[Solved] Yosemite HDD-boot or USB-installer result "still waiting for root device"

[luzsi]

Hi (and Happy New Year!),

I ran into something weird with my perfectly working Yosemite installation (10.10.5 was the latest version installed lately)
Just recently I changed to Clover and started to prepare for High Sierra installation, which I could not start, because I did not reach HS install, later I could not see HDD partitions to install HS OS X onto.
Clover zip (which was collected, when Yosemite was still working) is at https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...lem-appleusbhostresource.241091/#post-1657368
Still Yosemite booted well both from HDD and HS USB (via UniBeast).

I mainly played with USB (copying different kext to it) to see if HS installation will succeed.
I found one suggestion, to install appleahciport.kext to USB and started to install same onto my Yosemite with KEXT Wizard, but I aborted (it took too much time, still the kext was copied to /S/L/E) and after next boot (few days after) Yosemite did not start ever since.
One additional issue: If USB is inserted then boot stops at error USBMSC Identifier (non-unique), it was never observed previously, so I fear I did something very stupid to ruin the working Yosemite.

I tried many things as troubleshooting:
-kext-dev-mode=1, PCIRootUID=1, cpus=1, USBBusFix=Yes
-creating USB installer with BDUtility in Windows (with latest Clover)
-tried my old OS X Lion installer with iBoot
-also tried to boot without any HDD connected, only USB or DVD
-with MacDrive I delete appleahciport.kext
but all ended up with "still waiting for root device".

I have not clue, why it stopped working (despite, the appleahciport failed installation onto the OS X HDD partition).
Maybe (I do not really recall) I put something in Clover on OS X partition; but when using Clover from USB (I assume then the HDD Clover is bypassed), I have the same issue. I tried with HS USB (UniBeast) and also iBoot USB.
I think of false BIOS settings (which got reset during my troubleshooting) but I double-checked eg: HPET 64 bit enabled, AHCI set, Virtualization disabled.

Do any of You have an idea, what could have gone wrong?
In the lack of a OS X I could not check too many things, with MAC Drive I can see OS X HDD drive, but not clover.

Thanks a lot in advance!

Cheers,
Luzsi

 

[luzsi]

Hi,

I feel, I need to say goodbye to the already existing Yosemite installation, but that's not a big deal, I mainly use OS X for my own curiosity, to struggle with different problems.
So I focus on USB installer; I would warmly welcome ideas, why USB installer -which worked before- does not boot (still waiting for root device).
I will verify and try Boot priority order (to use USB as first option), although I'm not sure, if that is so critical.

-Luzsi

 

[Going Bald]

With EP45 and socket 775 CPU you will need to change your system definition from MacPro3,1 to Mac Pro4,1 to install later versions of Mac OS. You will need to change it to MacPro5,1 in order to load High Sierra.
FakeCPUID in Clover config.plist may be required to get the CPU past the hardware check. Patch for ECC RAM check will also be required.

Booting with -x boot-arg will disable any kext you might have added that is holding things up. Safe mode only loads a minimum of required kexts.

 

[luzsi]

Thanks Going Bald!

I managed to get back my Yosemite.
After different permutation of boot flags, install mediums, I got a Yosemite Recovery HD and I able to reach Disk Utility, which showed error (related to the above mentioned appleahciport.kext).
I repaired the errors, still I faced the same issue.
Then I used a older Time Machine entry, which totally solved my problem, so I could login to Yosemite again.

Long story short, I screwed up my S/L/E content, by not fully install the kext, and I manaed to recover the system with a TM backup.

The End.

-Luzsi