[Solved] Does not boot from SSD, only from USB - GA-Z97M-DH3, Intel 4600 Graphics flickers

[cghochberg]

Hi! I will try to make a long story short.
1. Built my machine (Z97-HD3, Crucial MX200 500 Gb SSD, i5-4440, Kingston 128 Gb SSD (for Windows), 16 Gb RAM, IGP GPU 4600) and installed Yosemite, no problem, boot manager appeared and could choose from Yosemite or Windows without problems;
2. Upgraded to El Capitan. No problems again.
3. Sierra: problems began. Had to boot via USB, as the SSD would not boot (freezed on the Apple logo). Soon after, audio (ALC892) stopped working. Managed that with solutions presented here (an ALC command line correction). Occasionally, audio would disappear and I just had to repeat the correction & reboot to make it work again.
4. Tried to upgrade to High Sierra (Unibeast 8.1, Multibeast 10.1) using the direct upgrade. Had EXACTLY the same problems related above by hst51. Then tried the upgrade via USB, same thing.
5. Decided to make a clean install for High Sierra, in the hope that problems above would be corrected. Erased SSD and performed the clean install. It worked and I brought everything (apps and data) from TimeMachine backup.
6. Boot still does not work from SSD. Have to boot from Clorver on the USB. It boots, but screen flickers and, worse, except from system messages, all other apps (browsers - Safari not so bad, others impossible, etc) get impossible to use. Audio not working. Tried the correction suggested here, does not work.

It seems to me that corrections/kexts (Intel Graphics, Audio, etc) applied using Multibeast are not actually installed on the SSD disk. Where should they be?

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[BreBo]

@cghochberg, please update your profile (personal details) with your Motherboard or Make/Model, CPU and Graphics Card.

Profiles need to contain at least your primary system to assist others with helping you.

Boot your system in Verbose Mode and post a picture of your screen when it freezes/hangs.
At Clover Boot Screen press space bar and select Verbose (-v)

 

[cghochberg]

@cghochberg, please update your profile (personal details) with your Motherboard or Make/Model, CPU and Graphics Card.



Boot your system in Verbose Mode and post a picture of your screen when it freezes/hangs.
At Clover Boot Screen press space bar and select Verbose (-v)

Here's the picture in verbose mode. Already updated my profile. Thanks!

 

[cghochberg]

Regarding BIOS features, The relevant (I suppose) settings are:

1. Optimized Defaults LOADED (started by this setting, then others)
2. VT-d OFF
3. Secure Boot Mode DISABLED
4. OS Type - Other OS
5. Super IO Serial Port DISABLED
6. XHCI Hands Off ENABLED

Thanks!

 

[BreBo]

Here's the picture in verbose mode.

Check DVMT Pre-Allocated setting in BIOS. Required: 64mb or larger (128mb usually works well).

 

[cghochberg]

Check DVMT Pre-Allocated setting in BIOS. Required: 64mb or larger (128mb usually works well).

Thanks for your reply. I've tried that, but it did not work either. I will try to increase it to 256 Mb or even more to see if it works.

 

[cmn699]

Thanks for your reply. I've tried that, but it did not work either. I will try to increase it to 256 Mb or even more to see if it works.

• Upload your CLOVER as a Compressed file from the System disk to find possible cause for the problems listed in the Title of your post.

 

[cghochberg]

• Upload your CLOVER as a Compressed file from the System disk to find possible cause for the problems listed in the Title of your post.

I will. I will try another fresh installation tomorrow, this time using 10.13.2 - I went back to Sierra for the moment until I have time to try this new install.

Thanks a lot, will post here asap.

 

[cghochberg]

Hi!

These are the Clover folder of my 10.13.1 fresh installation. I used Multibeast after installation and also Toleda's hack for ALC audio. I injected some kexts manually, they were suggested by cmn699.

I increased graphics memory to 1 Gb in BIOS settings. More on this below.

Regarding installation:

1. Started with a fresh install and version 10.13.2 of the OS. Install completed but would not boot, giving a message that some problem ocurred and the system would reboot in a few seconds or I should press any key to reboot. This would go on forever;
2. Decided to do a fresh install with the same version above, this time using the terminal script to force no-conversion to APFS. I suspected some problem with it. Same results as above.
3. Decided to do a fresh install from 10.13.1 with APFS. It went on ok until the part that it asks if I want to use a TimeMachine backup. I chose the TimeMachine disk and it started the restore process, which would take a some one and a half hour. However, it rebooted within 5 minutes and came back to the same point, this time creating a new profile. I accepted the new profile and now it restored everything (more on this later on). Installation completed without further problems, now Clover boot manager works from the SSD drive.
4. Boot speed increased from some 25 s to some 45 s. I can easily live with it as Clover boot manager is now working.
5. Had to boot several times in order to bring my original profile back to working condition. Initially, no of my apps showed on the toolbar but after these boots they came back - sort of. Some apps do not work, like Lightroom CC Classic (desktop version). Tried Bill Gates Method (Uninstall and reinstall) to no avail.
6. Graphics: despite increasing the graphics memory to 1 Gb from the original 256 Mb, screen flickers and has problems as can be seen in the image uploaded here. Whatsapp web does not show anything except a blank screen. Safari works better but still with some glitches.

So here are the problems. Thank you all for any help!

Regards,

Carlos

 

[BreBo]

Graphics: despite increasing the graphics memory to 1 Gb from the original 256 Mb, screen flickers and has problems as can be seen in the image uploaded here. Whatsapp web does not show anything except a blank screen. Safari works better but still with some glitches.

Remove the FakePCIID_Intel_HD_Graphics.kexts as you don't need them (Desktop HD4600 is native).

Desktop HD4600 requirements:
- config.plist/Graphics/Inject/Intel=true
- config.plist/Graphics/ig-platform-id=0x0d220003
- config.plist/Devices/FakeID/IntelGFX=0
- BIOS DVMT-prealloc 64mb
- digital connection to your monitor (VGA not supported)
- VT-d disabled or use dart=0