Can install to HDD but not SSD

[sns26]

SOLVED: Can install to HDD but not SSD

This is pretty weird.

I've been hackintoshing for 4 or 5 years now, though I remain just an educated "user" who doesn't understand too much what is going on under the hood. I have had three different builds working in the past but am now having trouble with a rig based on a H77N-WIFI board.

This rig had been running ok for a while but was recently giving me some trouble (freezing randomly) and I decided to update firmware on the Crucial M4 SSD as a solution. Now, I can install via unibeast no problem, and I can boot into the install, but as soon as I run Multibeast the drive goes to black midway through boot.

The weird thing is that I have zero trouble if I install to a HDD. What the heck is going on?

Here's the setup:
* H77N-wifi, F2 BIOS
* Intel 2125 (I use the mixed system patch)
* Crucial 64gb M4 SSD (recently updated to 070H firmware)
* Unibeast to 10.8.3
* Multibeast 5.3.1 with settings:
- UserDSDT/DSDT Free
- Without DSDT/ALC892
- IOAHCIBlockStorage Injector
- Graphics Patch for Mixed Systems
- Fake SMC
- Fake SMCPlugins
- Lnx2Mac's network driver
- Trim or no Trim, doesn't make a difference.

Ideas? Many many many thanks for all your help over the years.

 

[Going Bald]

Did you zero the drive before you tried to install? Reformatting is not enough on an SSD.

 

[sns26]

Thanks. I'll try that tonight.

 

[RehabMan]

Thanks. I'll try that tonight.

Make sure you don't actually write-zeros... Use a utility that can perform a "Secure Erase" SATA command. Not only is it quicker, it doesn't adversely affect the lifetime of your SSD.

And while you're at it, make sure you have up-to-date firmware on the device.

 

[sns26]

I take it you mean don't use the "write zeros" erase feature in disk utility? Any suggestions for another utility?

 

[RehabMan]

I take it you mean don't use the "write zeros" erase feature in disk utility? Any suggestions for another utility?

Correct.

Best to look to "support" for your specific SSD and see what the manufacturer recommends for accomplishing a Secure Erase. Crucial doesn't recommend using SATA based secure erase at all: http://forum.crucial.com/t5/Solid-State-Drives-SSD-Knowledge/SSDs-and-Secure-Erase/ta-p/112580

I think they are dodging a support headache here, since most Secure Erase utilities work on Linux and the average consumer and Linux are like oil+water. I'm pretty sure the last time I did Secure Erase on my Crucial M4, I used the utility bundled in Parted Magic Linux distro by making a USB stick w/ PendriveLinux.

 

[sns26]

Finally got around to this. It worked. I wasn't able to find whatever the specific command within parted magic that you suggested. But I used Parted magic to write zeros and, ta-da, my install went correctly.

As usual, thanks to a great community.

 

[RehabMan]

Finally got around to this. It worked. I wasn't able to find whatever the specific command within parted magic that you suggested. But I used Parted magic to write zeros and, ta-da, my install went correctly.

As usual, thanks to a great community.

Writing zeros is not a good idea with SSDs. I believe the secure erase functionality is in 'Erase Disk'...

 

[sns26]

You mean the bottom option on the menu list? I did that and it seemed to take under a second. Is that "it?"

 

[RehabMan]

You mean the bottom option on the menu list? I did that and it seemed to take under a second. Is that "it?"

It has been a while since I did this, but I think it is near the bottom. It is also on the desktop (if I remember right)...

Secure Erase on SSD is very quick because all it does is send a command to the controller to erase, and all the controller has to do is reset its accounting of used blocks to default such that all blocks read as zeros.