Can not install Big Sur - a gray screen...

[Itay1778]

Hi, everyone.
I'm trying to install MacOS Big Sur on my desktop. (I was in High-Sierra for years but decided it was time to move on but my GPU does not support so I have to use my iGPU.)
My problem is:
While the installation is starting I come across a gray screen with a mouse. And that's it.
I tried to change things and ... nothing helped.
Attaching my EFI, I'm using OpenCore.
My hardware:
Motherboard: GA-Z270X-Ultra-Gaming
CPU: i5 7600K
iGPU: 630
GPU: GTX 1060 6GB - I know it does not support - to rule out that it is not the cause of the problem I even physically disconnected it.

Thanks.
Itay

 

[UtterDisbelief]

Hi, everyone.
I'm trying to install MacOS Big Sur on my desktop. (I was in High-Sierra for years but decided it was time to move on but my GPU does not support so I have to use my iGPU.)
My problem is:
While the installation is starting I come across a gray screen with a mouse. And that's it.
I tried to change things and ... nothing helped.
Attaching my EFI, I'm using OpenCore.
My hardware:
Motherboard: GA-Z270X-Ultra-Gaming
CPU: i5 7600K
iGPU: 630
GPU: GTX 1060 6GB - I know it does not support - to rule out that it is not the cause of the problem I even physically disconnected it.

Thanks.
Itay

Hi there.

How are you trying to install - upgrade directly from High Sierra or a clean format and a full Big Sur install?

If the second option how did you download/create the USB installer?

 

[Itay1778]

Hi there.

How are you trying to install - upgrade directly from High Sierra or a clean format and a full Big Sur install?

If the second option how did you download/create the USB installer?

Clean installation via USB.
I downloaded through the App Store from my MacBook. And I copied it to the USB drive via this command from Apple website:

 sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Big\ Sur.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume

and then I just copied the OpenCore EFI folder to the partition on the EFI USB drive.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

Clean installation via USB.
I downloaded through the App Store from my MacBook. And I copied it to the USB drive via this command from Apple website:

 sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Big\ Sur.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume

and then I just copied the OpenCore EFI folder to the partition on the EFI USB drive.

Okay

So you have removed the GTX1060 and connected to the iGPU? Did you check BIOS settings for the iGPU / DVMT ? Make sure it is at least 64MB.

If so I would remove the NVRAM boot-command "-disablegfxfirmware". When you do this and reboot, remember to press the SpaceBar at the OC menu (I see you have OpenCanopy installed) and scroll to the right and select NVRAM reset. This will clear out the old boot-command.

If the GPU is still in its PCIe slot you may need more work to stop it "getting in the way".

 

[Itay1778]

Okay

So you have removed the GTX1060 and connected to the iGPU? Did you check BIOS settings for the iGPU / DVMT ? Make sure it is at least 64MB.

If so I would remove the NVRAM boot-command "-disablegfxfirmware". When you do this and reboot, remember to press the SpaceBar at the OC menu (I see you have OpenCanopy installed) and scroll to the right and select NVRAM reset. This will clear out the old boot-command.

If the GPU is still in its PCIe slot you may need more work to stop it "getting in the way".

Yes for the sake of experience I took the GTX 1060 out of the slot.
And in the BIOS the iGPU memory is a minimum of 64MB and a maximum of 256MB.

I tried deleting "-disablegfxfirmware" and of course I did an NVRAM reset. Did not help unfortunately.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

Yes for the sake of experience I took the GTX 1060 out of the slot.
And in the BIOS the iGPU memory is a minimum of 64MB and a maximum of 256MB.

I tried deleting "-disablegfxfirmware" and of course I did an NVRAM reset. Did not help unfortunately.

Where does the grey screen happen? No display at all from the moment you select the drive to boot, or after boot but instead of the installer screen?

At the OC picker press the CMD+V keys to enter "verbose" mode and see if it gives you any text ...

If the mouse moves then you have a system with graphics but something has crashed.

 

[Itay1778]

Where does the grey screen happen? No display at all from the moment you select the drive to boot, or after boot but instead of the installer screen?

At the OC picker press the CMD+V keys to enter "verbose" mode and see if it gives you any text ...

If the mouse moves then you have a system with graphics but something has crashed.

After I click on the OC picker the "install Big sur"
I see an Apple logo, it starts to load - the line moves and after about 30 seconds the screen disappears and then the Apple logo returns along with the line and then after a few more seconds the mouse appears, after another about 15 seconds instead of showing the install setup I see the mouse and a gray screen. The mouse does move.
The mouse does not cross the screen boundaries.
I also checked with -v
It goes up but when the screen disappears and comes back, then it goes back to the Apple logo.
I can attach the screenshot before it does (disappears and comes back), but it will only happen tomorrow because I can not do it right now.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

After I click on the OC picker the "install Big sur"
I see an Apple logo, it starts to load - the line moves and after about 30 seconds the screen disappears and then the Apple logo returns along with the line and then after a few more seconds the mouse appears, after another about 15 seconds instead of showing the install setup I see the mouse and a gray screen. The mouse does move.
The mouse does not cross the screen boundaries.
I also checked with -v
It goes up but when the screen disappears and comes back, then it goes back to the Apple logo.
I can attach the screenshot before it does (disappears and comes back), but it will only happen tomorrow because I can not do it right now.

From your description it certainly sounds like the issue is with the initialisation of your iGPU - something that happens when the boot graphics are replaced by the OS graphics, usually where you mention.

 

[Itay1778]

From your description it certainly sounds like the issue is with the initialisation of your iGPU - something that happens when the boot graphics are replaced by the OS graphics, usually where you mention.

So... what do I do to fix this?

 

[Itay1778]

At the OC picker press the CMD+V keys to enter "verbose" mode and see if it gives you any text ...

Hi sorry for the late response.
Attaches screenshots ...
The verbose moments before it goes back to the Apple logo, there is a photo of it as well. And also attaches an image of the gray screen.
Hope everything is clear enough.