Could not Get EL Cap Install USB to Boot on GA-Z77X-UP5 - partially solved

Hi-

I've been pulling my hair out for days trying to get the El Capitan install USB to boot on my GA-Z77X-UP5. Core i7 CPU.

I tried following (among other methods) the unibeast method oulined in the TonyMac guide but it wouldn't freaking boot. I would get messages about CPUsensors problems, bluetooth not being recognized and Firewire ID of 0000000000 and then the machine would reboot. Stuck in a reboot loop. It looks to me like it's not properly loading the FakeSMC or doesn't like the FakeSMC.

I finally was able to get a bootable USB stick to work on this motherboard by
1. creating a USB stick with unibeast and my El Capitan apple store download on another mac.
2. I grabbed the entire EFI folder from this site:
https://github.com/theracermaster/Gigabyte-GA-Z77X-DSDT-Patch/wiki/2.-Creating-an-OS-X-Installer-USB
and replaced the CLOVER folder on the USB stick with the CLOVER folder on that site and it BOOTS!
(The 1st 2 post install scrips on that site are not working for me - they are just broken- the clover install script works )

Hope this is helpful to someone.

I'm still having an issue that after a fresh install, when I use migration assistant to recover all my accounts, data and apps from my time machine backup of my Yosemite (non-UEFI build) it kills the hackintosh and I can no longer boot the hard drive. still working on that.

beardog57 said:

I'm still having an issue that after a fresh install, when I use migration assistant to recover all my accounts, data and apps from my time machine backup of my Yosemite (non-UEFI build) it kills the hackintosh and I can no longer boot the hard drive. still working on that.

Click to expand...

Can you run Migration assistant and do only one thing at a time? e.g. Transfer user accounts, reboot and see if that's still working. Transfer applications, reboot and see if that's still working. (Actually, I wouldn't go any farther than that.)

Yes - That's the next thing I started to try - only migrating a few things.
I was able to Migrate all the applications and the user accounts - but I had to uncheck system files and the (I think it was called) "Other files".

So I have all the accounts moved over, but without the system files moving over some of the apps are still broken and will require reinstall. I'm going that route rather than try anything else with Migration Assistant.

I have all of my user data folders stored on a HD with a SSD as my boot drive so the migration assistant isn't really doing much anyway. I was hoping to save more apps but oh well.

beardog57 said:

...
2. I grabbed the entire EFI folder from this site:
https://github.com/theracermaster/Gigabyte-GA-Z77X-DSDT-Patch/wiki/2.-Creating-an-OS-X-Installer-USB
and replaced the CLOVER folder on the USB stick with the CLOVER folder on that site and it BOOTS!
(The 1st 2 post install scrips on that site are not working for me - they are just broken- the clover install script works )

Click to expand...

Hello beardog57,
I've some problems while booting from USB OS El Cap installer: the booting stops after the Apple will shown before the middle of the progress bar.
How can I recreate/update my USB based El-Cap installation device with the info given above? How can I copy the content from /EFI to my USB drive?

I am by no means an expert at this stuff - but it looks like this screen is the 2nd part of the install process - after the reboot? correct?
If so this is during the part of the install when the Installer is creating the recovery partition.

I'd reboot from the USB stick and reinstall again - this time make sure that you follow the steps carefully about during the reboot in the middle of the installation - you need to hit F12 to select a boot device and then pick the USB stick again. go back and read the installation instructions for El Cap on the TonyMac Home page.

Alternatively - You also might try rebooting the USB stick - then when you get to the Clover screen select your new Mac OS Install and try to boot that. The installer might actually have finished the OS install on your main partition. Then you need to install clover on your Hard Drive to make it bootable.

good luck

beardog57 said:

...but it looks like this screen is the 2nd part of the install process - after the reboot? correct?
...

Click to expand...

No.
I never reached this step (from here).

STEP 4: Install OS X El Capitan
...
5. When you arrive at the Installer, choose language.

Did you get the audio working? mine was working until I used the github script to try and fix my timeout error.

Given how similar my MoBo is to that one I would think we should be able to get pretty similar install experiences. Since we didn't I would be looking for differences. And the first place to look is the BIOS settings. I used to have all sorts of issues with TonyMac until I figured out that I have to give up VTd despite being a VMware user. My install experience was very drama free. The only issues were the need for the audio patch script and Trim enabler. I do have an NVidia graphics card, and the built-in graphics may be more trouble than NVidia. I did have some glitches until I installed the NVidia drivers. Some of my USB2 ports have stopped working, so I just switched to the USB3 ports.

Chow7 said:

Did you get the audio working? mine was working until I used the github script to try and fix my timeout error.

Click to expand...

After I ran the script and rebooted I had a whole bunch of new audio ports. And I had to try several of them to find the active ones. I had pops on the system audio out, but one of the line outs is clean.

@mntbighker - How dod you get audio working? I've been struggling with the realtekALC stuff from toleda and nothing is working.