Can't get past "error loading kernel cache" or "cannot allocate runtime error"

[brandyschnapps]

Hi folks, I'm having some frustrating issues following a shutdown a few days back and haven't been able to boot since then.

I was up and running, successfully installed El Capitan plus nvidia web drivers, my DAW software, plugins etc etc and was a very happy user. I'd even managed a few successful reboots without issue. Then I shut down the machine a few nights ago and haven't been able to boot since. I've been scouring forums ever since trying various actions I've found to try and resurrect the beast.

The error I get when booting in verbose mode is "Cannot allocate runtime error" and I haven't been able to get past it.
I've downloaded and installed a new boot USB using Unibeast 6.2.0 and while Clover boots fine, I can't get any further, no matter which boot disk I choose. I've tried 3 different version of Clover and am now using the latest from their site.

I have tried the three various SIP settings in config on the boot USB (none, 0x3, 0x67) to no avail.
I have tried both versions (and none) of OsxAptioFix2Drv and OsxAptioFixDrv. When I try to boot from OsxAptioFix2Drv it gets slightly further than the older version, but still no go.
I have tried booting from every USB port on my board and case. Also tried various HFS drivers.

I'm guessing it's something to do with my UEFI settings but I'm tried so many combinations now I've almost lost track of where I'm at.

I'm running an Asus Z170 Sabertooth Mark 1 mobo, Skylake i7 6700K 4.0GHz, Gigabyte N960OC GTX960 graphics, 64GB of Crucial Ballistic Sport RAM, Samsung m.2 950 Pro SSD in PCIe mode, Corsair RM650i, Noctua NH-U12S cooling and I have the Asus thunderbolt card installed.
Removing the GPU and thunderbolt cards make no difference to the boot error. I have multiple boot disks installed, but even with everything unplugged except the m.2 SSD I can't get anywhere.

I usually set my UEFI settings as follows (which worked originally):
Load optimised defaults, make sure vt-d is disabled, choose PCIe as default video device, USB legacy mode off,
XHCI Hand-Off Enabled, Keyboard and Mouse Simulator Disabled, point thunderbolt card at correct PCIe slot.
I make sure secure boot type is "other OS", secure boot state is disabled and keys are unloaded.
I have tried both CSM on and off, and the only difference I've noticed so far is that the resolution is better with it off.
When I disable CSM, it warns that I need the microsoft signed UEFI driver on each drive I wish to boot from. I'm not sure I have that...

I have tried many, many boot flags - but when I copy the boot backup EFI to my USB which was working previously, it gets no further. That's why I'm suspecting UEFI settings.
I have found that some settings are tending to revert themselves occasionally which I manually reset back, but there must be one elusive one I'm missing...
I'm pretty sure I've worked through everything listed in the http://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/big-list-of-solutions-for-el-capitan-install-problems.173991/
However, I'm not sure how to clear the kernel cache without being able to boot into anything except Clover.
I haven't found a DSDT.aml or SSDT.aml for my board yet. I also haven't tried a USB2 stick as Unibeast continually failed when trying to create it.

Any help or further pointers would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks.

 

[brandyschnapps]

Just an update in case anyone finds this in a search...
I was able to boot again once I disabled Thunderbolt completely in the BIOS. Unfortunately this means I currently can't use my thunderbolt card for an audio interface.
I intend getting the USB ports and onboard audio going first and will then tackle the thunderbolt problem...

 

[morganb]

Try booting with UseKernelCache=no
?

 

[nbless]

I have exactly the same problem with asus x99 ws 3.1. For the moment I can't use thunderbolt

 

[brandyschnapps]

Update: I managed to get Thunderbolt working in OSX today by going into BIOS -> advanced -> platform misc configuration and changing DMI Link ASPN Control to Enabled and ASPM support to Auto.

so my current settings on my Z170 Sabertooth Mark 1 BIOS are:
advanced: platform misc config: DMI Link ASPN Control: Enabled
advanced: platform misc config: ASPM Support: Auto
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: intel thunderbolt tech: Enabled
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: thunderbolt boot support: Enabled
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: thunderbolt usb support: Enabled
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: security level: Legacy Mode
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: wake from thunderbolt devices: Off
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: AIC support: On
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: AR AIC support: On
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: AIC location group: CPU0 NB PCIE Slot (this may be different on your system depending where the card is)
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: AIC location: PCIEx16_2 (again, this may be different on your system)
advanced: intel thunderbolt config:GPIO3 force power: Off
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: wait time in ms: 200
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: thunderbolt PCIe Cache-line size: 128
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: SMI/notify support: On
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: SwSMI Support: On
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: notify support: On
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: MSI enabled in FADT: Disabled
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: enabled CLK REQ: Disabled
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: Enable ASPM: Disabled (not sure how this works with ASPM support above, but it does)
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: Enable LTR: Disabled
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: Native OS hot plug: Off
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: GPIO Filter: Enabled
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: _RMV Method return value: 0
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: ignore thunderbolt option ROM: Off
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: Thunderbolt SwSMI Delay: 0
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: TBT device IO resource support: On
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: reseved (sic!) Mem per phy slot: 32
advanced: intel thunderbolt config: reseved (sic!) PMem per phy slot: 32

I'm a happy person today!
Next is getting USB3 ports working as expected...

 

[brandyschnapps]

Bah! maybe I spoke too soon. It didn't sustain a reboot. Back to the drawing board...

EDIT: I've figured out it all comes down to power-up order for me.

I MUST restart my thunderbolt audio interface while the system is shutdown before booting up. If I don't, I get the runtime error etc. If I do, everything is peachy.

 

[brandyschnapps]

Update: I was still having issues rebooting reliably even with shutting everything down and waiting. It would only be successful every 2nd or 3rd time.
However, I can now reboot reliably every time due to using a different version of OsxAptioFixDrv-64.efi which I've attached to this post.
Found on another site which referenced this thread: https://sourceforge.net/p/cloverefiboot/tickets/125/?page=1

 

[axehomeyg]

Update: I was still having issues rebooting reliably even with shutting everything down and waiting. It would only be successful every 2nd or 3rd time.
However, I can now reboot reliably every time due to using a different version of OsxAptioFixDrv-64.efi which I've attached tho this post.
Found on another site which referenced this thread: https://sourceforge.net/p/cloverefiboot/tickets/125/?page=1

Thanks for the tip! That specific aptiofix didn't work for me, I did however find a different driver in that same thread that worked for my Asus Z170-AR board + Asus Thunderbolt EX II. I almost shed a tear when I saw it boot and recognize my keyboard/mouse through the LG 34" Thunderbolt display!

 

[brandyschnapps]

Thanks for the tip! That specific aptiofix didn't work for me, I did however find a different driver in that same thread that worked for my Asus Z170-AR board + Asus Thunderbolt EX II. I almost shed a tear when I saw it boot and recognize my keyboard/mouse through the LG 34" Thunderbolt display!

Yeah, I know that feeling. I did a little dance when I successfully rebooted and everything came up ok!
Congratulations.

 

[hng]

The file OsxAptioFix2Drv-free2000.efi resolves the kernel cache errors with Clover boot on my Sierra build.

Before applying the above file fix, I got the Clover boot with either kernel cache error 0x7, 0x9, 0xC or allocation error randomly, and I had to keep power off and on many times to bypass the Clover boot kernel cache error. The Clover was selected with only OsxAptioFixDrv-64.

After applying the file OsxAptioFix2Drv-free2000.efi, Clover consistently boots without error.