(Solved) Major Problem Finding Storage Drive on Ventura Installer

[kirkyuk]

I'm baffled with this issue on my Gigabyte z490i ITX board. I've created my Ventura installer and I can boot to the point of selecting a storage drive to install the OS. The problem is that it never shows any storage drive to install Ventura? I've tried a WD SN770 and a WD SN850X both of which should be supported (I've also tried other SSD drives). I've tried these in both NVME slots to be sure. I've tried adding the NVMEfix and removing it. I always reset NVRAM. I've tried enabling all options in the bios and disabling them, I've even updated the Bios. I've tried installing the Ventura installer in USB2 and USB3 ports. I currently run Big Sur perfectly on iMac20,2. If I try setting up my Big Sur installer the drives detect perfectly? I've attached my config.plist. Any ideas why they won't detect in Ventura would be much appreciated?

 

[Feartech]

I'm baffled with this issue on my Gigabyte z490i ITX board. I've created my Ventura installer and I can boot to the point of selecting a storage drive to install the OS. The problem is that it never shows any storage drive to install Ventura? I've tried a WD SN770 and a WD SN850X both of which should be supported (I've also tried other SSD drives). I've tried these in both NVME slots to be sure. I've tried adding the NVMEfix and removing it. I always reset NVRAM. I've tried enabling all options in the bios and disabling them, I've even updated the Bios. I've tried installing the Ventura installer in USB2 and USB3 ports. I currently run Big Sur perfectly on iMac20,2. If I try setting up my Big Sur installer the drives detect perfectly? I've attached my config.plist. Any ideas why they won't detect in Ventura would be much appreciated?

XhciPortLimit needs to be disabled

lilu kext should be first in your list in your config.plist

not seeing reset nvram in your drivers section, what version of opencore are you running?

bios settings:
Disable:
Fast Boot
Secure Boot
Serial/COM Port
Parallel Port
VT-d (can be enabled if you set DisableIoMapper to YES)
CSM
Thunderbolt(For initial install, as Thunderbolt can cause issues if not setup correctly)
Intel SGX
Intel Platform Trust
CFG Lock (MSR 0xE2 write protection)(This must be off, if you can't find the option then enable AppleXcpmCfgLock under Kernel -> Quirks. Your hack will not boot with CFG-Lock enabled)

Enable:
VT-x
Above 4G decoding
Hyper-Threading
Execute Disable Bit
EHCI/XHCI Hand-off
OS type: Windows 8.1/10 UEFI Mode
DVMT Pre-Allocated(iGPU Memory): 64MB or 128MB
SATA Mode: AHCI

 

[kirkyuk]

XhciPortLimit needs to be disabled

lilu kext should be first in your list in your config.plist

Eureka! I never knew that rearranging the kext load order would help find the storage drive. That did it - Thank you. I set the xhciportlimit back to disabled, I've been messing about so much with this over the last week I forget what I've enabled/disabled.

Now for the next issue. I formatted the drive and started to install the OS, I now get the message: 'A required firmware update could not be installed'? I've seen this is an issue that can appear on proper Macs. I know I have 'run-efi-updater=No'. Maybe I formatted the drive incorrectly? Also, wondering if I actually need the NVMEfix kext? Any ideas on how to bypass this message?

 

[Feartech]

Eureka! I never knew that rearranging the kext load order would help find the storage drive. That did it - Thank you. I set the xhciportlimit back to disabled, I've been messing about so much with this over the last week I forget what I've enabled/disabled.

Now for the next issue. I formatted the drive and started to install the OS, I now get the message: 'A required firmware update could not be installed'? I've seen this is an issue that can appear on proper Macs. I know I have 'run-efi-updater=No'. Maybe I formatted the drive incorrectly? Also, wondering if I actually need the NVMEfix kext? Any ideas on how to bypass this message?

what version of opencore are you running?

 

[P1LGRIM]

Any ideas on how to bypass this message?

Update your boot loader.

 

[kirkyuk]

what version of opencore are you running?

0.9.2 latest version

 

[Feartech]

0.9.2 latest version

reset nvram and try

 

[kirkyuk]

Update your boot loader.

I presume you mean copy my EFI folder into the EFI partition on the WD SN850X drive now and continue the install? Usually I've done that after the install but I'll give it a go. At the moment I can boot up to the EFI menu and I have the option to Install Ventura from USB but I also have another option to Install Ventura which seems to continue the installation on the hard drive (maybe unpacking files?) before I hit the 'A required firmware update could not be installed'? message. It looks like the USB installer has copied all the required files to the hard drive and will continue the installation from there each time I try.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

I presume you mean copy my EFI folder into the EFI partition on the WD SN850X drive ...

No.

I think resolving your problem may be to do with which version macOS or Installer you used to format the destination drive. APFS has changed over the years. I would recommend using the version included with the Ventura installer you are using. macOS uses the hidden EFI partition that formatting the drive creates.

If that doesn't work then

 

[P1LGRIM]

The firmware information is included in the boot loader.

The boot loader only 'knows' the firmware versions that were current when the boot loader version was released.
If you want the boot loader to reflect a later firmware version then clearly you have to update the boot loader version.
(Or edit the config.plist to include required firmware information)