<< Solved >> GA-X79-UD3 stuck on "9 min remaining" for 10.15 Catalina Install (big freeze)

[dujones]

Hi fellow Hackintoshers!

I've been searching the forum for a situation like this, but can't see that anyone else has posted with a similar issue (with the same hardware). I've got the old Sandy Bridge Gigabyte X79-UD3 with a Xeon 6 core @ 2 GHz. For graphics, I'm using the AMD Radeon RX560. Mojave 10.14.6 is running fine on this system.

I've attempted several different ways to upgrade to Catalina 10.15. Using the update method through the Software Update, I can download the OS, run the preliminary install, reboot twice, then get stuck on (what I assume to be) the final install with "about 9 minutes remaining". Apple logo with progress bar stopped at about 40% - no change if left overnight. I even tried leaving it for 3 days with no change.

I also attempted wiping the drive and doing a completely fresh install from a USB stick. Same result.

This (I think) tells me that I've got some kind of configuration issue. Has anyone else with a GA-X79-UD3 had success upgrading to Catalina? Are there any tricks you found to overcome the "big freeze"?

 

[dujones]

I've checked on the embedded controller (EC) issue. I'm using the below attached SSDTs to address that.
I've reviewed my config.plist and can't find anything obvious that I'm missing.
I've also attached my DSDT in case that helps. I'm really at a loss here.
Could there be something else that is causing the installer to freeze?

 

[dujones]

I'm slowly closing in on this. I managed to extract the installer log file from the Catalina installer. I'm not sure what to look for in terms of causes for the freezing. I'll look around to see if anyone else has used this approach.

 

[dujones]

Ok - I finally got Catalina to install. Turns out I was running on only 1 core of my (old) CPU, which was apparently affecting the installer. Once I got native Apple CPU Power Management to work, I could remove the cpus=1 boot flag, and it finished installing with no issues.

Since the Gigabyte X79-UD3 F20 BIOS has MSR 0xE2 locked, the AICPUPM couldn't take control of speed stepping. I got lots of help reading the older posts for X79 boards over on insanelymac, as well as work from many years ago by Shilohh on this site (see link below).

For me to get Catalina installed was this process:

1. Ensure native AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement can control the CPU.
a. Include MSR 0xE2 bit 15 lock patches in Clover Kexts to Patch section of config.plist (here - credit J Lamp).
b. Include patches to AICPUPM in Clover for Sandy Bridge CPU in config.plist (here - credit Stinga11).
(I also found that Shilohh had done a ton of work on this back in 2014 here.)
c. Include VoodooTSCSync.kext for my 6-core Xeon (used VoodooTSCSync Configurator available here - credit ITzTravelInTime.). Put the resulting kext in Clover/Kexts/Other.
2. Ensure CPU patches in DSDT patches section to allow AppleACPIPlatform to deal with DSDT references for our X79 board (here - credit cheneyveron and x.di)
3. Ensure USB patches for Fresco FL1009 USB 3.0 controller so native control can identify it (here - credit bu11etpr00f).
4. Ensure appropriate SSDTs included in CLOVER\ACPI\Patched (see the SSDTs I attached in the earlier post - credit ********).

What isn't working:
sleep (this may be a BIOS issue that isn't solvable, as discussed here - will continue to research)


Updated config.plist:

 

[Marxy]

Hi!

I have near the same configuration as you. i7-3820, X79-ud3.
I'm going to try installing Catalina.
Could you please share your EFI here.

UPD:
A request expired. No more need.
Catalina was upgraded without any issue from 10.13.6 with existing EFI.

 

[Solidww]

Hi!

I have near the same configuration as you. i7-3820, X79-ud3.
I'm going to try installing Catalina.
Could you please share your EFI here.

UPD:
A request expired. No more need.
Catalina was upgraded without any issue from 10.13.6 with existing EFI.

Did you use the exact methods the original poster used?