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Solving NVIDIA Driver Install & Loading Problems

Hi, I have been having the same problem. Does anybody know what I would need to change for this to work on a iMac 12,1? Pertaining to problem #4 where the display goes black. I really do not want to change my SM bios to 14,1 as imessage works. After a closer reading if I find my board id in the AppleGraphicsDevicePolicy.kext and change config to none it should work right?
And since my video card, gtx 650 is natively supported I should not need to inject nvidia in my config.plist right? As well as no special boot flags, correct?

Update: My problem was solved by changing to 14,2 iMac.
 
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Having similar issues with my GTX 970 - ran the sudo command and nothing returned, ran query for all and searched for nvidia_driver and nothing so thinking they are still nd it had an update to drivers today, ran and restarted but still only have system defaults for display. NOTE: I am getting an error when restarting (system still does not boot right either without using USB) on restart, system freezes so have to shut down and start back up and items shown below are greyed out. Any ideas?
nvidiaGraphics.png
nvidiaECC.png
 
Having similar issues with my GTX 970 - ran the sudo command and nothing returned, ran query for all and searched for nvidia_driver and nothing so thinking they are still nd it had an update to drivers today, ran and restarted but still only have system defaults for display. NOTE: I am getting an error when restarting (system still does not boot right either without using USB) on restart, system freezes so have to shut down and start back up and items shown below are greyed out. Any ideas?View attachment 210436View attachment 210437

Those items are greyed out because the system preference pane is locked.
 
Hey all,

I have literally done everything to try to get these nVidia web drivers working...
Since I've updated to macOS Sierra, the monitors never turn on! It's always a black screen and then signal loss...

I've gone all the way up to just start fresh and wipe everything and reinstall, and once I reinstalled I threw on the latest nVidia web drivers for GM, and what do you know, black screen!

This is really starting to puzzle me ...

If you guys have any ideas, it would be greatly appreciated!

-Duncan
 
Hi. I have issue #4. I updated the drivers and managed to boot with nv_disable=1. After fixing Info.plist I tried to rebuild the kernel cache, but I get "Untrusted kexts are not allowed"
GenericUSBXHCI, FakeSMC, FakePCIID and AppleHDA have invalid signature, omitting. After rebooting system can't boot.
 

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The verbose boot message in my previous post may have been a red herring. I am able to boot 100% of the time if I disconnect my secondary monitor (dvi -> vga adapter) and use just one monitor on hdmi. After boot, I can plug in the extra monitor, go to 'detect displays' in preferences, and it will recognize both monitors and work great...
50% of attempts :(

The other 50% of the time, I get a kernel panic when I click 'detect displays'.
panic.png


Can anyone help me interpret this error? That info is always the same, so now at least we know which kexts are involved, right?
 
----------------------------
NEWS: As of the 10.10.5 driver there are no longer the checks in the distribution file for system profile and if the hardware is installed. It only checks for the OS X build number. This makes problems 1 and 3 obsolete.
----------------------------

This is a guide to help solve issues when trying to install the NVIDIA web drivers for the first time. There are various reasons why they won't install due to checks in the package file. This also covers a few issues where the drivers won't load after an OS update or the boot results in a black screen.

Misconceptions:

You must use a MacPro3,1/4,1/5,1 profile to use the drivers - While the package does a check for those three systems, the drivers will run just fine on any system definition (iMac15,1 iMac17, and MacPro6,1 are a special case, see problem #4). iMac14,2 is generally the most compatible with modern systems.

CUDA is the same as the Web Driver - CUDA and the Web Driver are not the same thing and have very different functions. CUDA is a graphics library to enable computation or rendering in certain software using the GPU. Installing CUDA will not make a Maxwell card work, you must install the Web Driver to make it work. CUDA can be installed and used on ANY mac with an NVIDIA GPU even if the Web Drivers are not installed.​

----------------------------

Problem 1: Computer not supported error
This is caused by the system definition not being MacPro3,1/4,1/5,1.

Screen%20Shot%202016-07-05%20at%2010.59.34%20PM_zpszcgc8vcu.png
Fix: Edit the "Distribution" file within the package using the Flat Package Editor.

  1. Download the Flat Package Editor (FPE) from Apple: https://developer.apple.com/downloads/index.action
  2. Login and search for "Auxillary Tools"
  3. Download the "Late July 2012" dmg
  4. Mount the dmg and right click Package Maker to show the package contents
  5. Browse to /Contents/Resources and copy the FPE to your Applications or Utilities folder
  6. Open the NVIDIA Web Driver package using the Flat Package Editor
  7. Drag the Distribution file to your desktop
  8. Open the Distribution file using TextEdit
  9. Scroll down to the line: var system_models = ["MacPro3,1", "MacPro4,1", "MacPro5,1"];
  10. Add your system ID.
  11. Make sure that you don't use smart quotes which look like italicized quotation marks.
  12. Save the Distribution file
  13. Go back to FPE and delete the Distribution file from that window
  14. Drag the edited Distribution file to the FPE window and save the package, command+S
  15. Run the package and you shouldn't get the error.
NOTE: Once the drivers are installed this doesn't matter anymore and you can use any system definition you like and it will update fine.​

----------------------------

Problem 2: This version OS X is not supported
This is caused by having the wrong driver for your installed build of OS X.

Screen%20Shot%202016-07-05%20at%2010.38.12%20PM_zpssmiirg1d.png
Fix: Find out your build number and then get the right driver.

  1. Open up About This Mac
  2. Click where it says 10.10.2 or 10.10.1, etc.
  3. This will display your build number
  4. Download the right driver for your build:


----------------------------

Problem 3: Have to install the web drivers without the NVIDIA GPU installed
Sometimes the system won't boot when the GPU is installed but there aren't any drivers so you have to use the integrated graphics. The problem is the drivers won't install when there isn't a NVIDIA GPU installed.

Fix: Modify the package to remove the GPU hardware check

  1. Obtain the Flat Package Editor (FPE) as described in Problem 1 fix steps 1-5
  2. Open the driver package using FPE
  3. Drag the Distribution file from FPE to your desktop
  4. Open the Distribution file using TextEdit
  5. Find this line and change the 0 to a 1
    View attachment 133181
  6. Save the Distribution file
  7. In the FPE window, delete the Distribution file inside the package
  8. Drag the modified Distribution file from the desktop to the FPE window
  9. Save the package
  10. Launch the package and it should let you install the driver without the GPU installed

----------------------------

Problem 4: Monitor goes to sleep at the end of the boot sequence when using iMac15,1 or iMac17,1 or MacPro 6,1 system definition

Fix: modify the AppleGraphicsDevicePolicy.kext as pointed out by PikeRAlpha here. We have two options, using Clover's built in kext patching (preferred) or manually editing the kext. Using Clover to patch the kext on the fly is preferred because it does not get over written after each OS X update. If you do it manually you will have to make the edits after each update.

Method 1:

  1. Open your Clover config.plist using text edit and scroll till you see <key>KernelAndKextPatches</key>
  2. In that section you will want to add the following:

    <key>KextsToPatch</key>
    <array>
    <dict>
    <key>Comment</key>
    <string>(c)Pike R. Alpha</string>
    <key>Find</key>
    <data>
    Ym9hcmQtaWQ=
    </data>
    <key>Name</key>
    <string>AppleGraphicsDevicePolicy</string>
    <key>Replace</key>
    <data>
    Ym9hcmQtaXg=
    </data>
    </dict>
  3. Save your config and now your kext will be patched when you boot by changing board-id to board-ix.

Method 2:


Use Shilohh's AGDPfix found here: http://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/b...-imac-15-or-imac-17-system-definition.183113/


Method 3:


  1. Open Terminal
  2. Enter this command (it is one line)

    sudo nano /System/Library/Extensions/AppleGraphicsControl.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleGraphicsDevicePolicy.kext/Contents/Info.plist
  3. Arrow down to where you see <key>ConfigMap</key>
  4. For the iMac15,1 locate the board-id "Mac-42FD25EABCABB274" and change string below it from "Config2" to "none". For the MacPro6,1 you will do the same thing but for the board-id "Mac-F60DEB81FF30ACF6". For the iMac17,1 you'll have to see which board-id is declared in your config.plist SMBIOS: "Mac-B809C3757DA9BB8D" or "Mac-65CE76090165799A" or "Mac-DB15BD556843C820" and change the appropriate entry to "none".
  5. Save the file by pressing Ctrl+O, then enter.
  6. Exit by pressing Ctrl+X
  7. Rebuild the kernel cache using the following two commands in terminal:


    sudo kextcache -system-prelinked-kernel
    sudo kextcache -system-caches
  8. Reboot


NOTE:
you may need to use kext-dev-mode=1 if not already using it to allow the modified kext. For El Capitan you will need to at least partially disable SIP to allow the now unsigned kext.​

----------------------------

Problem 5: You accidentally updated OS X and now your unsupported Nvidia card won't work because the drivers won't load.

Fix: modify the NVDAStartup.kext to force the older drivers to load.

  1. Open up terminal and enter the following command:

    sudo nano /System/Library/Extensions/NVDAStartupWeb.kext/Contents/Info.plist
  2. Enter your password and scroll down to where it says NVDARequiredOS
  3. Change the build number below that to your current build number
  4. Rebuild kernel cache suing the two commands from Problem #4
  5. Reboot

----------------------------

Problem 6: You select Nvidia Web Drivers in the menu bar or the Nvidia Driver Manager preference pane but when you restart OS X Default Graphics Driver is checked.
This is caused when your board does not have native NVRAM support such as Gigabyte 100 series boards.

Fix:
setup emulated NVRAM to store the nvda_drv=1 boot flag in boot-args.

Download the Clover installer pkg here, launch the installer and choose customize here:
Screen%20Shot%202016-06-17%20at%204.17.27%20PM_zpsyyxgcist.png
After that make sure you have selected EmuVariableUefi-64:
Screen%20Shot%202016-06-17%20at%204.16.21%20PM_zpstrh5la5r.png
Proceed with the Clover upgrade install and reboot when done. After the reboot open up your system preferences and go the the Nvidia Driver Manager. It is a good idea to make sure you have the most up to date driver so go to the updates tab and click the Check Now button. If there is an update, perform the update and reboot when it tell you to. You should be done at this point. If there isn't an update proceed to the next step.
Screen%20Shot%202016-06-17%20at%204.22.24%20PM_zpss1tshhyz.png
If there was no upgrade, click on the Graphics Drivers tab and then choose the radio button next to the NVIDIA Web Drive. Reboot.
Screen%20Shot%202016-06-17%20at%204.21.54%20PM_zpstmrfmdvy.png
Once rebooted, it should say that you are using the NVIDIA web driver. If it is not working still then you may need to re-run the Clover installer and select "Install RC scripts on target volume".
Screen%20Shot%202016-06-17%20at%204.27.24%20PM_zpszwpp1ven.png
----------------------------

Please let me know of any other errors you are encountering and I will update this post with solutions.

Change log:


  • 4/7/15: initial post
  • 4/8/15: added problem 3
  • 4/22/15: added screenshots
  • 4/23/15: added 10.10.3 driver links
  • 4/27/15: added driver update process
  • 5/5/15: added black screen fix for certain system profiles
  • 5/11/15: added additional steps and notes to #4
  • 5/24/15: added driver download links for f03 & f04
  • 7/1/15: added 10.10.4 driver link
  • 7/30/15: added new driver link for 10.10.4
  • 8/13/15: added link for 10.10.5 beta driver
  • 8/14/15: added link for 10.10.5 final release driver
  • 8/15/15: added news about 10.10.5 driver
  • 10/5/15: updated problem 4 to use sudo nano
  • 10/26/15: added links for El Capitan drivers
  • 12/9/15: added link for 10.11.2 driver.
  • 12/9/15: added problem #5 to help with Yosemite security patches
  • 3/2/16: added Clover patching for AppleGraphicsDevicePolicy.kext in problem #4
  • 4/6/16: updated driver list
  • 7/5/16: added instructions to setup NVRAM support for boards that do not support it natively
  • 7/5/16: updated screenshots
  • 7/27/16: added links for 10.11.6 drivers


Thanks for all your input, I installed the second nvidea webdriver for el captain 10.11 and the hdmi port no longer works, I found out that it shifted the signal to the dvi port. Is there a way to get it back on hdmi? thanks
 
I am having dificulties installing my gtx 750 ti with my otherwise functioning Sierra GM. I get 0GB info and no options to select any resolutions. Also RAM is only showing 4x4GB instead of 4x8GB.

I do read that the GTX should not be installed for initial installation. Do I need do completly reinstall eveything with the card out?
 
I am having dificulties installing my gtx 750 ti with my otherwise functioning Sierra GM. I get 0GB info and no options to select any resolutions. Also RAM is only showing 4x4GB instead of 4x8GB.

I do read that the GTX should not be installed for initial installation. Do I need do completly reinstall eveything with the card out?

0MB means you have inject Nvidia set to true
 
Hi Jim,

I have a problem when booting, sometimes it crashes and sometimes it doesn't and in the crash report it says:
panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff7f8d3c6eab): NVRM[0/1:0:0]: Read Error 0x00070000. I have been trying to fix it but nothing worked so far... I thought maybe you could help me further because it says something about the nvidiaRAM (NVRM). The complete crash report is in the attached file. Any suggestions?

Kind regards, Kota.
 

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