MSI Z77A-G45 can only boot in safe mode. Help!

[dgelb]

Here is my set up:

MSI Z77A-G45 motherboard

Intel Core i7-3770

Kingston 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 Desktop Memory Model KVR16N11/8 (I have two of these in slot 2 and 4)

Corsair Force Series GS CSSD-F180GBGS-BK 2.5" 180GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (in sata port 1)

SeaSonic X Series X-850 power supply

Fractal Design Define R4 Case

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler

I chose this motherboard since it seemed very compatible and others had done well with it.

I assembled everything, downloaded the latest bios from MSI and ran it through PMPatch utility, then used the MSI utility to update the bios - no problem.

The system starts right up and loads the UEFI bios without a problem.

These are the bios settings I chose:

PCIe Gen 3
ACPI: S3
Power LED: blinking
On board LAN: enabled
Sata Mode: AHCI
HD controller: enabled
HPET: enabled
Graphics start up: IGD
Graphics Memory: 64
Graphics Memory max: 128 (I also tried 256 and maximum)
Multimonitor: Enabled (I also tried Disabled)
USB controller: enabled
Intel Rapid Start: enabled
wake up control: bios

Everything else set to disabled.


Unibeast 1.7.0 Mountain Lion.

Power up, Press F11, chose my Unibeast stick. Cannot boot into the installer! Everytime it hangs just before the GUI loads. I have tried many combinations of boot flags: -f -F...The only way I can get it to boot up completely is in safe mode -x. I have tried two different usb sticks with Unibeast.

I can boot into single user mode without safe mode.

Two times (in about 100 tries) it actually booted without safe mode but then immediately afterwards it would not, even though I did not change any settings!

The installer runs in safe mode.
Disk utility -> new partition ->GUID partition table -> Mac OS journaled file system.
Install completes. Reboot. Can only boot the new disk in safe mode still. Run multibeast to install audio driver, ethernet driver, Chimera bootloader. Reboot: will only start in safe mode still.

Help!

 

[kermit1219]

I would disable the Intel Rapid start that could be causing some of the issue..

Mine was no problem once I got the bios updated.

 

[dgelb]

Thanks. I did that. It did not seem to help. I decided to try something different: I booted in safe mode with unibeast 1.7.0 and the installer for 10.8.2. I went through the installation and ran multi-beast 5.2. I then started trying different combinations of extensions. Each time I would attempt to start without safe mode. I finally was able to get a working installation! I immediately cloned the disk with carbon copy cloner so that I could continue to work and not lose what I had.

I followed the directions here: http://www.tonymacx86.com/desktop-c...77a-g45-confirmed-mountain-lion-10-8-3-a.html to create my org.chameleon.boot.plist and smbios.plist and update /S*/L*/CoreServices/PlatformSupport.plist. For some reason there was a random nvidia.plist in my extra folder which I trashed as well.

Subsequently I was able to use the combined update and get to 10.8.3. I had to roll back to an older version of AppleACPIPlatform.kext.
I used mulitibeast 5.3 to get the usb 3.0 ports on the front of my case to work. I do not know if I have usb 3.0 speed but at least they are active.

Everything seems to be working (sound, internet) except for sleep. I cannot wake the computer up. I am running with monitor sleep but system never sleep.

Only problem: I am not sure exactly what combination of extensions solved the problem. Is there any way to list out only the extra extensions that differ from the standard apple ones?

Also, any help getting sleep working would be appreciated but I can live without that.

Now it's on to install my graphics card and firewire card. (but I know PCIRootUID=0, GraphicsEnabler=no should fix that)

Thanks again.

 

[cochon]

Try install with HD 4000 first, make sure everything working i.e usb 3, sleep/wake, imessage/icloud/facetime, after you happy with everything then set GraphicsEnabler=No, restart go to Bios Intitiate Graphic Adapter [PEG], turn off and install your Nvidia graphics card. Note: in Bios set Intel Rapid Start Technology [Disabled]. For Usb 3 if you don't install GenericUSBXHCI.kext, it works only 2 Usb 3 back panel. If you install GenericUSBXHCI it will work with Usb 3 onboard

 

[cochon]

Oops, one more thing in bios setup section Wake up Event Setup, Resume from S3 by USB Device [Enabled], everything else Disabled.

Regards ---

 

[dgelb]

Thanks for the advice. I will let you know if it works!

 

[dgelb]

Oops, one more thing in bios setup section Wake up Event Setup, Resume from S3 by USB Device [Enabled], everything else Disabled.

Regards ---

I checked and it was enabled but sleep still does not work. Any other ideas?

I did get my graphics card and firewire card installed and working. PCIRootUID=0 GraphicsEnabler=no

 

[cochon]

Any DSDT.aml in /Extra ?

If Yes, remove it.

 

[dgelb]

Any DSDT.aml in /Extra ?

If Yes, remove it.

I am running without a DSDT. Was going to try darkwake=no or 10. What do you think?

 

[Adrian B]

Question - you say you updated the bios from the MSI site. Are you not supposed to use a modded MSI bios for Hackintosh?


http://biosrepo.wordpress.com/msi/

Have a look at this thread

http://www.tonymacx86.com/buying-advice/80499-z77a-g45-th-board.html


This was my understanding, sorry to question, but I wondered if it might be relevant? I apologise if I am incorrect.