Can't see hard drive in second USB boot

[nbwallace]

This is my first post. I am trying to install Mountain Lion on a PowerSpec machine with the following specs:

Motherboard Intel DP55WG
CPU i7 860 2.8 GHz
Graphics ATI radeon 4670

I made the Unibeast USB drive using 1.5.3 and booted using GraphicsEnabler=No and the install went fine. But when I reboot to the usb the hard drive doesn't appear as a boot option on the Chimera screen.

There is another clue: when the machine reboots at the end of the install there is a complaint about posts to the BIOS and I am asked whether I want to edit the BIOS or boot normally.

 

[nbwallace]

OK. I updated the BIOS, rebuilt the thumb drive, disconnected the ethernet during the install. I don't get the BIOS post problems, but I don't get the option to boot to the newly installed hard drive at the boot screen.

Is there something obvious I'm doing wrong? I am following the guide to the letter. I was hoping someone would weigh in before I scrap the project and go back to unbuntu.

 

[nbwallace]

Ok I discovered the HD was a WD Green. So I purchased the recommended 500Gb Seagate. Reinstalled and I still can't see the installed drive after I restart. I only have the option of the Unibeast USB drive. The HD has a mach_kernel file.

Can one of you experts help me out?

Using:

intel dp55wg, i7-860, Seagate barracuda 500GB, radeon 4670

 

[rlf156]

BIOS is set to AHCI?

 

[nbwallace]

Yep.

The install itself goes fine. I am wondering if it is the 4K sector problem that's mentioned in the legacy section. I've switched between various SATA connections, and tried fooling around with jumpers to limit drive speed to 1.5. I'm stymied. I poked around on the HD and the boot1h file isn't on the drive, I've tried manually blessing the drive. I've installed unbuntu 12 server previously so I know the CPU/MOBO/HD works.

I gotta tell you I am pretty frustrated. I've tried to install Lion but the USB drive just hangs without booting at all.

It's not like this is my first rodeo, I've installed OS X on quite a few netbooks.

 

[rlf156]

If you go to BIOS and select the drive, will it try to boot? I know it won't get very far because it doesn't have FakeSMC.kext and other things, but will it start?

Do you have any equipment that you can convert it to a USB drive and hook it to another computer so you can install FakeSMC.kext and others to get it booting by itself?

 

[nbwallace]

When I go to the boot list in BIOS (by hitting f10) it doesn't show up. But the installer sees it and formats it just fine. I can see it when I go to the BIOS configuration in the boot order. When I remove the thumb drive the computer says there's nothing bootable.

 

[rlf156]

Hmmm…BIOS doesn't always see it. Is the SATA port screwed up? Have you tried the drive on another port?

 

[nbwallace]

I've tried multiple ports. Could it have something to do with the drive not being installed in a way that Chimera can detect it?

It is supposed to be GUID right? Not MBR.

 

[rlf156]

Chimera can detect either MBR or GUID. When you made the USB drive, you were supposed to make it MBR and it is Chimera being used to boot it. But the actual Mountain Lion installer files will have a problem if it is not GUID.