Can't boot from UniBeast USB - blinking cursor.

[roozor]

Hello everyone,

Been a while since I've made a hacktintosh but have had many successes in the past.

Trying to build a new one with a 4670k + Z97X Game Plus motherboard.

Created the Mojave installer with UniBeast but can't seem to boot from it. Always a black screen, blinking cursor.

Bios is setup correctly with UEFI, ACHI, Handling enabled etc. Tried with only a single SSD in the first SATA port. Tried with a 390x and the onboard Intel graphics. Also tried USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports.

Is UniBeast building the USB correctly? Running out of ideas. Used UniBeast with a legit copy of Mojave downloaded on my MacBook.

 

[barbancourt]

I have the same problem. Tried with different USB sticks, with the same result. Blinking cursor. I am already running Sierra, so the hardware should be OK.
Any idea what could be the problem?

 

[DanZi]

Exactly the same issue. Blinking cursor. I have created the USB with UniBeast 9.0. My sys also runs Sierra, but want to install Mojave afresh.

How did you do the USB? I am trying with Legacy now, see if that helps.

Also, not sure, but does one need to install Clover on the EFI partition of the USB? Tried that with UEFI mode, but to no avail, still only the blinking cursor...

 

[Obvious Answer Man]

See UniBeast Failure Reporting in the UniBeast forum section.

https://www.tonymacx86.com/forums/unibeast.120/

 

[DanZi]

See UniBeast Failure Reporting in the UniBeast forum section.

https://www.tonymacx86.com/forums/unibeast.120/

Well, you can't possibly say I did not try hard enough

10/14/18 01:11:07 - Starting UniBeast 9.0.0-20181001
10/14/18 01:11:21 - Copying Files...
10/14/18 01:40:59 - Installing Bootloader...
10/14/18 01:41:16 - Attaching Base System...
10/14/18 01:41:25 - Detaching Base System...
10/14/18 01:41:25 - Install Successful

10/19/18 18:55:42 - Starting UniBeast 9.0.0-20181001
10/19/18 18:55:58 - Copying Files...
10/19/18 18:59:40 - Installing Bootloader...
10/19/18 18:59:47 - Attaching Base System...
10/19/18 18:59:49 - Detaching Base System...
10/19/18 18:59:49 - Install Successful

10/20/18 12:12:27 - Starting UniBeast 9.0.0-20181001
10/20/18 12:12:52 - Copying Files...
10/20/18 12:16:32 - Installing Bootloader...
10/20/18 12:16:38 - Attaching Base System...
10/20/18 12:16:40 - Detaching Base System...
10/20/18 12:16:40 - Install Successful

10/23/18 21:43:43 - Starting UniBeast 9.0.0-20181001
10/23/18 21:43:56 - Copying Files...
10/23/18 21:48:44 - Installing Bootloader...
10/23/18 21:48:52 - Attaching Base System...
10/23/18 21:48:53 - Detaching Base System...
10/23/18 21:48:54 - Install Successful

10/24/18 18:51:12 - Starting UniBeast 9.0.0-20181001
10/24/18 18:51:25 - Copying Files...
10/24/18 18:56:53 - Installing Bootloader...
10/24/18 18:57:03 - Attaching Base System...
10/24/18 18:57:04 - Copying apfs.efi...
10/24/18 18:57:06 - Install Successful

 

[DanZi]

Ok, I think I managed to solve it this way:
- Bought a new USB stick, 32 gig size, it's a white Kingston DataTraveler G4
- Allow Unibeast 9.0 to create the USB stick (my options are: UEFI boot, Inject NVidia)
- Use EFI Mounter to mount the EFI partition of the USB stick
- Use latest version of Clover (Clover_v2.4k_r4722) and target the USB stick with it

After that the boot works with Optimized Defaults and the below changes. Screenshot is from ASUS Z87-Plus mobo

 

[Moonshine]

For people hitting this, another possible cause is how you formatted the USB key before using Unibeast on it. Disk Utility has three partition scheme options as of High Sierra. Using "Apple Partition Map" can cause this. So be sure the key is formatted with GUID Map for UEFI installs.

 

[astracode]

Maybe it will be useful for somebody:

1. USB was previously used for Win installation.
2. Erase using Mac Disk Utility, Unibeasted.
3. Blinking cursor on the boot, nothing works.
4. diskutil show a problem with disk:

As you may see disk0 have GUID_partition_scheme and EFI, but USB disk3 have FDisk_partiotion_scheme and doesn't have EFI.

Problem in a way how disk was erased.

In Disk Utility switch view mode from Volumes to All Devices.

Select Erase not for a volume but for a disk.

In Erasing menu select GUID in scheme selector and erase disk.

Unibeasting it and voila - we have EFI!

Hope it may save lot of somebodies time.