MacOS not loading from boot menu

[egget26]

Hello everyone,

I built a hackintosh (my first time!) 5 years ago, using many tools from this awesome website. I ended up having 1 hard drive for Microsoft, and 1 for this hackintosh. After a few attempts, I managed to install Sierra, and have enjoyed using both Mac + having Microsoft for Steam predominantly. I have since avoided all MacOS updates, as I understand it would create lots of potential issues.

Fast forward to today, I go onto Microsoft as my powerpoint wasn't exporting with sound on Sierra for some reason, and notice that on Microsoft, the Internet wifi isn't working. So I run the Microsoft trouble shoot, and (stupidly in hindsight) accept their suggestion of restarting the PC, which may reset or affect VPNs etc. I didn't think anything of it, seeing as Microsoft is isolated in its own hard drive, but sadly, on restart:
1) it skips the clover boot menu and goes straight to Microsoft (which doesn't have Internet).
2) even if I manually hit F12 to reach the clover boot menu, and select the appropriate Mac OS, it gets stuck on the apple loading page (the bar doesn't even start to load).

The Wifi is not recognised on Microsoft, and there may be solutions to this, but I am not bothered about Microsoft not working because my whole life (and work) is on the Mac OS side of things. What are my options to get back into my MacOS?

Thank you for any help whatsoever!!

p.s. Apologies if this is not in the right place, or if there is already an answer to my question online. I have looked, but did not find it.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

Hello everyone,

I built a hackintosh (my first time!) 5 years ago, using many tools from this awesome website. I ended up having 1 hard drive for Microsoft, and 1 for this hackintosh. After a few attempts, I managed to install Sierra, and have enjoyed using both Mac + having Microsoft for Steam predominantly. I have since avoided all MacOS updates, as I understand it would create lots of potential issues.

Fast forward to today, I go onto Microsoft as my powerpoint wasn't exporting with sound on Sierra for some reason, and notice that on Microsoft, the Internet wifi isn't working. So I run the Microsoft trouble shoot, and (stupidly in hindsight) accept their suggestion of restarting the PC, which may reset or affect VPNs etc. I didn't think anything of it, seeing as Microsoft is isolated in its own hard drive, but sadly, on restart:
1) it skips the clover boot menu and goes straight to Microsoft (which doesn't have Internet).
2) even if I manually hit F12 to reach the clover boot menu, and select the appropriate Mac OS, it gets stuck on the apple loading page (the bar doesn't even start to load).

The Wifi is not recognised on Microsoft, and there may be solutions to this, but I am not bothered about Microsoft not working because my whole life (and work) is on the Mac OS side of things. What are my options to get back into my MacOS?

Thank you for any help whatsoever!!

p.s. Apologies if this is not in the right place, or if there is already an answer to my question online. I have looked, but did not find it.

Hi there.

Do you have any access to macOS on another machine?

Chances are Microsoft has installed its own bootloader in the hidden EFI partition of your macOS drive.

You could boot your system using your original UniBeast USB drive, if you still have it, mount the EFI partition and then remove the MS items.

Let us know more about what you have access to so we can offer other suggestions.

 

[egget26]

Hello, thank you so much for your timely response!! I am looking through my usb keys for an old one that I may have kept with the original UniBeast (fingers crossed). In the meantime, I was looking through the website for a step by step "how to mount an EFI partition" but alas that thread was removed.

My understanding is that I should re-insert the original UniBeast in the computer, and somehow run it again?

Sorry for this, and thank you again for your advice!

 

[egget26]

Update: I've ransacked everywhere, and it appears I saved Microsoft onto the usb that initially had that unibeast! That, or it will pop up in years to come.

I have access to a macbook that is running Mojave.

So, as it sounds like the whole plan hinges on that unibeast key which I do not have, I feel I have 2 options:
1) either learn how to install the new hackintosh (monterey).
2) call it a day and buy a mac mini.

I have 97% of my data backed up on external drives + did a time machine a couple months ago + should be able to access the hard drives via SATA cables... so I feel there must be a way to transfer those in either option...

Aaaaah, this is almost as bad as (temporarily) losing my nano ledger