[SOLVED] Unable to pass language selection dialog from BS install USB

Hi everyone. Big Sur beta 10 boots up and works fine on my system. But booting from the installation USB, even erasing NVRAM before choosing the installation program, I have the problem that, after language selection dialog, which apparently arrives well and quickly, the screen goes gray and does not reach the macOS Recovery message or the window with the installation options.
Can anyone guide me on the cause and solution of this problem? I have tried some modifications, without success.
I attach config.plist. IGPU is disabled in BIOS. Only RX 580 dGPU is active.
Thank you.

miliuco said:

Hi everyone. Big Sur beta 10 boots up and works fine on my system. But booting from the installation USB, even erasing NVRAM before choosing the installation program, I have the problem that, after language selection dialog, which apparently arrives well and quickly, the screen goes gray and does not reach the macOS Recovery message or the window with the installation options.
Can anyone guide me on the cause and solution of this problem? I have tried some modifications, without success.
I attach config.plist. IGPU is disabled in BIOS. Only RX 580 dGPU is active.
Thank you.

Click to expand...

How long have you waited? If you press caps lock or num lock do their respective lights come on?

miliuco said:

Hi everyone. Big Sur beta 10 boots up and works fine on my system. But booting from the installation USB, even erasing NVRAM before choosing the installation program, I have the problem that, after language selection dialog, which apparently arrives well and quickly, the screen goes gray and does not reach the macOS Recovery message or the window with the installation options.
Can anyone guide me on the cause and solution of this problem? I have tried some modifications, without success.
I attach config.plist. IGPU is disabled in BIOS. Only RX 580 dGPU is active.
Thank you.

Click to expand...

Took a quick glance at your config.plist and made one change, (Booter/Quirks/ProtectUefiServices=Yes) this is sometimes needed to be enabled on the Gigabyte Z390. See OC documentation, also vsmcgen=1 is no longer needed in boot-args as it is now builtin OC's data but I did not remove this from your config.plist as I don't know what version you're running.

scottkendall said:

How long have you waited? If you press caps lock or num lock do their respective lights come on?

Click to expand...

esafeddie said:

Took a quick glance at your config.plist and made one change, (Booter/Quirks/ProtectUefiServices=Yes) this is sometimes needed to be enabled on the Gigabyte Z390. See OC documentation, also vsmcgen=1 is no longer needed in boot-args as it is now builtin OC's data but I did not remove this from your config.plist as I don't know what version you're running.

Click to expand...

I have waited several minutes. I use Apple keyboard and it has no caps lock or num lock indicator lights.

I am going to test ProtectUefiServices = Yes and remove vsmcgen = 1 and I will comment on what happens.

A very nearly identical USB install with Catalina boots up fine and goes through the language selection dialog.

Thanks both for your answer.

miliuco said:

I have waited several minutes. I use Apple keyboard and it has no caps lock or num lock indicator lights.

I am going to test ProtectUefiServices = Yes and remove vsmcgen = 1 and I will comment on what happens.

A very nearly identical USB install with Catalina boots up fine and goes through the language selection dialog.

Thanks both for your answer.

Click to expand...

There are a few points in the Big Sur install that takes a long time I am talking like 10 mins maybe more. Since you are installing off a USB it could be even longer. I could also be wrong and you could have a totally different problem but when I did the upgrade the other day the screen went grey for like 5 mins and then rebooted. Also if you are running two monitors maybe try and do the install with only one plugged in.

@scottkendall I know there are processes in BS installation that can take a long time but BS USB install generally starts very fast until language selection, much faster than Catalina's USB install. I have a single monitor.

@esafeddie I have tried the changes you propose without success.

After reading your messages I have been thinking about it for a while and thoroughly reviewing config.plist and I have remembered that Big Sur 8 installation program (first version I installed) was in English. The error that I comment on in my post has started to appear coinciding with the choice of Spanish on the language selection screen, as I do in Catalina, and then the gray screen arrived. As soon as I have chosen English as installation language, macOS Recovery screen appeared and immediately afterwards the installation options.

Thanks to both!!!

miliuco said:

After reading your messages I have been thinking about it for a while and thoroughly reviewing config.plist and I have remembered that Big Sur 8 installation program (first version I installed) was in English. The error that I comment on in my post has started to appear coinciding with the choice of Spanish on the language selection screen, as I do in Catalina, and then the gray screen arrived. As soon as I have chosen English as installation language, macOS Recovery screen appeared and immediately afterwards the installation options.

Thanks to both!!!

Click to expand...

Great to hear! Could it be that for the Spanish version it has to do a bunch of stuff/convert that makes it take a long time? I only speak English so I have never tried to install another language before.

scottkendall said:

Great to hear! Could it be that for the Spanish version it has to do a bunch of stuff/convert that makes it take a long time? I only speak English so I have never tried to install another language before.

Click to expand...

I don't think so because I have waited quite a few minutes without gray screen giving way to next screen.
Rather, I think BS is still beta and some things need to improve before releasing the final version.

Actually thinking about it there was a bug in BS when installing in different languages apart from English but reportably has been fixed in the latest Beta. I don't know if Spanish was affected though, happy to know you got it sorted, well done.

esafeddie said:

Actually thinking about it there was a bug in BS when installing in different languages apart from English but reportably has been fixed in the latest Beta. I don't know if Spanish was affected though, happy to know you got it sorted, well done.

Click to expand...

I did not know it. It may have to do with some setting of my system. But at least it works now. Thank you.