SLll 10.6.8 won't boot .... 10.6.3 boots though

[brummymax]

I have been trying to install SL 10.6.8 using retail 10.6.3, update helper, DSDT compiled on this machine and probook installer. It always boots to a grey screen. I believe it has booted though because I can press the power button, then return and the machine shuts down. I have never had sound or the correct resolution on 10.6.3 either. I have tried using the DSDT and SSDT on the probook installer and also my own compiled DSDT using rehabman's collection of patches. I have tried lots of BIOS settings, especially the Switchable graphics on or off and various boot flags, all without success. Even trid with only 4gb ram in and it makes no difference.

Has anybody had this problem?
Can anyone help?

I don't know what else to try.

This machine is a Probook 4530s with 8GB ram, i7 2670qm and radeon 6490m graphics. Bios version is F27.

 

[BigDonkey]

I have been trying to install SL 10.6.8 using retail 10.6.3, update helper, DSDT compiled on this machine and probook installer. It always boots to a grey screen. I believe it has booted though because I can press the power button, then return and the machine shuts down. I have never had sound or the correct resolution on 10.6.3 either. I have tried using the DSDT and SSDT on the probook installer and also my own compiled DSDT using rehabman's collection of patches. I have tried lots of BIOS settings, especially the Switchable graphics on or off and various boot flags, all without success. Even trid with only 4gb ram in and it makes no difference.

Has anybody had this problem?
Can anyone help?

I don't know what else to try.

This machine is a Probook 4530s with 8GB ram, i7 2670qm and radeon 6490m graphics. Bios version is F27.

1. Turn off Radeon graphics in BIOS
2. After laptop startup hit space or TAB key to get to Chimera/Chameleon boot prompt then type -v
If startup fails, this will provide you with an error description instead of grey apple logo.
3. Check your org.Chameleon.plist in /Extra folder. Key "device-properties" needs to be there, otherwise black screen.
4. Always use AC power when installing the OS
5. NullCPUPowerManagement.kext in /Extra folder helps overcome any power managements KP until you get your OS fined tuned.
6. Only 10.6.8 (10.6.7?) revisions give full native resolution for SandyBridge 2nd generation processors.

7. There is one stubborn i7 processor giving people all kinds of issues. Can't remember if it's 2670qm

 

[brummymax]

1. Turn off Radeon graphics in BIOS
2. After laptop startup hit space or TAB key to get to Chimera/Chameleon boot prompt then type -v
If startup fails, this will provide you with an error description instead of grey apple logo.
3. Check your org.Chameleon.plist in /Extra folder. Key "device-properties" needs to be there, otherwise black screen.
4. Always use AC power when installing the OS
5. NullCPUPowerManagement.kext in /Extra folder helps overcome any power managements KP until you get your OS fined tuned.
6. Only 10.6.8 (10.6.7?) revisions give full native resolution for SandyBridge 2nd generation processors.

7. There is one stubborn i7 processor giving people all kinds of issues. Can't remember if it's 2670qm

Thanks for responding.

1) Ive turned the switchable graphics off and on many times. No change whatsoever.
2) I have already checked out the boot log. The laptop seems to boot but it goes to a grey screen after the apple logo. Im sure that OSX is running behind the blank grey screen. I have plugged into a VGA monitor but there was no signal. I have not got a HDMI monitor at home to check if there is an output there.
3) Device properties is there along with this string:
<string>600000000100000001000000540000000100000002010c00d041030a000000000101060000027fff04001e0000004100410050004c002c006f0073002d0069006e0066006f0000001800000030490111111108000001f01f0100000010070000</string> Is this one of the changes that update helper makes?
4) I always use AC power.
5) Im not getting any kernel panics. I think the problem lies with the graphics not working once booted. Its the cause that is eluding me.
6) Thats good info. I will test with 10.6.7 to see if it works and gives me full screen resolution.
7) Im already suspecting the 2670qm cpu. Ive ordered a 2310m and once it arrives, I will test it with this install. Can I just delete the DSDT.AML and SSDT.AML from the extra folder before I boot up with the replacement cpu?

 

[brummymax]

I have done some tests. I can install 10.6.7 combo and it runs the same as 10.6.3. Unusable sound and only 1024x768. When I sleep the computer, the screen shows a frozen desktop. I can only wake it by pushing the power button. It is the 10.6.8 combo update that stops the graphics displaying anything other than a grey screen. Anybody else have this problem?

 

[brummymax]

Its fixed! But I feel a bit stupid now ...........

I had been booting from iBoot the whole time. I did not realise exactly what iBoot was and the fact that it ignores the Extra folder. This became obvious when I tried to change the id from MacPro 3.1 to MacbookPro 8.1. The smbios.plist file showed the new id but the -v verbose boot output and the About this mac information showed the id still as MacPro 3.1.

So when my 2310m i3 CPU arrives, it will go straight back on eBay. Ive also ordered a B156HW01v4 screen because this one is rubbish.

Thanks for your help.

 

[brummymax]

The real problem is Chimera is not installing to the hard drive. Whenever I restart, the computer is booting into Win7, but some text appears before that very briefly.


I have 6 partitions:

EFI 200mb
Win7 NTFS 170gb
Transfer Fat32 170gb
OSX HFS+ 170gb
Linux Swap 8gb
Linux 170gb


I assume the 200mb EFI was created by Disk Utility when I originally formatted. Is it needed anymore?


UPDATE: I manually installed chameleon using Chameleon wizard and this has got OSX to boot by itself. I'm not sure why Probook installer or Multibeast could not get Chimera installed????

 

[brummymax]

Probook installer has successfully installed Chimera over the manual Chameleon install and the computer now boots fine.