hello again,
there was no way i could reach the GUI installer,, it just keeps rebooting at the black/white- apple screen OR "++++++++_" (using verbose mode) whatever i do.
let's summarize, won't you:
first of all:
i reset BIOS setting to factory default
-Disabled VTx options
-DEP enabled (Data Execute Prevention)
-HDD mode to AHCI
then i boot to my working Mountain LION partition:
1-Create a new GUID partition on an external HDD, format it to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) named: USB
2-in Terminal:
Code:
sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/USB --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app --nointeraction
3-Install Clover-v2.3k-r3333 to the newly created "Install ..." partition with "only" :
-boot0af in MBR
-CloverEFI 64-bits BiosBlockIO
4-Removed
VBoxHfs-64.efi from
/Install OS X El Capitain/EFI/CLOVER/drivers64UEFI/ and added
HFSPlus.efi
Deleted all of the 10.* folders from
/Install OS X El Capitain/EFI/CLOVER/kexts (leaving just the /
Other folder).
and added to it (
/Install OS X El Capitain/EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other):
-FakeSMC.kext
-NullCPUPowerManagement.kext
-FakePCIID.kext
-FakePCIID_XHCIMux.kext
5-Copy
DSDT.aml to
/Install OS X El Capitain/EFI/CLOVER/ACPI/Patched/
6-Copy
config.plist to
/Install OS X El Capitain/EFI/CLOVER/
then i shutdown the Computer
put a 40Go HDD, (GUID/Mac OSX Ext journaled) preformated, in SATA 1 slot
boot with the external HDD, select the Install partition from Clover,
- White apple on Black screen then reboot
or in verbose mode
- "+++++++++_" then reboot
without or with whatever arguments i use, it reboots
What am i doing wrong in these steps !!??
what i would do at this point is:
prepare a new 8gb or larger USB stick. use mavericks or yosemite disk utility to format and partition the usb. format 2 partitions: 1gb fat32 and the rest HFS+ journaled.name the HFS partition Untitled. in Options at the bottom of the disk utility screen choose MBR. don't use GUID as we don't want a hidden EFI partition on your usb stick. using a usb stick for booting and for the installer partition is LOTS easier to make changes to than trying to use a HD.
then run the clover installer and install clover on the 1gb fat 32 with the options you chose above. also check the box next to themes and drivers. after the installer finishes, put the dsdt i sent you into efi/clover/acpi/patched and replace config.plist that clover installed on the usb stick with the config i sent you. in efi/clover/drivers64, i have the following:
FSInject
NVMExpress
PS2Mouse
USBMouse
vbox2
vbox4
xhciDxe
IIRC, these are the default drivers that clover installs. i think the only one you really need is FSInject, but for the record, i'm using all of the above and my system boots fine.
don't try to move drivers from the drivers64UEFI folder into the drivers64 folder. the UEFI drivers are only for UEFI booting which we're not doing on this old mobo.
in efi/clover/kexts/10.11 i have only appletintel1000e.kext and FakeSMC.kext. i also placed both those kexts in kexts/other. that is probably belt and suspenders.
you will never need the fakepciid and fakeXhcimux kexts, as this mobo doesn't have usb3 ports. if later you add a usb3 card, you can load the genericxhci kext that will likely enable that card, or you can locate one that does.
you don't need the nullpowermangement kext. clover automatically applies a patch to handle this. when you successfully install el cap, the null kext will prevent proper sleep.
then run the terminal script to place the El Cap installer into the "untitled" partition of your usb stick.
what bios are you on? mine is 1.26. the bios level shows up at the bottom left of the boot splash screen. it's been several years since i first hacked the dc7900, but i seem to remember there was a reason to upgrade to 1.26. if yours is lower, i'd advise updating. it looks like (from the BIOS setup screen) that you can update the bios using a USB stick selecting File-->Flash System ROM, but rely on the HP download site for instructions and the bios download.
confirming BIOS settings:
Storage--device configuration--default values: SATA Defaults
--storage options--SATA emulation: AHCI
--boot order--move USB device above Hard Drive
Security--system security--data execution prevention enable, VTd disable, embedded security device support disable, os management of embedded security device enable, reset of embedded security device through OS disable
Power--OS power management--runtime power management enable, acpi S3 hard disk reset disable, acpi s3 ps2 mouse wakeup any activity, usb wake on device insertion disable, unique sleep state blink rates disable
--hardware power management--SATA power management--enable
then on your spare HD:
using mavs or yosemite disk utility, partition your spare HD again so you have a totally clean disk and a clean EFI partition.(this time, choose GUID instead of MBR). it's easier to do a partition that to erase the EFI partition. we want to have no question that you will be booting from your USB stick instead of from a potentially failed clover installation on your HD's EFI partition. when you successfully install el cap and are ready to install clover on your HD, i STRONGLY suggest to uncheck the "install on EFI partition" so that the boot files and clover files are at the root level of your HD, in a folder called EFI, that you can access without having to load the hidden EFI partition. in legacy booting, i see no advantage of installing the boot and clover files on the hidden EFI partition. different story if you were booting UEFI.
then disconnect the HD that is currently attached to your mobo and connect the clean HD via SATA.
finally plug in your USB and do a verbose boot.
