<< Solved >> High Sierra (APFS) won't boot without USB whatever thread I followed and tried

[ozanerk]

Hi everyone!
I have been following this site for more than 10 years. I started hacking my PC with Leopard. I managed to install many systems throughout years. So I am not a total stranger with this Hackintosh issues having had many problems and solved them via forums before.
Recently I updated my existing El Capitan to High Sierra with standard Unibeast USB installation. Installation automatically converted my file system from HFS to APFS. Setup has been completed without any problems. My system booted with USB into High Sierra with all my folders and applications in order. No problems with internet or graphics or audio interface or USB. For Post Installation I executed Multibeast High Sierra edition downloaded from this site. I crossed fingers, ejected Install USB and rebooted. Not booting ))
I tried anything told in forums. I tried to copy and paste my older config.plist file, boot file. I tried to exactly copy EFI folder from partition of Install USB to the the EFI partition of my system hard drive as mentioned in forums. I copied my kext files either. Nooo wayyy! Not entering clover...
I also have another HDD connected to my board loaded with an older version of OSX. I keep it for security and emergency. Its clover is also an earlier version. It is so weird that its older clover boots when I do not connect High Sierra USB although it is not even selected on boot order in my BIOS. So it happens to be that when my High Sierra system drive connot boot on itself (without USB), automatically other drives clover takes the job )) I am totally confused about how that happens of course. (by the way the older version of clover cannnot recognize APFS drives, so with that clover I cannot boot into High Sierra)

My mainboard is ASUS PT6 SE, so I always use Legacy Mode installation. System drive is SSD. ATI Radeon graphic card.
I read all "SOLVED" threads in detail. However whatever I tried I cannot solve the issue. When I boot with USB connected, no problem; High Sierra welcomes me with no issues. Everything works well hopefully.
I hope to have some good suggestions from more experienced users.
Best Regards

 

[Feartech]

Hi everyone!
I have been following this site for more than 10 years. I started hacking my PC with Leopard. I managed to install many systems throughout years. So I am not a total stranger with this Hackintosh issues having had many problems and solved them via forums before.
Recently I updated my existing El Capitan to High Sierra with standard Unibeast USB installation. Installation automatically converted my file system from HFS to APFS. Setup has been completed without any problems. My system booted with USB into High Sierra with all my folders and applications in order. No problems with internet or graphics or audio interface or USB. For Post Installation I executed Multibeast High Sierra edition downloaded from this site. I crossed fingers, ejected Install USB and rebooted. Not booting ))
I tried anything told in forums. I tried to copy and paste my older config.plist file, boot file. I tried to exactly copy EFI folder from partition of Install USB to the the EFI partition of my system hard drive as mentioned in forums. I copied my kext files either. Nooo wayyy! Not entering clover...
I also have another HDD connected to my board loaded with an older version of OSX. I keep it for security and emergency. Its clover is also an earlier version. It is so weird that its older clover boots when I do not connect High Sierra USB although it is not even selected on boot order in my BIOS. So it happens to be that when my High Sierra system drive connot boot on itself (without USB), automatically other drives clover takes the job )) I am totally confused about how that happens of course. (by the way the older version of clover cannnot recognize APFS drives, so with that clover I cannot boot into High Sierra)

My mainboard is ASUS PT6 SE, so I always use Legacy Mode installation. System drive is SSD. ATI Radeon graphic card.
I read all "SOLVED" threads in detail. However whatever I tried I cannot solve the issue. When I boot with USB connected, no problem; High Sierra welcomes me with no issues. Everything works well hopefully.
I hope to have some good suggestions from more experienced users.
Best Regards

in what way doesn't boot?

boot verbose and take a pic

 

[ozanerk]

@Feartech Clover of my High Sierra system drive does not engage without USB. Instead, the older version clover of my older version OSX on another hard drive loads. And when I try to disable that drive and prevent that older clover take the job, I get stuck on a black screen just after bios messages.

How can I get into verbose mode without reaching clover GUI? How can I see the execution flow where the boot of main system hdd is bypassed and taken by another hdd?

 

[ozanerk]

I uploaded three screenshots.
EVEN if I try to manually select my system drive from Boot selection menu it dives to Clover 3320 version which belongs to P1 hdd on that boot list.
Weird enough to witness that if I connect Install USB the Clover 5107 loads and from there I can select High sierra which is installed on my P3 SSD on the boot list.

 

[Feartech]

I uploaded three screenshots.
EVEN if I try to manually select my system drive from Boot selection menu it dives to Clover 3320 version which belongs to P1 hdd on that boot list.
Weird enough to witness that if I connect Install USB the Clover 5107 loads and from there I can select High sierra which is installed on my P3 SSD on the boot list.

unplug the other drives that you do not boot from

 

[ozanerk]

I am shocked. It worked... I booted without USB directly to clover 5107. ) But why? Why does my computer give the priority to an older version of Clover which is installed on a hard drive which isn't even placed on my boot device order in BIOS setup?

 

[ozanerk]

I put one of them back which has Windows in it. No problem. System works well. Thank you @Feartech for your wise advice. However there are two partitions on my old MacOS drive and the second partition has some folder which I would need on some occasions. So is there a workaround to connect that guilty drive and have the system still working?

 

[Feartech]

I put one of them back which has Windows in it. No problem. System works well. Thank you @Feartech for your wise advice. However there are two partitions on my old MacOS drive and the second partition has some folder which I would need on some occasions. So is there a workaround to connect that guilty drive and have the system still working?

maybe grab what you need from it and wipe the efi partition of it? or wipe the drive completely after taking out what you need?

 

[ozanerk]

maybe grab what you need from it and wipe the efi partition of it? or wipe the drive completely after taking out what you need?

Sounds very clean. However, I had disk capacity issues and I needed to use that storage. Anyway, if I would need that HDD, I would be able to connect it. I just wanted to have knowledge about why such an incident happened. For I would love to be prepared for possible future issues about disk drives and EFI partition/folder priorities...

If someone has sth to suggest about this, it would be much appreciated. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the simple solution you offered @Feartech . I have been getting mad at home for three days hoping to solve this problem. Thank you again. Best wishes!

 

[Feartech]

Sounds very clean. However, I had disk capacity issues and I needed to use that storage. Anyway, if I would need that HDD, I would be able to connect it. I just wanted to have knowledge about why such an incident happened. For I would love to be prepared for possible future issues about disk drives and EFI partition/folder priorities...

If someone has sth to suggest about this, it would be much appreciated. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the simple solution you offered @Feartech . I have been getting mad at home for three days hoping to solve this problem. Thank you again. Best wishes!

you could also attach it to a usb enclosure and access the information that way as a possibility