Black screen with mouse pointer after Apple logo on boot

[jakesDaddy]

Hi,
I have a weird problem that I hope someone can help with.
I've been successfully running a High Sierra build for about 9 months now (Gigabyte GA-Z270P-D3, i5 Kaby Lake, integrated Intel HD graphics (620?), SSD, 8GB RAM)
All of a sudden this week, it has stopped booting properly. What happens is:

1. Power on
2. Clover boot menu, select boot OSX
3. Apple logo and progress bar
4. Progress bar gets to 100%
5. Black screen

(normally, step 5 is the regular OSX logon screen)

I've read several other posts about 'black screen' at this point, but I think mine is subtly different in that if I wiggle the mouse, the mouse pointer appears and moves correctly. Additionally, if I move the mouse back and forward quickly, the mouse pointer gets bigger (ie. normal OSX operation), which leads me to believe it has booted properly except the video (even though the video is clearly working because it displays the mouse pointer correctly. Like I said, weird ...)

What I have tried:

• Typing my password and pressing enter (even though I can't see it)
  Nothing obvious changes on screen (still black with mouse pointer), but it may have logged in though I can't see it. As I'm running an SSD I can't hear any HD movement which might indicate it is doing something. My case doesn't have a HDD access LED, so I can't 'see' any disk activity either.
• Clover verbose mode flag.
  Lots gets output to screen where the apple logo & progress bar would otherwise be; then it goes to the black screen with mouse pointer. TBH it's too quick to see if there is anything obviously out of the ordinary, but I think it looks OK
• Clover single user mode flag.
  No noticeable difference - apple logo with progress bar, then black screen with mouse pointer.
• Clover safe mode flag.
  No noticeable difference - apple logo with progress bar, then black screen with mouse pointer.
• All 3 flags together (verbose, single user, and safe mode)
  No noticeable difference - apple logo with progress bar, then black screen with mouse pointer.
  
• Clover -nv_disable=1 flag
  This is already set because I run the standard integrated Intel HD
• Clover -disablegfxfirmware flag
  This is already set
• Boot from original unibeast USB to use it's EFI partition (and clover config.plist ?), then select to boot OSX from SSD
  No noticeable difference - apple logo with progress bar, then black screen with mouse pointer.
  
• Boot from original unibeast USB and re-install High Sierra (my thinking being perhaps I had inadvertently installed an OS update from the App Store, and re-installing would put it back to how it was 9 months ago)
  Installation appeared to work (several reboots etc as normal). On restart and boot after install, no noticeable difference - apple logo with progress bar, then black screen with mouse pointer.

OK, so all of the above appear to have been fruitless. But I have managed to do something that could prove useful:

I swapped the SSD for a spare one, booted from the original unibeast USB, and installed a virgin installation on the spare SSD. (Original SSD physically removed). The installation worked perfectly, and it boots perfectly.
This is good progress because it means I don't have a hardware problem.

But the next thing I did is possibly more interesting.
I put the original SSD back in, on the primary SATA channel (ie. where it was before), and put the spare SSD on the secondary SATA channel. So now I have 2 physical disks, both of which with bootable EFI partitions; and I can use the BIOS to choose the boot order.
I can boot from either EFI partition, and clover on both finds the OSX installations on both disks. Then I can choose which to boot.
If I boot from my original disk's EFI partition, booting the original OSX install still gives the black screen with mouse pointer; and booting the virgin install from the spare SSD boots correctly.
Here's the interesting bit - if I boot from the 2nd disk's EFI partition I get the same behaviour - the original OSX install still gives the black screen with mouse pointer; and booting the virgin install from the spare SSD boots correctly. This leads me to believe that my EFI partition / clover config / injected kexts etc are all OK.

So, given that I can successfully boot OSX from the 2nd SSD, once booted it can see the disk/folders/files etc on the primary non-booting disk.
Is there anything I can do with this?

I have used Clover Configuration to mount both EFI partitions and compare config.plist etc; but I don't really know what I'm looking at, and as mentioned, I think the clover config on the primary disk is probably OK. One thing I have been able to check and confirm is that Inject Intel is set.

My gut feel is that it's nothing to do with my clover config, and is something to do with OSX itself.
I don't know what has caused this - I don't recall making any OS change or update. The only thing I can think of (though I genuinely can't remember doing it) is that an OS update has happened, perhaps from the little popup bubble that occasionally appears top right. Normally I click 'remind me tomorrow', but perhaps I misclicked and accepted the updates? I don't know.
However, given that I can boot OSX from the 2nd SSD, is there anything I can check/change etc on the primary installation?

I know this is a long post, but I've tried to add as much detail as I could. Appreciate your time for reading it, and hopefully any suggestions for fixing it;

Thanks in advance;

 

[cmn699]

Hi,
I have a weird problem that I hope someone can help with.
I've been successfully running a High Sierra build for about 9 months now (Gigabyte GA-Z270P-D3, i5 Kaby Lake, integrated Intel HD graphics (620?), SSD, 8GB RAM)
All of a sudden this week, it has stopped booting properly. What happens is:

1. Power on
2. Clover boot menu, select boot OSX
3. Apple logo and progress bar
4. Progress bar gets to 100%
5. Black screen

(normally, step 5 is the regular OSX logon screen)

I've read several other posts about 'black screen' at this point, but I think mine is subtly different in that if I wiggle the mouse, the mouse pointer appears and moves correctly. Additionally, if I move the mouse back and forward quickly, the mouse pointer gets bigger (ie. normal OSX operation), which leads me to believe it has booted properly except the video (even though the video is clearly working because it displays the mouse pointer correctly. Like I said, weird ...)

What I have tried:

• Typing my password and pressing enter (even though I can't see it)
  Nothing obvious changes on screen (still black with mouse pointer), but it may have logged in though I can't see it. As I'm running an SSD I can't hear any HD movement which might indicate it is doing something. My case doesn't have a HDD access LED, so I can't 'see' any disk activity either.
• Clover verbose mode flag.
  Lots gets output to screen where the apple logo & progress bar would otherwise be; then it goes to the black screen with mouse pointer. TBH it's too quick to see if there is anything obviously out of the ordinary, but I think it looks OK
• Clover single user mode flag.
  No noticeable difference - apple logo with progress bar, then black screen with mouse pointer.
• Clover safe mode flag.
  No noticeable difference - apple logo with progress bar, then black screen with mouse pointer.
• All 3 flags together (verbose, single user, and safe mode)
  No noticeable difference - apple logo with progress bar, then black screen with mouse pointer.
  
• Clover -nv_disable=1 flag
  This is already set because I run the standard integrated Intel HD
• Clover -disablegfxfirmware flag
  This is already set
• Boot from original unibeast USB to use it's EFI partition (and clover config.plist ?), then select to boot OSX from SSD
  No noticeable difference - apple logo with progress bar, then black screen with mouse pointer.
  
• Boot from original unibeast USB and re-install High Sierra (my thinking being perhaps I had inadvertently installed an OS update from the App Store, and re-installing would put it back to how it was 9 months ago)
  Installation appeared to work (several reboots etc as normal). On restart and boot after install, no noticeable difference - apple logo with progress bar, then black screen with mouse pointer.

OK, so all of the above appear to have been fruitless. But I have managed to do something that could prove useful:

I swapped the SSD for a spare one, booted from the original unibeast USB, and installed a virgin installation on the spare SSD. (Original SSD physically removed). The installation worked perfectly, and it boots perfectly.
This is good progress because it means I don't have a hardware problem.

But the next thing I did is possibly more interesting.
I put the original SSD back in, on the primary SATA channel (ie. where it was before), and put the spare SSD on the secondary SATA channel. So now I have 2 physical disks, both of which with bootable EFI partitions; and I can use the BIOS to choose the boot order.
I can boot from either EFI partition, and clover on both finds the OSX installations on both disks. Then I can choose which to boot.
If I boot from my original disk's EFI partition, booting the original OSX install still gives the black screen with mouse pointer; and booting the virgin install from the spare SSD boots correctly.
Here's the interesting bit - if I boot from the 2nd disk's EFI partition I get the same behaviour - the original OSX install still gives the black screen with mouse pointer; and booting the virgin install from the spare SSD boots correctly. This leads me to believe that my EFI partition / clover config / injected kexts etc are all OK.

So, given that I can successfully boot OSX from the 2nd SSD, once booted it can see the disk/folders/files etc on the primary non-booting disk.
Is there anything I can do with this?

I have used Clover Configuration to mount both EFI partitions and compare config.plist etc; but I don't really know what I'm looking at, and as mentioned, I think the clover config on the primary disk is probably OK. One thing I have been able to check and confirm is that Inject Intel is set.

My gut feel is that it's nothing to do with my clover config, and is something to do with OSX itself.
I don't know what has caused this - I don't recall making any OS change or update. The only thing I can think of (though I genuinely can't remember doing it) is that an OS update has happened, perhaps from the little popup bubble that occasionally appears top right. Normally I click 'remind me tomorrow', but perhaps I misclicked and accepted the updates? I don't know.
However, given that I can boot OSX from the 2nd SSD, is there anything I can check/change etc on the primary installation?

I know this is a long post, but I've tried to add as much detail as I could. Appreciate your time for reading it, and hopefully any suggestions for fixing it;

Thanks in advance;

I have a weird problem that I hope someone can help with.
I've been successfully running a High Sierra build for about 9 months now (Gigabyte GA-Z270P-D3, i5 Kaby Lake, integrated Intel HD graphics (620?),

.

• Intel i5 7400 listed in your profile has Intel HD Graphics : 630
• Can you do the following after booting the SSD that causes a black screen to appear on login time:
  • Boot and reach the Clover Boot Manager Screen.
  • Go to Options >Boot Args and take a screen shot
  • Go down to Graphics Injector-> ENTER and take a screen shot.
  • Go back to CBM screen and boot the second "good disk" to login to the system
  • Upload both the screen shots to the Forum.
• Next , reboot and choose again and boot the first SSD all the way to the black screen
• Blindly type your password and enter every 30 seconds X3 and see if it will let you go to desktop
• If that fails, press Windows key+ ALT key and ESC key to see if that causes any "popup screen" for you to "Force Quit" any blocking Apps/screens.

 

[jakesDaddy]

@cmn699 - Thanks for your reply.
As requested, I've taken the screenshots (assume the normal method is a phone photo? unless there is a way built into Clover to do it?). Anyway, screenshots attached. (re: the screenshot of graphics injector - I can confirm that InjectIntel IS ticked even though it looks like its not.)

I've tried blindy entering the password 3 times 30 seconds apart. No dice I'm afraid.
Also, I realized I actually have 3 accounts setup, therefore a password field is not the default field. Using the bootable 2nd disk, I setup the same 3 accounts, and worked out that to blindly enter the password I have to do Windows-J (my username starts with J), then enter to select it and produce the password box, then I can type the password and press Enter.
I did this on the non-booting version 3 times 30 seconds apart. Still no luck.

I also did Windows + Alt + Esc as suggested - no popups or other dialogs displayed

Hopefully the screenshots help in some way?
Thanks for your help

 

[cmn699]

@cmn699 - Thanks for your reply.
As requested, I've taken the screenshots (assume the normal method is a phone photo? unless there is a way built into Clover to do it?). Anyway, screenshots attached. (re: the screenshot of graphics injector - I can confirm that InjectIntel IS ticked even though it looks like its not.)

I've tried blindy entering the password 3 times 30 seconds apart. No dice I'm afraid.
Also, I realized I actually have 3 accounts setup, therefore a password field is not the default field. Using the bootable 2nd disk, I setup the same 3 accounts, and worked out that to blindly enter the password I have to do Windows-J (my username starts with J), then enter to select it and produce the password box, then I can type the password and press Enter.
I did this on the non-booting version 3 times 30 seconds apart. Still no luck.

I also did Windows + Alt + Esc as suggested - no popups or other dialogs displayed

Hopefully the screenshots help in some way?
Thanks for your help

• Try the following on CBM screen with the uploaded screens as shown on the edited/annotated manner and then boot your disk and see if that makes any difference.
• Once you are able to Login and reach the Desktop, edit CLOVER/config.plist in the System Disk to duplicate what we did temporarily on CBM screen Options.
• You know, you got to 'mount' the EFI Partition to access CLOVER and its contents.

Edited image 2.CBM_GraphicsInjector-> added [√] InjectIntel

 

[jakesDaddy]

Unfortunately those settings don't work - when I try to book OSX with them, it goes through the apple logo, progress bar; then some screen corruption (random stuff on screen), then it reboots
It does this for both the original OSX install and also the working install on the 2nd disk

 

[cmn699]

Unfortunately those settings don't work - when I try to book OSX with them, it goes through the apple logo, progress bar; then some screen corruption (random stuff on screen), then it reboots
It does this for both the original OSX install and also the working install on the 2nd disk

Is the Apple logo and progress bar coming after the verbose boot phase has finished? Or did you not boot with Verbose boot flag? Uploading the photo of the screen with the "random characters" might have given some clue to boot failure. You could also add debug=-0x100 on the Boot Args line along with -v before booting.

 

[jakesDaddy]

Ah yes, sorry I should have said. When using -v I get the full verbose output, then the corrupt screen. My previous post talking about apple logo and progress bar was with me trying it without -v

OK, I've tried with debug=0x100 as well as -v. This time the machine hangs after the screen corruption (ie. without the debug flag it reboots as reported in #5)

I've attached a video of what happens to hopefully make it clearer (though apologies for the quality of the video - it was shot in my phone at 1080p 60fps so was absolutely massive!! I've reduced the frame rate to 10fps, and reduced the image size a bit, so it looks a bit jerky but you should get the idea. If you want to know what is on screen at any given point, let me know and I'll screen grab from the original)

 

[cmn699]

Ah yes, sorry I should have said. When using -v I get the full verbose output, then the corrupt screen. My previous post talking about apple logo and progress bar was with me trying it without -v

OK, I've tried with debug=0x100 as well as -v. This time the machine hangs after the screen corruption (ie. without the debug flag it reboots as reported in #5)

I've attached a video of what happens to hopefully make it clearer (though apologies for the quality of the video - it was shot in my phone at 1080p 60fps so was absolutely massive!! I've reduced the frame rate to 10fps, and reduced the image size a bit, so it looks a bit jerky but you should get the idea. If you want to know what is on screen at any given point, let me know and I'll screen grab from the original)

• I am sorry, it is too blurry and illegible to read any text from any of the paused frames in my Video player.
• Enlarging the screen does not help .
  • It is because the original recording was not clearly focused on the text.
  • I realize it is a hard job.
• But without being able to decipher what is displayed on the screen, I am unable to make any definitive diagnosis.
• You also did not Expand the Clover Boot Manager Screen>Options> GraphicsInjector ->Screen.
  • Your video did not show you looking inside GraphicsInjector-> screen to reveal its contents.
• If I make a wild guess based on the length of the booting process the problem seems temporally related to Graphics and Displays.
• That is why I wanted to see your settings inside CBM>Options>GraphicsInjector->.
  • You can just take a still photo and upload

 

[jakesDaddy]

Sorry it's taken a while to reply - timezone differences and work commitments!
Yes, I knew the video was too blurry - to be honest, it's not easy to identify the things you are asking about in the original uncompressed video! The purpose of the video was more about showing you what I meant by corrupt screen, and when it occurs.

OK, so I've taken (hopefully!) still shots of the screen you are asking about, though I think this is the same screen as one of my earlier posts (#3 that you annotated in #4 ?)
Anyway, I've attached 2 versions - one with the original settings, and one with your proposed settings from your annotated version

Regarding the settings 0x59128086 and 0x59120003 - these settings are the ones that give the screen corruption. What do these settings control? Are there other values I could try?

Also, in an earlier post, I said that single user mode -s gives the same results (ie. back screen with mouse pointer). Whilst this is true, I need to clarify this slightly by confirming that it does boot to the shell prompt as expected, at which I can perform shell commands. If I type exit it continues to boot, and then gives me the black screen with mouse pointer.

So, as I see it at the moment, I have a couple of potential points at which I could attempt to repair, of we have any ideas. I can boot single user mode to the shell. I can also boot the original installation USB, use Disk Utility to mount the disk, then use Terminal. Or I can boot the 2nd disk installation where I can use both Terminal and / or Finder to copy/move/edit files.
I just dont know what to edit!

 

[cmn699]

Sorry it's taken a while to reply - timezone differences and work commitments!
Yes, I knew the video was too blurry - to be honest, it's not easy to identify the things you are asking about in the original uncompressed video! The purpose of the video was more about showing you what I meant by corrupt screen, and when it occurs.

OK, so I've taken (hopefully!) still shots of the screen you are asking about, though I think this is the same screen as one of my earlier posts (#3 that you annotated in #4 ?)
Anyway, I've attached 2 versions - one with the original settings, and one with your proposed settings from your annotated version

Regarding the settings 0x59128086 and 0x59120003 - these settings are the ones that give the screen corruption. What do these settings control? Are there other values I could try?

Also, in an earlier post, I said that single user mode -s gives the same results (ie. back screen with mouse pointer). Whilst this is true, I need to clarify this slightly by confirming that it does boot to the shell prompt as expected, at which I can perform shell commands. If I type exit it continues to boot, and then gives me the black screen with mouse pointer.

So, as I see it at the moment, I have a couple of potential points at which I could attempt to repair, of we have any ideas. I can boot single user mode to the shell. I can also boot the original installation USB, use Disk Utility to mount the disk, then use Terminal. Or I can boot the 2nd disk installation where I can use both Terminal and / or Finder to copy/move/edit files.
I just dont know what to edit!

Regarding the settings 0x59128086 and 0x59120003 - these settings are the ones that give the screen corruption. What do these settings control? Are there other values I could try?

• Sorry, it was my mistake in not editing the Uploaded images with a clearly visible checkmark in [√]InjectIntel and you could not reproduce that that because of my mistake. My apologies for the error made.
• I have uploaded the image correcting the error in your image.
• I will update the image I have originally uploaded to prevent others from making any mistakes using that.