Gigabyte Z490 Vision D (Thunderbolt 3) + i5-10400 + AMD RX 580

[m4rk0]

I've done something very stupid but I don't if I fixed it.

I pressed the space bar in Open Core and resetted the NVRAM. System rebooted and went straight into windows (while, previously, I had it to boot off of OpenCore).
Rebooted, pressed F12, and saw that the Adata drive which had OpenCore said it had Windows. So I inserted the USB key I originally used to install the system, booted off of it, and chose to boot from "Catalina" - which is Big Sur anyway.
Somewhat I fixed it replacing the EFI folder of the Big Sur NVME with the one I had on the USB install drive. Now I get to boot to OpenCore, which shows both Catalina and Windows. However, there is one little hiccup - when I enter into BIOS setting, I see:

• Boot option #1 - UEFI OS (Adata SX8200PNP)
• Boot option #2 - Windows boot manager (Adata SX8200PNP)

I believe before making a mess, the option #2 was pointing to the Samsung Evo 970? Or am I recalling it wrong, which could well be the case.

 

[CaseySJ]

I've done something very stupid but I don't if I fixed it.

I pressed the space bar in Open Core and resetted the NVRAM. System rebooted and went straight into windows (while, previously, I had it to boot off of OpenCore).
Rebooted, pressed F12, and saw that the Adata drive which had OpenCore said it had Windows.

This means Windows installed its boot loader into the EFI partition of the macOS SSD. The Windows NVMe SSD should therefore be moved to the M.2 slot closest to the CPU. This will avoid the same problem in the future.

So I inserted the USB key I originally used to install the system, booted off of it, and chose to boot from "Catalina" - which is Big Sur anyway.
Somewhat I fixed it replacing the EFI folder of the Big Sur NVME with the one I had on the USB install drive. Now I get to boot to OpenCore, which shows both Catalina and Windows.

This makes sense because the EFI folder on USB disk does not contain a sub-folder called "Windows". It only contains the BOOT and OC folders. Any time an EFI folder contains a sub-folder called "Windows", your motherboard BIOS will always go directly to that Windows folder and start the Windows boot loader. It will ignore everything else.

However, there is one little hiccup - when I enter into BIOS setting, I see:

• Boot option #1 - UEFI OS (Adata SX8200PNP)
• Boot option #2 - Windows boot manager (Adata SX8200PNP)

I believe before making a mess, the option #2 was pointing to the Samsung Evo 970? Or am I recalling it wrong, which could well be the case.

• Do you have two ADATA NVMe SSDs, one with macOS and the other with Windows?
• Or do you have only one ADATA NVMe SSD (macOS) and a Samsung EVO 970 for Windows?

 

[Hackintosh-ProVirgin]

Hey guys, I was wondering if Big Sur or Catalina has Big NAVI native support yet at this point since I am getting a 6900xt reference card this weekend. If anyone got the big NAVI graphics card working, please share your experience with me. Thank you!

 

[m4rk0]

This means Windows installed its boot loader into the EFI partition of the macOS SSD. The Windows NVMe SSD should therefore be moved to the M.2 slot closest to the CPU. This will avoid the same problem in the future.

Uhm the SSD containing Windows has always been in the top most slot. More on that later.

This makes sense because the EFI folder on USB disk does not contain a sub-folder called "Windows". It only contains the BOOT and OC folders. Any time an EFI folder contains a sub-folder called "Windows", your motherboard BIOS will always go directly to that Windows folder and start the Windows boot loader. It will ignore everything else.

I omitted a few middle steps.
When I was trying to fix it, the very first time I booted using OpenCore from the USB key, I noticed that there was the Windows folder inside the EFI folder of the Adata drive. I deleted it thinking I would be able to fix it but I didn't fix it - can't remember what happened.
So I booted once again into Big Sur using OpenCore from the USB key and somewhat found a compromise replacing all of the folders but leaving Windows there.

• Do you have two ADATA NVMe SSDs, one with macOS and the other with Windows?
• Or do you have only one ADATA NVMe SSD (macOS) and a Samsung EVO 970 for Windows?

Second option. The EVO 970 has always been installed in the top most slot.

But here's where it gets tricky. I didn't want to ask too many questions (what happens if I want to do a new installation of Windows after having configured my hackintosh?) so I did a bit of trial and error:

• I had Windows on the EVO 970
• I installed Big Sur as per your guide
• I reinstalled windows on the EVO

I believe the Windows folder jumped into the Adata EFI folder at that stage, right when I reinstalled it. In fact, I see that the Windows folder has been created 3 days ago, exactly when I reinstalled windows.
Which now brings the question: how can I separate them? And what if I want to install windows again, or Linux? Not sure how I can avoid this mess from happening. Should I remove the Adata SSD or there is a better way without messing with hardware?

 

[CaseySJ]

Uhm the SSD containing Windows has always been in the top most slot. More on that later.

I omitted a few middle steps.
When I was trying to fix it, the very first time I booted using OpenCore from the USB key, I noticed that there was the Windows folder inside the EFI folder of the Adata drive. I deleted it thinking I would be able to fix it but I didn't fix it - can't remember what happened.

This is because Windows actually made two changes to the OpenCore EFI folder:

1. Windows created a Windows sub-folder
2. Windows replaced BOOT/BOOTX64.efi with its own version

To undo this, we also have to make two changes:

1. Delete the Windows sub-folder
2. Copy the original BOOT/BOOTX64.efi into the BOOT folder (we can simply copy it from the EFI/BOOT folder of the USB install disk)

Second option. The EVO 970 has always been installed in the top most slot.

But here's where it gets tricky. I didn't want to ask too many questions (what happens if I want to do a new installation of Windows after having configured my hackintosh?) so I did a bit of trial and error:

• I had Windows on the EVO 970
• I installed Big Sur as per your guide
• I reinstalled windows on the EVO

When we install Windows we need to physically remove macOS drives. In fact the procedure is even trickier than that (but it is explained in Post 1 -- Troubleshooting / FAQs section):

• With both NVMe SSDs installed (but Windows NOT yet installed), boot macOS.
• Use Disk Utilityto format the second NVMe SSD (where Windows will later be installed). But use these settings:
  • Name: Anything
  • Format: Ex-FAT (don't worry, Windows installer will erase this and create NTFS)
  • Scheme: GUID Partition Map (this is essential because it creates EFI partition)
• Then shutdown the system, pull power cable and remove the macOS NVMe SSD.
• Power up and install Windows.
• Windows boot loader will now be installed in EFI partition of Windows NVMe SSD.

I believe the Windows folder jumped into the Adata EFI folder at that stage, right when I reinstalled it. In fact, I see that the Windows folder has been created 3 days ago, exactly when I reinstalled windows.

Which now brings the question: how can I separate them? And what if I want to install windows again, or Linux? Not sure how I can avoid this mess from happening. Should I remove the Adata SSD or there is a better way without messing with hardware?

Please try the 2 steps listed above to undo the changes.

 

[m4rk0]

When we install Windows we need to physically remove macOS drives. In fact the procedure is even trickier than that (but it is explained in Post 1 -- Troubleshooting / FAQs section):

• With both NVMe SSDs installed (but Windows NOT yet installed), boot macOS. (..)

I apologize I overlooked that section. Also, I thought that if Windows was already installed (as it was..) then I could do the Hackintosh and forget anything else.

...which leads me to ask: if Windows has already been installed, then I can simply remove the macOS drive and format the Windows drive and reinstall?
...which leads me to this second question: if it's simple to fix as doing the two steps you wrote, why would we bother removing macOS drive? Just for "safety"?

• Please try the 2 steps listed above to undo the changes.

Nope it didn't work.
And may I make a guess? - when I formatted my Windows drive and subsequently installed it, I had macOS already installed so windows put his hands on the EFI partition of the Adata. Now, if I delete the Windows folder of the Adata, and replace bootx64.efi (as you said, as I did, as I did earlier as well without knowing what I was doing..) then Windows becomes unbootable. Right? In fact, I did these steps and OpenCore lets me choose:

• EFI (usb drive?)
• Install macOS Big Sur (usb drive is still inserted)
• Catalina
• OpenShell.efi

If I pick EFI, fans spin but the screen is black and nothing happens. The others are self explanatory.

At the end of the day, why is it so important to revert the mess of windows? I am guess it is because in the event I want to format macOS drive, then Windows become inaccessible. Right? And might be troublesome if/when macOS does modifications to its own EFI folder.

I think that my only solution is to revert the changes as you wrote, then remove the Adata drive and reinstall Windows..

 

[CaseySJ]

I apologize I overlooked that section. Also, I thought that if Windows was already installed (as it was..) then I could do the Hackintosh and forget anything else.

...which leads me to ask: if Windows has already been installed, then I can simply remove the macOS drive and format the Windows drive and reinstall?
...which leads me to this second question: if it's simple to fix as doing the two steps you wrote, why would we bother removing macOS drive? Just for "safety"?

If no other drives are present except an unformatted Windows drive, and we run the Windows installer, the installer by default will install the boot loader in the MBR (master boot record). MBR is different from an EFI partition.

Then later on if we add drives to the system such as a macOS drive, and one of those drives contains an EFI partition, then a future Windows Software Update will most likely install a new Windows boot loader in the EFI partition.

However, if your Windows NVMe SSD already has an EFI partition then we'll need to do the following:

• Move the EFI/Windows folder to the EFI partition on the Windows NVMe SSD
• Move the EFI/BOOT folder to the same EFI partition on the Windows NVMe SSD
• Then delete EFI/Windows from the macOS SSD
• And replace EFI/BOOT folder with that from OpenCore

Now the EFI partition on Windows disk will contain these folders:

EFI --> BOOT --> BOOTX64.efi (Windows version)
EFI --> Windows --> (Bunch of Windows files)

And the EFI partition on macOS will only contain these folders:

EFI --> BOOT --> BOOTX64.efi (OpenCore version of the file)
EFI --> OC --> (OpenCore files and folders)
EFI --> APPLE (optional; this is created by a macOS update)

Nope it didn't work.
And may I make a guess? - when I formatted my Windows drive and subsequently installed it, I had macOS already installed so windows put his hands on the EFI partition of the Adata. Now, if I delete the Windows folder of the Adata, and replace bootx64.efi (as you said, as I did, as I did earlier as well without knowing what I was doing..) then Windows becomes unbootable. Right? In fact, I did these steps and OpenCore lets me choose:

• EFI (usb drive?)
• Install macOS Big Sur (usb drive is still inserted)
• Catalina
• OpenShell.efi

In this case we will need to perform the 4 bullets mentioned above.

But if the Windows SSD does not have an EFI partition of its own, then it's best to reformat the Windows SSD in macOS as described before, remove the macOS SSD, and reinstall Windows.

 

[m4rk0]

....

In this case we will need to perform the 4 bullets mentioned above. ,,,,,,,

See, I didn't know the MBR thing.
Well, what can I say, you know your business.
Need to ask you a thing on B550/AMD but I am better off going in the other thread...

 

[schreiberstein]

I tried out these voltage settings suggested in the guide and it crashes my system in Windows.
Setting the Calibration from Low to Medium keeps the system stable, but I still get self-test errors in Prime95.
I have a 10850K and this system really annoys me in Windows. I do not understand how Gigabyte can sell such a horrible default configuration.
If I leave everything at default, the system even crosses 1.4 Volts at times when under high load and gets loud. (70 Celsius)
The optimized settings suggested kept the system significantly more quiet and cooler (55-60 Celsius), but if it throws me self-test errors, I cannot use it that way.

Does anyone with a similar CPU have a suggestion for me on how to fix this issue?

 

[fabrik]

Hey, Guys! I bought a Node Titan eGPU, because Im tired of the performance issues and I had a RX 580.
So when I connected to my Hackintosh with Z490, the fan went to full speed and then it doesn't show anything on the top bar, it looks like it's not working at all.

On the Hackintosh with Z390 It shows up the icon, and then disappeared. When I checked system report, it shows at PCI. I installed Geekbench and the EGPU shows it's connected.

Is there any way to make it work without flashing it?
Why it worked at Z390 and not to the Z490?

Another quick question, Is there any an alternative for me?
If I don't want to flash it, is the Z590 already in extended mode?
Thank you.
Fab