[Solved] Final install from Sierra doesn't recognize wifi (H170N)

[cmn699]

First of all . . . thank you once again, cmn699. You are not only a massive help to me, but I've observed your work around here and you are a huge asset to the Hackintosh community, of which I plan a part of for a very long time.

Looks like you already beat me to marking the thread as solved (or a mod) but I plan to review this thread and adjust the title to make it more accurate and relevant for those who might search for help with similar situations.

Yes I wanted audio first but only because of my location outside of the US, which makes it difficult to get the right wifi card (ordering on Amazon requires using 3rd party services, which adds to the cost and time), and though I concede that I now regret not just breaking down and getting the ethernet sooner, I clearly had a bug up my butt about waiting for wifi and not getting an ethernet cable that would be used only for a month (I'm planning to move to another international location, probably not to return here, and there is no room in my bag for the long cable, so I'll toss the cable).

I mis-typed, but I was actually intending to refer to Mac 10.12.5, yes the combo update. My Hackintosh is running 10.12.3, installed in March, and App Store wants me to install the update. I have fear about doing that. I will follow your advice for now and not do anything until I have wifi working . . . so what do you do about that annoying little red "1" flag on top of the App Store icon in the dock? It bothers me to see it so I might have to remove it from the dock.

My Windows 10 system disk is alive and well and gathering dust, lol. I have a USB external DVD drive though, and ready to begin making this a dual boot.

"please make sure Mac with its CLOVER should be the First boot device in BIOS Boot Priority to prevent Windows Bootloader messing up Clover and making Mac unbootable."

<gulp> I just tried to go into BIOS to look for how to do this (can you tell me how I set it in Boot Priorities?) but I frequently get frozen on BIOS Features. Once I get this set for Clover as Boot Option #1, what do I make as #2? I can't select "Sierra." It's always [UEFI: Samsung SSD 850 EVO 500GB, Partition 1]. Ideas?

Should I continue in this topic or make a new one?

I will try to answer all your questions raised in detail when I get enough time to organize my thoughts and type them up in the next few hours. I need this time to review your Motherboard manual and BIOS interface in particular to give you the steps to edit items there and also about Labeling your System disks to easily readable format if possible.

In the mean time, to protect your current working mackintosh and also the Windows 10 System drive, I would suggest making an exact copy (clone) of each on another disk of equal or larger size. If you don't know the exact procedure, I want you first to answer the following to incorporate the steps for cloning in my answer:

Do you have two blank spare (or even used but healthy expendable disks OK) SATA HDDs of equal or larger size to the installed system disks to create their clones? Be specific about the make , model and size of the disks.

Once you have these clones tucked away in a safe place, you can be bolder with upgrading your current mackintosh to 10.12.5 or trying dual boot setup etc. In case you mess up during those attempts, you can always clone the unbootable disk (s) back to functioning one from "Reverse cloning" from the Saved Clones.

 

[JasonM71]

I will try to answer all your questions raised in detail when I get enough time to organize my thoughts and type them up in the next few hours. I need this time to review your Motherboard manual and BIOS interface in particular to give you the steps to edit items there and also about Labeling your System disks to easily readable format if possible.

In the mean time, to protect your current working mackintosh and also the Windows 10 System drive, I would suggest making an exact copy (clone) of each on another disk of equal or larger size. If you don't know the exact procedure, I want you first to answer the following to incorporate the steps for cloning in my answer:

Do you have two blank spare (or even used but healthy expendable disks OK) SATA HDDs of equal or larger size to the installed system disks to create their clones? Be specific about the make , model and size of the disks.

Once you have these clones tucked away in a safe place, you can be bolder with upgrading your current mackintosh to 10.12.5 or trying dual boot setup etc. In case you mess up during those attempts, you can always clone the unbootable disk (s) back to functioning one from "Reverse cloning" from the Saved Clones.

That sounds like a good plan, thank you. I'll hold off on doing anything in the BIOS pending your instructions and looking into my motherboard.

I better answer, since I do not know the procedure for cloning:

Yes, I do have one (but no not two--sorry) used but healthy 2.5" external HDD that isn't doing anything productive right now, which I could wipe, reformat, partition, for whatever purpose you think needed, but I don't have more than one available for now. It is a Western Digital Elements 2TB 2.5" spinning/HDD (I think that answers make, but not sure of 'model' other than Elements). FYI, I already use my other two drives (I have 3 total) to backup my Mac laptop via Time Machine and for media (1 backs up the other, so my Macintosh files have double backups).

So back to cloning . . . I've never done that. A few Qs:

* Do I need to do another Mac backup since I already have everything backed up (meaning my laptop, not the hackinstosh since I don't have any valuable files on the hackintosh yet)?

* Since I only have one drive for this, if two are still needed, can I partition it into two "drives?"

I'm not sure I understand the need to protect Windows 10 system drive; I haven't installed it yet--it's just the disk from retail. I haven't partitioned the Hackintosh's main drive yet, the 500GB SSD now known as 'Sierra'. I assumed I would have to partition it and use Bootcamp, but if there is a better way, I'm all ears.

For your information, I do know how to partition and reformat in Disk Utility, but I don't know how to "clone" or what the difference is between a clone and a backup.

Should I start another thread for what we're about to do?

Thanks a lot!

 

[cmn699]

That sounds like a good plan, thank you. I'll hold off on doing anything in the BIOS pending your instructions and looking into my motherboard.

I better answer, since I do not know the procedure for cloning:

Yes, I do have one (but no not two--sorry) used but healthy 2.5" external HDD that isn't doing anything productive right now, which I could wipe, reformat, partition, for whatever purpose you think needed, but I don't have more than one available for now. It is a Western Digital Elements 2TB 2.5" spinning/HDD (I think that answers make, but not sure of 'model' other than Elements). FYI, I already use my other two drives (I have 3 total) to backup my Mac laptop via Time Machine and for media (1 backs up the other, so my Macintosh files have double backups).

So back to cloning . . . I've never done that. A few Qs:

* Do I need to do another Mac backup since I already have everything backed up (meaning my laptop, not the hackinstosh since I don't have any valuable files on the hackintosh yet)?

* Since I only have one drive for this, if two are still needed, can I partition it into two "drives?"

I'm not sure I understand the need to protect Windows 10 system drive; I haven't installed it yet--it's just the disk from retail. I haven't partitioned the Hackintosh's main drive yet, the 500GB SSD now known as 'Sierra'. I assumed I would have to partition it and use Bootcamp, but if there is a better way, I'm all ears.

For your information, I do know how to partition and reformat in Disk Utility, but I don't know how to "clone" or what the difference is between a clone and a backup.

Should I start another thread for what we're about to do?

Thanks a lot!

I'm not sure I understand the need to protect Windows 10 system drive; I haven't installed it yet--it's just the disk from retail.

I was under the impression that you already have an INTERNAL SATA hard disk or SATA SDD with Windows 10 already Installed on it and working OK which you had temporarily disconnected from the motherboard to facilitate Sierra Installation on the second SSD which you just completed about which Apple Store frequently reminds you about a combo-update (Sierra 10.12.5+ iTunes 12.6.1)!
Now I realize:

• you have no Windows 10 System disk on Internal SSD or usual SATA HDD
  
• Two external disks you have are set aside for backing up Personal files including media files from your existing Apple computer and expectantly from the currently created Hackintosh Sierra.

I haven't partitioned the Hackintosh's main drive yet, the 500GB SSD now known as 'Sierra'. I assumed I would have to partition it and use Bootcamp, but if there is a better way, I'm all ears.

You are contemplating partitioning the current Sierra SSD connected to the current GA-H170N- Motherboard to use as a dual boot disk with Windows 10 on a second partition!
Before you make up your mind about "dual boot from two partitions from a single disk", consider the following very carefully:

• Unless you are quite good at troubleshooting and fixing problems in Windows and Mac, housing two Operating Systems that use entirely different filesystems in a single hard disk can be risky to both systems if a major mishap occurs to one.
• If a hard disk failure occurs (it is not at all uncommon for a new disk to die suddenly within the Warranty period) you lose not one but two Operating systems in one fatal blow! You might have saved your personal file with your back up plans on external disks but until you go through the painful task of installing a new Sierra and/ or Windows System, your backed up files cannot even be viewed.
  
• Dual boot with separate individual hard disks minimize the above risk often to 50%.
  
• If, in addition to that , if you clone each system disk (i.e. Windows10 and Sierra), in case system corruption leads to a non-bootable situation, your down time will be 5-6 minutes or less -the time to open the already shut down computer's panel, remove the unbootable disk and install the cloned disk saved for this contingency and boot the system. After completing whatever urgent work you were doing , clone the corrupted disk with the current good disk (updated to the most recent level) and keep that disk for a rainy day like what just happened.

My preferred multiboot method is ALWAYS muti-disk type. I also clone each system and keep the disk safely. Every time I update my system, I re-clone the saved disk to keep it up-to-date. This cloned disk will have not only the Operating system but also all my data I have on that disk.

Until you decide what you really want to do I will hold off on my Cloning solution.

 

[JasonM71]

I was under the impression that you already have an INTERNAL SATA hard disk or SATA SDD with Windows 10 already Installed on it and working OK which you had temporarily disconnected from the motherboard to facilitate Sierra Installation on the second SSD which you just completed about which Apple Store frequently reminds you about a combo-update (Sierra 10.12.5+ iTunes 12.6.1)!
Now I realize:

• you have no Windows 10 System disk on Internal SSD or usual SATA HDD
  
• Two external disks you have are set aside for backing up Personal files including media files from your existing Apple computer and expectantly from the currently created Hackintosh Sierra.

You have this right. I jumped on here and started this thread when I was able to access nothing more than the BIOS and I had attempted nothing beyond the installation of the components and the early stages of tonymac's basic Sierra installation instructions. Early on in this thread, you advised me to hold off on doing anything Windows until we got Sierra going. So I left the Windows disk in the package and never installed it. And yes I did disconnect my HDD from the motherboard at your suggestion to avoid Sierra booting complications (and now have to reattach it). But it has nothing on it.

Bottom line, I have one 500GB SSD which I intended to use as a boot drive (for both OS') and the one HDD (7200rpm spinning) 4TB drive to store files on, as I plan to work a lot with video creation.

And yes, I have two small portable external drives I use for my current Mac's backup + media files, which, after I move all my work to the Hackintosh, will be for the new machine. But I do have one extra healthy 2 TB portable/2.5" HDD I can use for cloning. Not sure if it should be partitioned for two different clones.

You are contemplating partitioning the current Sierra SSD connected to the current GA-H170N- Motherboard to use as a dual boot disk with Windows 10 on a second partition! Before you make up your mind about "dual boot from two partitions from a single disk", consider the following very carefully:

• Unless you are quite good at troubleshooting and fixing problems in Windows and Mac, housing two Operating Systems that use entirely different filesystems in a single hard disk can be risky to both systems if a major mishap occurs to one.
• If a hard disk failure occurs (it is not at all uncommon for a new disk to die suddenly within the Warranty period) you lose not one but two Operating systems in one fatal blow! You might have saved your personal file with your back up plans on external disks but until you go through the painful task of installing a new Sierra and/ or Windows System, your backed up files cannot even be viewed.

• 
  
• Heh, well . . . I think you know me well enough by now to know I am definitely not quite good at troubleshooting. In fact, there are few things in the world I suck at more. I actually don't mind losing Windows so much because I will do relatively little in it. But if I lose it and it's the same disk as Mac, well, your point is well founded--that's a good reason to avoid sharing a partitioned drive. I certainly do not want to go through the painful task of doing everything all over again, but does cloning not make it more an acceptable risk to partition?
• 
  

• [*]Dual boot with separate individual hard disks minimize the above risk often to 50%.
  
  [*]If, in addition to that , if you clone each system disk (i.e. Windows10 and Sierra), in case system corruption leads to a non-bootable situation, your down time will be 5-6 minutes or less -the time to open the already shut down computer's panel, remove the unbootable disk and install the cloned disk saved for this contingency and boot the system. After completing whatever urgent work you were doing , clone the corrupted disk with the current good disk (updated to the most recent level) and keep that disk for a rainy day like what just happened.

My preferred multiboot method is ALWAYS muti-disk type. I also clone each system and keep the disk safely. Every time I update my system, I re-clone the saved disk to keep it up-to-date. This cloned disk will have not only the Operating system but also all my data I have on that disk.

Until you decide what you really want to do I will hold off on my Cloning solution.

OK, so you've given me something to reconsider. The reason I was contemplating partitioning the current Sierra SSD is because I've partitioned two past Macs with Bootcamp to no ill effect, the first time in 2010. The other reason is because by partitioning, both OS' will boot on a faster SSD. My system is mini-ITX and I have limited space--2 hard drives max. When I built it, I also wanted to have a large capacity media drive internally, so I figured one SSD and one HDD ought to do the trick. I definitely didn't want to have two SSDs and need to use a 3.5" HDD externally, but I also didn't consider the risk of partitioning the SSD to boot both drives.

But I do understand your warnings. The risks are much less if I install the Windows disk only on a different disk.

So here is what I think . . . Since I travel a fair bit, and I detest carrying around 3.5" externals, but I want to have a large capacity drive internal to the case, and I can live with just small portable externals . . . this means if I want to take your advice and have different drives, the only option left in this small case is that I'm going to need to install Windows on the HDD. It seems so 2009 to boot an OS on an HDD, but while I used to think I would edit video in Sony Vegas on Windows (as I know it best), I ended up building for FCPX with this 280x, so Windows will now mostly be used for a few (travel-industry) specific applications that don't require SSD speed, and I rarely play games, so I'll be fine with it all on an HDD. Down the line I can go to dual-SSDs but for now, the minimally used Windows can be installed on the HDD, so I'll follow your advice, and that's what I'll do given the limitations I have.

The question is . . . can I partition the HDD and use only, say, 500GB (or less) for Windows and leave the remaining 3.5TB to be accessible by Mac for my media files? Would that even work? If I can't use most of the rest of the HDD for Mac files, it's not a deal killer but I'd be wasting most of the 4TB drive and would have to re-think my case and hard drive setup later this year.

 

[cmn699]

• So you have decided to continue with the Sierra System in the current SSD.
• You want to create a new Windows 10 System ( and you are also aware that it must be in UEFI mode like the macOS Sierra System) on a 500GB partition created on the 4TB SATA HDD.
• You want to set aside the remaining ~3.5TB of this SATA HDD for storage of EXCLUSIVELY MAC files with no intention to save files created in NTFS format in this storage drive.
  
• You understand that the Hackintosh Sierra System using Clover EFI bootloader in UEFI boot mode will be the First Boot device to boot both system drives to Clover Boot Manager Screen.
• From Clover Boot Manager screen, you will make the choice of the System disk you want to boot into : macOS Sierra or Windows 10.

----------------------------------

• If you don't already have a Windows 10 USB installer created in UEFI mode using a software like "Rufus" in another Windows computer , then you should use the following steps

*** Make a Note of your Current BIOS Setup that was making a flawless macOS Sierra booting possible
****Make a Note of your current Clover Boot Flags for MacOSSierra Booting

• 4TB SATA HDD Partitioning in macOS Sierra Disk Utility
  • Shut down the PC.
  • Connect the 4TB disk to the 2nd SATA connector and SATA Power connector
  • Power ON the PC
  • Press F12 and choose your Sierra System disk to enter Clover Boot Manager
  • Boot into Sierra Desktop
  • Launch "Disk Utility"
  • Find your 4 TB Hard disk from the left panel
  • Using Disk Utility, partition the disk into a 500GB and 3500GB partitions in GUID scheme
  • You can format the 500GB in Windows NT File system and the 3500GB in MacOS Extended (Journaled)
• Once this step is completed, Shut down the computer
  
• Disconnect macOS System disk until Windows System is installed.
• Finish installing Windows [using Windows 10 DVD or Windows 10 UEFI USB Flash drive (my preferred installer )]
  
• Once Windows 10 is fully setup and updated, shut down the PC
• Connect MacOS Sierra Disk as SATA 1 disk ( SATA port-0 ) and Windows 10 as SATA 2 ( on SATA port-1)
  
• Reboot and press Del key to enter BIOS Setup.
• Make sure Year, Month Date and Time are current to your Zone.
• ***Make sure all BIOS setup are made for Clover boot of MacOS Sierra System disk in UEFI mode
• Make Sure the First Boot device is your UEFI Sierra System disk
• DISABLE all other options listed below the UEFI Sierra System Disk( if allowed by the BIOS option)
• SAVE the chosen BIOS options using (F10) and Reboot
• Once again press F12 and Select UEFI Sierra System Disk to enter Clover Boot Manager screen
• ****Go to Options and Boot Args: to confirm you have the correct Boot Flags you had previously used to boot Sierra
• From Clover boot manager screen select and boot Sierra System disk to reconfirm it is still booting OK
• Reboot and reach Clover boot screen and boot Windows 10 to check that too is working OK
• Now you have Mac and Windows dual boot System
• In Windows 10, download "Rufus" :http://filehippo.com/download_rufus/download/7d6183541f821afcbb30cffb053a6837/
• In Windows 10 Download Clonezilla : https://sourceforge.net/projects/cl...e-2.5.0-25-amd64.zip/download?use_mirror=svwh
• Connect a 2GB or 4GB Flash disk to your USB port ( USB 3.0 will be better as it is faster)
• For illustrated steps https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...ierra-install-its-acting-very-strange.208298/

 

[JasonM71]

Hey cmn, thanks very much for all of that. Sorry for the delay in getting back online. What a week, and as of Sunday, I’m going to have to be out of town and unable to work on this the next 5 evenings. So whatever real results I get will have to wait ’til next weekend (possibly Friday night but definitely by Saturday), unfortunately. But tonight I’ve gone over your instructions and now I wanted to just fire off a few questions so I’m ready to get started when I’m back in town and able to work on this.

Basically your 5 bullet-point assumptions above are correct, but real quick:

You understand that the Hackintosh Sierra System using Clover EFI bootloader in UEFI boot mode will be the First Boot device to boot both system drives to Clover Boot Manager Screen.

This might seem like a dumb question, but while I assume Clover will always be necessary to boot this machine in Mac, is the reason you point this out because every boot up will look the same except the one change we’re making will be to add a Windows boot option at the same Clover screen I currently see??

Make sure all BIOS setup are made for Clover boot of MacOS Sierra System disk in UEFI mode

Is there anything different I have to do other than what we already set up? Won't what we set already be in there? Am I running the risk of having to do all the painful stuff we did all over again?

Thanks again for everything. See you next weekend?

 

[JasonM71]

• • Launch "Disk Utility"
  • Find your 4 TB Hard disk from the left panel
  • Using Disk Utility, partition the disk into a 500GB and 3500GB partitions in GUID scheme
  • You can format the 500GB in Windows NT File system and the 3500GB in MacOS Extended (Journaled)

I screwed up I think. I realize you didn't instruct me to do this but I clicked the "erase" button first, prior to doing the partition. My error. I shouldn't have, but I've frequently erased drives before to no ill effect. I did it in case there was some manufacturer data on it. But unlike past times, I now can not do the partition. The partition options are grayed out. I also can not really run first aid. Please check the pics to see. Any idea how I can fix this problem so I can partition?

 

[cmn699]

I screwed up I think. I realize you didn't instruct me to do this but I clicked the "erase" button first, prior to doing the partition. My error. I shouldn't have, but I've frequently erased drives before to no ill effect. I did it in case there was some manufacturer data on it. But unlike past times, I now can not do the partition. The partition options are grayed out. I also can not really run first aid. Please check the pics to see. Any idea how I can fix this problem so I can partition?

I can think of 2 options for you at this time:

1. Troubleshoot in Windows 10 which will surely succeed:
2. Troubleshoot in Hackintosh Disk Utility; success not assured

• Windows 10 DISKPART in Command Prompt:

• You can try connecting the disk to Windows computer (if you have) and launch "cmd" as Administrator and from the command prompt ["C.\Windows\System32\">] type DISKPART

• This means you have to learn something new (if you don't already know this )! Reference:http://www.disk-partition.com/windows-10/diskpart-windows-10-1203.html

• In Hackintosh Disk Utility: I have uploaded your image with some editing to show the steps you may try.

 

[JasonM71]

Thanks for your troubleshooting suggestions above. I kept trying it with Disk Utility and it worked.

So I have some good news and some (sorta) bad news. Good news is, in addition to the above successful formatting of the 4TB in Disk Utility, I have the TP-Link wifi card on the way, sometime next week.

The bad news is also two-fold, but I don't think these are too bad, except for my inconvenience. But I think I should report to you what they are.

In following your instructions above, I got to the step of disconnecting my Sierra disk, which I did to start installing Windows. Then a few things went wrong.

#1. After disconnecting, I reached for my Windows disk carton, which has a barcode, etc, but there was no disk in it. It seems I have misplaced my Windows disk. I've looked around and am now just not sure where I put it or if I ever even brought it to my apartment from my trip to the USA in February. Not a huge problem. I'm actually moving in about 6 weeks, and with all packing I need to do, I hope to find it. If I find it sooner, I'll return to this idea of dual booting to Windows whenever it turns up, maybe even tomorrow. If I don't find it while packing to move, then once I'm in my next apartment, I'll get another copy and try again. This is no big deal to me because I have relatively little use for Windows these days.

#2. Seeing the above was going to delay my Windows, I reconnected the SSD that held Sierra, and I get the black screen which says "Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key."

At first, I got a lump in my throat because I realized there's a good chance I would have to start the whole process of installing all over again. But then I realized, maybe it's not so bad. I've already got a text file going listing just the steps you guided me through, and I could actually very easily do it again in a few hours. So again, no big deal.

But before I go through all that . . . and no I don't have any copy (huge DOH! moment for me) because we never specifically went through a cloning procedure, does the disk disconnecting mean I do have to start all over again? Is there something I'm missing or can I just re-download Clover and the old settings will come up?

If it's all lost, no problem, I'll do it all over again. It'll be good practice for me anyway to do it all a 2nd time so the knowledge of how to do it becomes a little more solid.

I just wanted to see what you thought first. Should I try to re-download Clover and see it if it boots back to how I had it?

 

[cmn699]

Thanks for your troubleshooting suggestions above. I kept trying it with Disk Utility and it worked.

So I have some good news and some (sorta) bad news. Good news is, in addition to the above successful formatting of the 4TB in Disk Utility, I have the TP-Link wifi card on the way, sometime next week.

The bad news is also two-fold, but I don't think these are too bad, except for my inconvenience. But I think I should report to you what they are.

In following your instructions above, I got to the step of disconnecting my Sierra disk, which I did to start installing Windows. Then a few things went wrong.

#1. After disconnecting, I reached for my Windows disk carton, which has a barcode, etc, but there was no disk in it. It seems I have misplaced my Windows disk. I've looked around and am now just not sure where I put it or if I ever even brought it to my apartment from my trip to the USA in February. Not a huge problem. I'm actually moving in about 6 weeks, and with all packing I need to do, I hope to find it. If I find it sooner, I'll return to this idea of dual booting to Windows whenever it turns up, maybe even tomorrow. If I don't find it while packing to move, then once I'm in my next apartment, I'll get another copy and try again. This is no big deal to me because I have relatively little use for Windows these days.

#2. Seeing the above was going to delay my Windows, I reconnected the SSD that held Sierra, and I get the black screen which says "Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key."

At first, I got a lump in my throat because I realized there's a good chance I would have to start the whole process of installing all over again. But then I realized, maybe it's not so bad. I've already got a text file going listing just the steps you guided me through, and I could actually very easily do it again in a few hours. So again, no big deal.

But before I go through all that . . . and no I don't have any copy (huge DOH! moment for me) because we never specifically went through a cloning procedure, does the disk disconnecting mean I do have to start all over again? Is there something I'm missing or can I just re-download Clover and the old settings will come up?

If it's all lost, no problem, I'll do it all over again. It'll be good practice for me anyway to do it all a 2nd time so the knowledge of how to do it becomes a little more solid.

I just wanted to see what you thought first. Should I try to re-download Clover and see it if it boots back to how I had it?

Looks like You are trying to establish a new Guinness World Record for the longest Sierra installation

• Kidding aside, for the current boot screen error of "Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key", I suggest you to Force reboot from that screen and as computer reboots into a new screen, press Del key and ENTER the BIOS Setup.
• Make sure all your boot options are OK for macOS Sierra booting.
• Make sure your Sierra SSD is the FIRST Boot Device. , if there is a possibility to select and "DISABLE: any other devices in that list, including items like "MacOSX" , "Windows" etc . In short, UEFI Sierra SSD must be the only disk in that list.
• Save and Exit to boot
• Post with screen shot for problems.