		<string>0.212016</string>
		<key>3</key>
		<string>solid state</string>
		<key>4</key>
		<string>unencrypted</string>
		<key>5</key>
		<string>case sensitive</string>
		<key>6</key>
		<string>clean</string>
		<key>7</key>
		<string>NO</string>
	</dict>
	<dict>
		<key>0</key>
		<string>16C67</string>
		<key>100</key>
		<string>passed</string>
		<key>103</key>
		<string>2</string>
		<key>202</key>
		<string>802.017327</string>
		<key>203</key>
		<string>29.902674</string>
		<key>205</key>
		<string>4.379149</string>
		<key>206</key>
		<string>0.003310</string>
		<key>207</key>
		<string>0.156726</string>
		<key>208</key>
		<string>2.214545</string>
		<key>209</key>
		<string>10.050913</string>
		<key>299</key>
		<string>0.184676</string>
		<key>3</key>
		<string>solid state</string>
		<key>4</key>
		<string>unencrypted</string>
		<key>5</key>
		<string>case insensitive</string>
		<key>6</key>
		<string>clean</string>
		<key>7</key>
		<string>NO</string>
	</dict>
	<dict>
		<key>0</key>
		<string>16C67</string>
		<key>100</key>
		<string>passed</string>
		<key>103</key>
		<string>3</string>
		<key>6</key>
		<string>software update</string>
	</dict>
	<dict>
		<key>0</key>
		<string>16C67</string>
		<key>100</key>
		<string>passed</string>
		<key>103</key>
		<string>4</string>
		<key>202</key>
		<string>582.532387</string>
		<key>203</key>
		<string>11.511343</string>
		<key>205</key>
		<string>1.900536</string>
		<key>206</key>
		<string>0.005585</string>
		<key>207</key>
		<string>0.101757</string>
		<key>208</key>
		<string>2.142859</string>
		<key>209</key>
		<string>3.942741</string>
		<key>299</key>
		<string>0.122528</string>
		<key>3</key>
		<string>solid state</string>
		<key>4</key>
		<string>unencrypted</string>
		<key>5</key>
		<string>case insensitive</string>
		<key>6</key>
		<string>clean</string>
		<key>7</key>
		<string>YES</string>
	</dict>
</array>
</plist>