Can't boot past the Apple logo after updating Clover

[SDB49]

Even trying to go into F12 and select recovery drive, or anything else won't go past the Apple logo

 

[trs96]

Anything else to try?

Don't know what macOS version you're trying to install/run or what Clover version you're using. Again, I moved to OpenCore almost 3 years ago so I never used the latest Clover versions past r510x OC has done everything I need it to. It might be worth it to try making an OpenCore EFI and booting from that. OCAT makes it relatively easy to do that.
See: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...uxiliary-tools-app-also-known-as-ocat.323947/

 

[SDB49]

I'm on OS Mojave 10.14?, I forget which Clover version. I built this system about 4 years ago, and haven't touched any OS stuff until today, so I'm a bit out of the loop. I just hope my system isn't borked and I have to start all over with the OS, Pro Tools etc, etc ?
I'll check out the link. I didn't know yo could boot from OpenCore if you created the install with Clover? As I've been reading some threads today, sounds like other have moved to OpenCore as well. Maybe it's time for me, lol

 

[trs96]

I'm on OS Mojave 10.14?, I forget which Clover version. I built this system about 4 years ago, and haven't touched any OS stuff until today, so I'm a bit out of the loop.

If it's been four years then you've probably got kexts in the /L/E folder and that doesn't allow you to drop in a new OC folder onto the EFI partition. I would stay with Clover for now. @Edhawk is the resident Haswell expert and still uses Clover too. He's the best person to help you out here. Wait till he responds to this. For now you could zip up your EFI folder that you're trying to boot from. Remove all the serials from the config.plist first.

 

[SDB49]

Is there a way to message him directly?

 

[trs96]

Is there a way to message him directly?

No, it's about 1AM where he lives anyway. Probably asleep. He'll check in tomorrow AM.

 

[SDB49]

Ahhh, ok excellent. Thanks for your help as well! Hopefully, he can help recover this mess

 

[Edhawk]

Just read this post so I'm late to the party.

@SDB49
Do you have a copy of your Clover EFI on a spare USB pen drive?
If not, can you write an EFI Folder to a HFS+ formatted USB pen drive?
I expect the answer to the last question is yes, so I have created a CLOVER EFI for you, using Clover_r5119, see the attached folder below.

It has been set for a standard Haswell system, using the IGPU (HD4600) with the aim of running Mojave.

It has been set with a iMac14,2 SMBIOS, but this is just for temporary usage, so you to boot the system. You can replace the iMac14,2 SMBIOS with your current SMBIOS data once you are able to boot back in to your system.

I would recommend you do the following:

1. Copy the EFI Folder to the EFI Partition on a spare USB pen drive.
2. Boot from the UEFI partition on the USB Pen Drive, use the F12 key to bring up the boot menu, or set your bios to boot from a USB pen drive as the boot priority.
3. When you arrive on the Clover Boot screen, press the F11 key, to clear NVRAM.
4. If the system doesn't reboot automatically, you need to reboot the system, so the old entries are removed from Nvram.
5. Reboot the system from the pen drive again, this time select your macOS Mojave drive.

Hopefully this will get you booting back in to the system, where you can fix any issues you have caused.

Always helps when you remember to attach the EFI before you post your reply!

 

[SDB49]

Thank you for the info! I have the backup EFI saved from yesterday I can post if still helpful?

Re: #1 Copy the EFI Folder to the EFI Partition on a spare USB pen drive.
Hate to sound like a noob, but do you mean to format the thumbdrive and copy your EFI folder to it?

I don't know what a UEFI partition is. Do you mean the same partition of the thumbdrive as your EFI gets copied to? Just want to make sure I do all this correctly

 

[Edhawk]

When you format a drive (any drive) as HFS+ the system automatically creates a single user partition and a hidden EFI Partition. The drive can be formatted with more than a single user partition but it always only has one EFI Partition, which is always hidden by default in macOS.

You need to mount the hidden EFI Partition on the drive (USB, HDD, SSD, NMVe/m.2) in order to be able to copy your EFI Folder to the EFI partition. This can be done with a Terminal command, Hackintool or another app, plus a bunch of Python scripts. How you mount the EFI partition is not really important, what is important is that you mount the correct EFI Partition as you will need to select it in the bios or bios boot menu.

Yes the EFI Partition on a HFS+ or APFS drive is also called the UEFI partition, usually when viewed in the Bios, i.e. when selecting the boot partition from the Bios boot Menu.