Baffled: install fails at verifying installesd.dmg

[StSteve]

bit of background: I put my hardware together and installed Mojave in the middle of November. I’ll it’s pretty much the same as this: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...-8400-ga-z370n-wifi-i630-airport-card.258728/
...except using an Xfx graphics card. For a couple of weeks it was like a rock - stable, fast, everything I could ask for. Then I noticed a couple of kernel panics... I put it down to the software I was using and didn’t think much more about it, I rebooted then everything seemed to work fine for another few days. Then into the first week of December it started happening more so I took the plunge and did a complete reinstall of OS X, starting by wiping the disk and then following the Mojave install instructions on this site. It boots into the installer fine, but after 8 mins or so, I get the error “an error occurred validating the installer data. The download is either damaged or incomplete”. The corresponding error in the log shows that it tries to copy the installesd.dmg from the USB stick and fails. It tries twice and then gives up.
I have created, and recreated, the installer using unibeast from a legit download of Mojave from the App Store.
I have also replaced the target disk, and I still get the same error.
Have reset the motherboard and loaded bios settings as recommended here.
I am pretty much at a brick wall now, if anyone has any insight it would be greatly appreciated.

View media item 191346

 

[cmn699]

bit of background: I put my hardware together and installed Mojave in the middle of November. I’ll it’s pretty much the same as this: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...-8400-ga-z370n-wifi-i630-airport-card.258728/
...except using an Xfx graphics card. For a couple of weeks it was like a rock - stable, fast, everything I could ask for. Then I noticed a couple of kernel panics... I put it down to the software I was using and didn’t think much more about it, I rebooted then everything seemed to work fine for another few days. Then into the first week of December it started happening more so I took the plunge and did a complete reinstall of OS X, starting by wiping the disk and then following the Mojave install instructions on this site. It boots into the installer fine, but after 8 mins or so, I get the error “an error occurred validating the installer data. The download is either damaged or incomplete”. The corresponding error in the log shows that it tries to copy the installesd.dmg from the USB stick and fails. It tries twice and then gives up.
I have created, and recreated, the installer using unibeast from a legit download of Mojave from the App Store.
I have also replaced the target disk, and I still get the same error.
Have reset the motherboard and loaded bios settings as recommended here.
I am pretty much at a brick wall now, if anyone has any insight it would be greatly appreciated.

View media item 191346

• Before creating the USB Installer disk, check the FHA-Sum of the Mojave Installer file downloaded from App Store and saved in the Applications folder.
• If you have a genuine and full download of Install macOS Mojave 10.14.2 (18C54), you should get an Alphanumeric string like shown below:
  da00f1ccb5e0927ae4550fd8399160cc5f3a9b47 /Applications/Install macOS Mojave.app/Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg
  
  If the value does not match the above, downloaded Install macOS Mojave 10.14.2 file is corrupt.
  
  The Terminal command to use: (may copy and paste to the Terminal and ENTER. Wait for a few minutes for the above output to show up)
  
  shasum /Applications/Install*OS*.app/Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg

 

[StSteve]

• Before creating the USB Installer disk, check the FHA-Sum of the Mojave Installer file downloaded from App Store and saved in the Applications folder.
• If you have a genuine and full download of Install macOS Mojave 10.14.2 (18C54), you should get an Alphanumeric string like shown below:
  da00f1ccb5e0927ae4550fd8399160cc5f3a9b47 /Applications/Install macOS Mojave.app/Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg
  
  If the value does not match the above, downloaded Install macOS Mojave 10.14.2 file is corrupt.
  
  The Terminal command to use: (may copy and paste to the Terminal and ENTER. Wait for a few minutes for the above output to show up)
  
  shasum /Applications/Install*OS*.app/Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg

Thanks.
Same checksum unfortunately: da00f1ccb5e0927ae4550fd8399160cc5f3a9b47

I had also used the 'restore from time machine backup' option which tootled away happily for a few hours, then restored itself back to a state that constantly panicked as soon as the logon screen appeared.

I then used the 'update mac osx' option and in this case the installer attempts to download the InstallEDS.dmg from the apple servers, and the same thing happens, can't verify package!

I'm beginning to think it must be my motherboard, just by a process of elimination...(ie not software, not target disk, not usb stick) ???

 

[cmn699]

Thanks.
Same checksum unfortunately: da00f1ccb5e0927ae4550fd8399160cc5f3a9b47

I had also used the 'restore from time machine backup' option which tootled away happily for a few hours, then restored itself back to a state that constantly panicked as soon as the logon screen appeared.

I then used the 'update mac osx' option and in this case the installer attempts to download the InstallEDS.dmg from the apple servers, and the same thing happens, can't verify package!

I'm beginning to think it must be my motherboard, just by a process of elimination...(ie not software, not target disk, not usb stick) ???

I have yet to install Mojave 10.14.X on a 300 Series MoBo and therefore no personal experience with them. I have seen in this Forum and elsewhere folks with 300 Series Boards struggling with Mojave Installation much more often than with any other previous generations like 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 100 and 200 series EXCEPT for some Intel MoBo and X79 Boards.

Now that you have ruled out a problem with downloaded Install Mojave file, look more carefully on your BIOS selections, contents of CLOVER (drivers64UEFI, kexts/Other and all SECTIONS of config.plist) and the way the target hard disk is partitioned and formatted for installation to be sure no user-related error has occurred.

If you have installed Windows or Linux on the same system without problem , you can be sure the chosen hardware has no intrinsic defects but macOS Mojave compatibility cannot be assured even with that.

A good rule of thumb that I used to follow when I started Hackintosh years ago, was to remove all hard disks from the System EXCEPT the Target hard disk for macOS and all USB devices from USB ports EXCEPT the macOS USB Installer flash drive. This helps to remove clutter and confusion for us as well as reduce conflicts during installation. I see from your SPECS, your MoBo has a WiFI. Most often they have Intel Chipsets which are not supported in Hackintosh. If it is a removable module , get that off the Board. Bottom line, don't use any incompatible or hardware of doubtful compatibility during initial Hard disk installation and save it for Post Install stage add-on trials.

Similarly if you intend to use an add-on PCIE card as Graphics and the System has an Intel Processor associated Integrated Intel HD Graphics like your present Intel HD 630, until the hard disk installation of macOS is completed, keep the PCIE card Off of the Motherboard PCIE Socket and use the Intel HD as the Graphics in the BIOS with required options and connected to the Monitor digitally , rather than adding the PCIE card from the start. Corralling non-mac hardware during Hackintosh install is far worse than an unruly herd of cows for an unseasoned cowboy!

 

[StSteve]

I have yet to install Mojave 10.14.X on a 300 Series MoBo and therefore no personal experience with them. I have seen in this Forum and elsewhere folks with 300 Series Boards struggling with Mojave Installation much more often than with any other previous generations like 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 100 and 200 series EXCEPT for some Intel MoBo and X79 Boards.

Now that you have ruled out a problem with downloaded Install Mojave file, look more carefully on your BIOS selections, contents of CLOVER (drivers64UEFI, kexts/Other and all SECTIONS of config.plist) and the way the target hard disk is partitioned and formatted for installation to be sure no user-related error has occurred.

If you have installed Windows or Linux on the same system without problem , you can be sure the chosen hardware has no intrinsic defects but macOS Mojave compatibility cannot be assured even with that.

A good rule of thumb that I used to follow when I started Hackintosh years ago, was to remove all hard disks from the System EXCEPT the Target hard disk for macOS and all USB devices from USB ports EXCEPT the macOS USB Installer flash drive. This helps to remove clutter and confusion for us as well as reduce conflicts during installation. I see from your SPECS, your MoBo has a WiFI. Most often they have Intel Chipsets which are not supported in Hackintosh. If it is a removable module , get that off the Board. Bottom line, don't use any incompatible or hardware of doubtful compatibility during initial Hard disk installation and save it for Post Install stage add-on trials.

Similarly if you intend to use an add-on PCIE card as Graphics and the System has an Intel Processor associated Integrated Intel HD Graphics like your present Intel HD 630, until the hard disk installation of macOS is completed, keep the PCIE card Off of the Motherboard PCIE Socket and use the Intel HD as the Graphics in the BIOS with required options and connected to the Monitor digitally , rather than adding the PCIE card from the start. Corralling non-mac hardware during Hackintosh install is far worse than an unruly herd of cows for an unseasoned cowboy!

Thanks for the tips. I have unscrewed the wireless card already but I'll try removing the graphics card and using the native graphics. Everything else is off the board. Have even experimented moving the memory cards around and plugging the ssd into different sockets on the mobo.

Will try removing the graphics card later and post back here.

 

[StSteve]

May be early days but I think I may have - sort of - figured this out.

I was getting desperate. I had removed the graphics card and tried a couple of installs - high Sierra (different error) then back to my restored Mojave disk. No luck. I’d tried the install using a different efi file recommended elsewhere. Still panicking!

So just for giggles I removed one ram card, bringing my total ram on the board to 4gb.

Lo and behold - stable system again. It’s only been a couple of hours but it’s still running, churning away on a Boinc task. Memory is a Ballistix sport lt 8gb kit, ddr4 2400 mt/s.

Could I have missed a bios setting, or is there some other incompatibility or defect that could have caused this?

 

[halloz]

If it wasn't for your post, I'd still be sitting here pulling my hair out. I also have Ballistix Sport Memory:
https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/bls8g3d1609ds1s00

Had the exact same issue and resolved it by removing all but 2 ram cards.

 

[StSteve]

Huh...so what is it about these ballistix cards?

I’m not putting anything back together yet, I’m sure it’s going to crash and burn again.

I’m going to research other ram. I’ll probably try a single 8gb card I don’t think 4gb will be sufficient.

 

[MadDan]

• Before creating the USB Installer disk, check the FHA-Sum of the Mojave Installer file downloaded from App Store and saved in the Applications folder.
• If you have a genuine and full download of Install macOS Mojave 10.14.2 (18C54), you should get an Alphanumeric string like shown below:
  da00f1ccb5e0927ae4550fd8399160cc5f3a9b47 /Applications/Install macOS Mojave.app/Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg
  
  If the value does not match the above, downloaded Install macOS Mojave 10.14.2 file is corrupt.
  
  The Terminal command to use: (may copy and paste to the Terminal and ENTER. Wait for a few minutes for the above output to show up)
  
  shasum /Applications/Install*OS*.app/Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg

Is there an Apple site/link that lists the Mojave Installer FHA-SUM string values? I checked mine today against the string above, and its different. I'm hoping the reason is that my Install is for version 10.14.1.

Thanks!

 

[cmn699]

Is there an Apple site/link that lists the Mojave Installer FHA-SUM string values? I checked mine today against the string above, and its different. I'm hoping the reason is that my Install is for version 10.14.1.

Thanks!

10.14.1 (18B75) 635fdcb4a9baee1885825e9067d104d7aa0b9c2f (InstallESD.dmg)
https://github.com/notpeter/apple-installer-checksums