need some assistance, iboot won't boot - H61N-USB3

Hi guys,
i'm trying to get snow leopard on my H61N-USB3 without success. i've tried searching on the forums but not much luck, a lot of the links posted with similar hardware now show an "error 404 page not found"

The components i've chosen are from the Sandy Bridge Customac recommended list and i don't think there's any faulty stuff in the build. Components are as follows >

motherboard : H61N-USB3 (BIOS version F8)
CPU : i5-2500k
Graphics : Gigabyte HD6870 OC 1Gb
RAM : crucial ballistics low profile 1600MHz 8Gb X 2
SSD : Crucial MX100 (tested on H77N-wifi / 10.9.4 without problems)
DVD : lite-on DVD burner
add-ons : apple powermac keyboard and single button mouse, shuttle monitor with DVI input.

Okies, so...
i go to the downloads section and get iboot 3.3.0, DSDT for motherboard and multibeast 3.10.1 and update helper. Then burn the iboot to CD-Rom and build the components. One stick of RAM in the number 1 slot, read somewhere to do so, but cannot remember where. Plugged in the SSD to SATA-0 and DVD to SATA-1. Keyboard and mouse go into back USB 2.0 ports and DVI cable goes to left-side port on the 6870 (looking from the rear exhaust of the card). Next i follow the guide here >
http://tonymacx86.blogspot.sg/2010/04/iboot-multibeast-install-mac-os-x-on.html
i go to power on the computer and BIOS settings and choose >

load optimised defaults
set date and time in CMOS
change boot priority to CD-Rom / HDD / disabled (there's no other 3rd device anyway)
change the IDE to AHCI
change HPET (enabled by default) to 64-bit mode
- load the iboot CD -
save and exit

Upon reboot, the computer starts normally and gets to a black screen with white words, it says >

"loading operating system...
.............................."

and that's it. It won't do anything more. The DVD activity light does not blink, although the contraption seems to be vibrating, so it must be spinning something inside. Ejecting the CD and reloading it does nothing, so i power down the computer by holding the power switch.

Next i try startup and press F12 to enter boot menu and choose CD-Rom. This one also ends up at the black screen with something to the effect of

"boot fail, place OS into DVD and press enter", something like that.

So i try opening and closing the DVD tray and press "enter", same thing again. i swap to iboot ivy-bridge which i used for the H77N-wifi (so i know that would at least work) and get the same result.

Next, i download iboot legacy and try that, same result. i try formatting the SSD to FAT + MBR, replicating empty drive, with same result. So i try unplugging the SSD and only having the DVD-Rom connected, same result. i try swapping the SATA cables, same result. i try removing the graphics card altogether and try it with the HD3000, same result. As a last ditch effort, i try running the DVD-Rom through SATA adaptor cable and have it feed through the rear USB 2.0 ports, same result. i try all possible combinations with SSD, without SSD, with graphics card and without. iboot, iboot legacy, iboot ivy-bridge, all comes to the same result. One CD after the other, without shutdown in-between and with shutdown in-between. i even power down everything and clear CMOS through the jumpers a few times, then go back into the BIOS and apply changes after, same result.

So, to sum it up...
when i boot from BIOS with iboot CD loaded, it goes to >
"loading operating system...
.............................."
and hangs there.
when i boot with empty DVD and select from F12 while loading in the CD >
"boot fail something, something, please load OS and press enter_"

There hasn't been any over clocking done as the board doesn't support it, temperatures from the BIOS are in the mid 30 degrees celsius, i just don't understand it and can't find any info. i'm sure i must have missed something or other, but am unable to figure it out. If anyone has ever come across a situation like this and can help would be greatly appreciated, almost going crazy with this machine.

thewhitebunny

Suggest removing the 6870 ATI card..

These cards have given many a user headaches when doing installs of OSX.

Suggest you use the onboard HD 3000 of the CPU to be the first video using the DVI port of the motherboard.

You will need to use some startup switches when you boot from the Apple OSX install DVD.

Suggest these.
-v -f acpi=off PCIRootUID=0 GraphicsEnabler=No

when you boot from iBoot and swap the CD for the DVD you press the spacebar and a text window opens and you type these commands into that space and press enter/return when done.

THese commands tell the kernel to do things a bit differently upon the boot up.

You can use a more basic command line which is - which should work.
-v PCIRootUID=0 GraphicsEnabler=No

Each of these switches means something to the kernel and the startup of the OS.

I have pasted some notes from a text file I have for just these occasions.

If you are unfamiliar w the internal workings of the Mackintosh world, I found the following websites and videos very be helpful.

But before you do this please look for some YOUtube vids under the name deanwrayUK
of these shortcuts.

His vid on Best Practice - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZl1Gv3J7bg
His vid on Basic Overview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIOJB3EVHaw
His vid on Bootloader flags http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDw3RhLWAjE

Something useful about command line switches one needs to know !
http://www.ihackintosh.com/2009/05/bootloader-acpi-flags-while-darwin-bootloader/
This is from 2008 some of these have changed but it still a good read,
http://news.metaparadigma.de/osx86-flags-and-parameters-for-darwin-bootloader-104/

Update

YOU should install the base OSX Snow Leo...which Apple is selling as 10.6.3
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard

then install the 10.6.8 combo update -version 1.1 - http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399

once there then you need to install this Software batch before you make your USB drive w UniBeast.
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1512

Hi totenkopf4,
thanks for your very detailed reply. Those info is very useful to know and i'll keep it in mind when i actually get the system up and running.

i realised that i might have mis-represented my problem. When i write that "i load iboot", i actually mean i physically put the CD into the DVD burner device. The boot loader never actually loads up and that is the main problem so far. The system has never gotten to the point that i can swap out to the snow leopard DVD. The iboot CD never shows up on the monitor at all. So i've not even gotten to the point of OS install, let alone boot flags. My meaning in the title is the iboot CD fails to boot itself, not that it fails to boot snow leopard install DVD. i hope that makes some sense, language is not my strongest asset.

My intention is to have a working 10.6.7 / 10.6.8 machine as a standby in-case (or rather when) my ageing macbook 2008 dies. My initial research shows it's possible to get stable 10.6+ system on 6 series chipset motherboard and HD6xxx graphics. It does seem that HD3000 is even harder to get stable in snow leopard than a 6870 ?
http://www.tonymacx86.com/snow-leopard-desktop-support/31949-ga-h61n-usb3-installation-stalling.html
Anyways, i would like to use the card if it's possible. Some research has been done and i know i would have to do some altering in the plist regarding buffer and port config, but that's for later.

i did try using onboard graphics HD3000 and DVI port to monitor just to see if iboot will work. BIOS settings was same as the initial with added >
initial display = internal something, something
64mb for GTT something, something
...also got the same result of the boot loader failing to load.

Something tells me i must have done something wrong in the BIOS or while creating the iboot CD. i wonder if it's possible that i might have missed something in the BIOS that might interfere with the boot loader ? My previous build H77 chipset had ECHI / XHCI hands off, and there's a post somewhere that says to enable that on a H61N-USB3, but this motherboard BIOS doesn't have those options.
Or the version of iboot isn't the correct one to use ? Or my burn to CD method isn't correct ? The original macbook DVD drive was removed long ago, so i plug a Lite-On desktop DVD burner through SATA-USB adaptor-convertor-data-rescue thingy, drag iboot.iso into blank CD and click on burn, select 16X and let it do it's thing.
Or perhaps (hopefully not) the motherboard or graphics is faulty ? Shouldn't be as fans are spinning and LEDs show signs of life.

Thanks for your kind assistance, and do let me know if anything else i should have done, or should do. Meanwhile, i'm off to buy some re-writable CDs, really cannot afford to burn every version of iboot permanently.

and also,
i try to use this >
http://www.tonymacx86.com/snow-leopard-desktop-support/41599-renderfarm-ga-h61n-usb3-i7-2600k-16gb-success.html
as a guide for HD3000 install on snow leopard, but the steps 1-5 are linked to missing page. That is most likely where my own install took a wrong turn. Anyone has the correct link to the install ?

thewhitebunny12 said:

i realised that i might have mis-represented my problem. When i write that "i load iboot", i actually mean i physically put the CD into the DVD burner device. The boot loader never actually loads up and that is the main problem so far. The system has never gotten to the point that i can swap out to the snow leopard DVD. The iboot CD never shows up on the monitor at all. So i've not even gotten to the point of OS install, let alone boot flags. My meaning in the title is the iboot CD fails to boot itself, not that it fails to boot snow leopard install DVD.

Click to expand...

Suspect you did not create the iBoot CD properly. If you load it into the tray and close the door during the boot and F12 to select the ODD what happens? If it doesn't boot to the Chimera screen or you get an error about not finding an OS it definitely is the iBoot burn.

Hi Going Bald,
thanks for posting !
From memory, putting the iboot CD into the DVD burner during the F12 pop-up menu, then select CD-ROM (there’s no ODD option in menu) goes to

“loading operating system…
……………………………..”

and nothing more. It just stops there, second row of dots never gets past the word “system” on the top row. The motherboard i’m using is the rev.1.0 if that makes any difference, it’s the one without the pink / purple long many-many-pin-connector thing. This one >
http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3963#ov

Right then, i’ve gone out and bought some discs to try out. One is a CD-RW and the other is a DVD-RW which is supposed to be the only format that mac DVD burners can write to. Something about the +RW didn’t seem to work with mac computers back in the day so i chose the minus type. Sadly, both are 4X write speed, but that shouldn’t matter much. Which of these is best to burn to ? CD or DVD ? i’m guessing i should plug the Lite-On DVD burner into the internal SATA on the hack to do the burn for best results ?

Also, i’ve done more research and found this >
http://www.tonymacx86.com/wiki/index.php/Graphics_Card_Database
it is suggested here to use iboot legacy for the Gigabyte HD 6870 ? So should i use the legacy instead of the normal iboot ? What is “Device ID=0x6738” does it mean i have to flash the graphics card before i start installation or something ?

Real mac-pro don’t seem to have an issue with the card though, as seen here >
http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1174719
which is a little bit of comforting news.

Do excuse my loads and loads of questions. As can be seen from here,

working space is quite limited, so i would like to get as much info as possible before i start tearing the H77 and swapping over to H61 for the 10.6 install.

Thanks again for your kind assistance.

thewhitebunny12 said:

Hi Going Bald,
thanks for posting !
From memory, putting the iboot CD into the DVD burner during the F12 pop-up menu...

Click to expand...

Put the CD into the tray and close the tray during the boot POST, then hit F12. If you are too late, just Control+ALT+Delete and reboot, then select F12 during first post screen. If the iBoot does not come up with the Chimera screen, then either the CD is not burned properly or there is a problem with the ODD.

thewhitebunny12

The Download for the iBoot file is a compressed file or what we call a ZIP file.

This can be expanded - in either OSX or Windows.

Suggest expand to a directory or folder.

In that folder will be a file with an ISO extension. This is the file we need to make into an CD.

Windows an OSX can make ISO files into the CD.

Once this is done we use that CD and boot the system. This is where or more importantly that we get to the screen to change to the DVD.

Hi guys,
thanks for all your suggestions ! Do excuse my late reply, it’s been rough going.

Still have no luck getting iBoot to boot. Not sure if i do have a hardware problem or conflicting hardware on the USB ports or DVD burner thing.

totenkopf4,
i do know how to make iBoot CD, and i use your method in OSX to do so.

down load > unpack to reveal .iso file > drag .iso file into blank CD > click on the nuclear reactor > select 4X speed and proceed.

However, i used the original multi-drive connected via USB through enclosure to my macbook 2008 to do my previous known working iboot-ivy-bridge. It was running 10.6.8 at the time and i burned an iBoot-ivy-bridge to get the H77N-wifi desktop i’m using now to type this. Although, the install of 10.6 on this computer was done through the Lite-On DVD burner connected via SATA. And as luck would have it, the multi-drive died soon after, so now, i only have the Lite-On burner should i need a DVD drive.

Using the Lite-On through data-recovery-adaptor-thingy on the macbook previously didn’t seem to work, so i’ve now tried to burn the iBoot CD on a Sony CD-RW (not sure if DVD-RW would make difference, but since everyone uses a CD, i thought to do the same also) using the mavericks based hack and internal SATA 2 connection. The burn went fine and verification appears OK. Not wanting to take any chances, i opened disk utility and got info >

also performed verify disk and got a green OK. Seems like the size is correct and it is bootable.

Next, dissembled the H77, and set up the H61 with SSD on SATA0, DVD burner on SATA1. Apple wired keyboard and single button mouse plugged into USB 2.0 ports, and still no go. It does get a little further now, after the “loading operating system… “ it now shows a failure of some sort >


Going Bald,
i have tried both methods. Choosing boot device in BIOS and also your method of F12 boot select during startup. It’s the same thing i get, sometimes with the “loading operating system…” and sometimes just the “disk boot failure..etc..etc… …press enter” Pressing "enter" will also get back to the same message of "disk boot failure..." Opening and closing the DVD drive and pressing enter, also the same. Ctr+Alt+Del with the iBoot CD in the burner, also same result, also select F12 after restart will give same result.

i have since also tried >
- plugging in a belkin BT dongle (tested working on the H77 mavericks) into USB 2.0 (just in case iboot was looking for a bluetooth device)
- removing the graphics card (with BIOS edit to - initial display onboard + always on-board + 64mb GTT and also bumped to 128mb GTT when 64 didn't work) plug from DVI into monitor. Unfortunately, my monitor doesn’t have HDMI to test.
- switching to USB 3.0 ports for mouse and keyboard
- Disable USB 3.0 controller in BIOS (which made the USB 3.0 ports on the rear stop working, even for keyboard)
- change back to stock intel heatsink fan
- change to cosair vengeance ram (1 stick X 8Gb) since crucial is 1.35v
- change to totally new SSD unformatted straight out of the anti-static bag

All of the above (with various combinations as well) got the same result. The SSD and DVD burner do show up in the BIOS though, so it must be recognised. i also popped the CMOS battery out and tested it to have 3.2v, so that can’t be a problem.

i did, however manage to get mavericks installed with the Uni-beast stick i used for the H77 install. Only to run into a Boot 0 error upon trying to boot SSD later. i have since wiped the drive, as the intension is to have snow leopard on this particular computer. Also, interestingly, i did manage to get windows 7 trial version loaded and working through USB install. Didn't even bother to do the windows updates, that, has also been erased. Perhaps the DVD burner got some issue with the board / BIOS version ? i'm clueless.

So, i’ve dissembled the H61 for now and might bring it to the distro for a checkup. Doing a search seems like there are quite a few others (windows) with this “loading operating system…” problem. Usually USB devices is the cause, but how do i install OS without keyboard ?

i do wonder if the BIOS version affect iBoot in any way ? i see some H61N-USB3 with later firmware in BIOS, but they are running later versions of OSX. Most have snow leopard or later loaded and stable before updating their BIOS firmware. Not sure if i should get my BIOS flashed to earlier versions for the install, or what i should try next. Do post if i’ve missed something, there just HAS to be a glitch somewhere.

Thanks again for all your help. i do really hope i will be able to get the OSX snow leopard up and running, just didn’t know it would be so stressful on this board. The H77 didn’t hardly give me half as much headache.

thewhitebunny

As to OOD's

we could have an issue that when it wrote to the CD - on the one drive it cant be read fully by the other ODD...
this could be the partial load of iBoot and then stops.

Also some CD need to be written at higher speeds than 4x and infact come ODD's cant support older spec speeds.

This is why I use a program called Img Burn as it checks the ODD and the media before burn and will adjust the rate at which it burns.

If you don't have windows hardware suggest taking the file to a neighbors house school library etc and do it to a cd their.

Also using USB ODD drives for burning is not recommended nor using them for booting iBoot from.