MP 1,1-5,1 4-1/5-1 weirdness

[Zeke D]

Hey, all. Here's the situation: I have a 2009 cMP 4,1 that's been firmware upgraded to 5,1. I also have a 2010 5,1. Both are running 140 firmware. Here are the specs:

2009:
Single CPU tray with a QC W3520 (2.66Ghz)
2x 8GB 1066Mhz ECC in slots 2 & 3
nVidia GT 120 in slot 1
Samsung AHCI SM951 (128GB) in slot 2

2010:
Dual CPU tray with a pair of HC X5670
4x 8GB 1066 ECC in slots 2, 3, 6 & 7
MSI Twin Frozr GTX680 2GB with flashed to mac in slot 1
Samsung AHCI SM951 (256GB) in slot 2

Now, I have a Velocity x2 and a Velocity x1. I have 2x SATA ADATA SU800 256GB, 1x SATA ADATA SU800 128GB & 2x SATA ADATA SU655 128GB. (I also have an OWC Alcessior, but since it's not Windows bootable, it's not in my configuration.)

If I run the solo or duo in the 2009 in slot three, they work booting to Windows 7. Running either card in the 2010 is no joy for Windows 7. in the 2010, if I install Windows 7 from the DVD, I can install it, but subsequent boots hang at the boot screen. If I throw one of the ADATAs into an aluminum OWC drive sled, I get the same results on the 2010 in bays one and two.

I've swapped out the 680 for a 5770, and it makes no difference. I've done multiple PRAM resets, and no difference.

Any ideas?

 

[crjackson2134]

I had a similar issue (but with only one machine, and the SOLO X2). What I ended up doing was installing Windows to the SSD while it was mounted into a MP drive bay, AND the SOLO X2 was installed in the machine so that I could do an update and pull in the needed Marvell driver for the controller on the X2.

From there, I used Winclone, to move the install to an SSD mounted into the SOLO X2.

Shutdown, and remove the Bay mounted drive...

SMC / NVRAM resets...

Booted into macOS and then selected to restart the machine into the new Windows SSD. It failed a couple of times, and then suddenly, it adjusted itself (probably something to do with windows needing to change the UUID in it’s boot file). After that, it booted fine and has never failed.

Since that time, Winclone Pro has been updated countless times, and I’ve been able to clone the install to any drive I want without a single boot failure.

N.B.
I started with Win7 but progressed to Win10 and haven’t had an issue in a very long time. I now keep my Win10 on a Bay Mounted SSD in CSM mode, but it works just as well (actually faster) when mounted onto the SOLO X2, because the controller is recognized as an AHCI which brings a new level of disk performance. Very noticeable but not really needed in my use case.

I’m not saying any of this is necessarily useful to you, but just adding my experience to the mix. Maybe you can gleen something useful out of it. @h9826790 is kind of an expert with Mac/WIn installs, so I’ll mention him in this post to get his attention and drag him into the discussion

Good Luck...

 

[MIKX]

Running either card in the 2010 is no joy for Windows 7. in the 2010, if I install Windows 7 from the DVD, I can install it, but subsequent boots hang at the boot screen. ence.

Any ideas?

Zeke D

I have Win 7installed on an old Seagate spinner HD and I thought that it was hanging at bootup / /

at boot up I got a black screen with a flashing cursor .. .BUT if I just let it flash for about a minute or so ( maybe longer, I don't recall ) .. it eventually booted up and ran well.

I only use Win 7 for flashing GPUs

Could be that my spinner is just really slow.

Are you getting the same " black screen with flashing cursor " at boot up ?

Hope this is helpful

 

[tommy chen]

why you put the RAM on the dual in the shared memory slots ???

 

[Zeke D]

I have Win 7installed on an old Seagate spinner HD and I thought that it was hanging at bootup / / at boot up I got a black screen with a flashing cursor .. .BUT if I just let it flash for about a minute or so ( maybe longer, I don't recall ) .. it eventually booted up and ran well.

Are you getting the same " black screen with flashing cursor " at boot up ?

I get the cursor for a few seconds, but mine hangs after that with the Windows 7 boot logo. If I run SOS or safe mode, it hangs after loading the last driver in the list of drivers/DLLs. The weird part is that even doing a CSM install from the DVD to the DUO, it installs, and boots, but as soon as I do any updates, it craps out. Of course the only thing that looks jenky on the win7 install is that the DUO does give me a bang on the "Marvel ATA Console" in the drivers window.
[doublepost=1552306875][/doublepost]

I started with Win7 but progressed to Win10 and haven’t had an issue in a very long time. I now keep my Win10 on a Bay Mounted SSD in CSM mode, but it works just as well (actually faster) when mounted onto the SOLO X2, because the controller is recognized as an AHCI which brings a new level of disk performance. Very noticeable but not really needed in my use case.

I’m not saying any of this is necessarily useful to you, but just adding my experience to the mix. Maybe you can gleen something useful out of it. @h9826790 is kind of an expert with Mac/WIn installs, so I’ll mention him in this post to get his attention and drag him into the discussion

I've tried Win Clone 6, but it fails to clone the drive, saying something like "the drive needs to be GPT" or something like that.

I think that I may try doing an install in the SATA bay with an empty duo installed to see if it makes a difference. I've been having trouble with installation in the SATA bays too, so I'm suspecting that it could be an issue with a controller in the ADATA box. If that's the case, then either my 2010 is busted somehow, or the 2009 and 2010 had different controllers or something.
[doublepost=1552306955][/doublepost]

why you put the RAM on the dual in the shared memory slots ???

When I ran a Lion install, the RAM configurator suggested moving the sticks to slots 2 & 3 and 6 & 7. I couldn't see any reason not to follow the suggestion, and no one has ever said that that configuration was detrimental.

 

[bsbeamer]

Apricorn issued firmware updates for their PCIe adapter cards several years ago that were only available via mail-in service and done for free. Did you ever do this with your Apricorn cards? Service is no longer offered and cards are officially discontinued.

 

[Zeke D]

Apricorn issued firmware updates for their PCIe adapter cards several years ago that were only available via mail-in service and done for free. Did you ever do this with your Apricorn cards? Service is no longer offered and cards are officially discontinued.

No, I was never aware of this. It figures, right?

 

[MIKX]

Zeke D said . ..

[QUOTE="The weird part is that even doing a CSM install from the DVD to the DUO, it installs, and boots, but as soon as I do any updates, it craps out. .[/QUOTE]
If & when I ever run Win 7 I habitually disconnect from the Internet . .. why ? Because I ONLY use Win 7 to hack EFI roms so I'm not exposed to viruses or malware so I don't need to do any WIn updates. I
use Win 7 Ultimate.

I suppose it's what your Windows needs are.

 

[Zeke D]

Here's the latest. I threw one of the SU655 in the OWC drive sled, removed the SSDs from the X1 & X2 and reinstalled with them in the Mac Pro. I was able to clone the windows drive onto one of the SU800 on the X2, and it's working. I'm currently doing updates in batches, to see if one of them is killing the install.
[doublepost=1552520869][/doublepost]The last round of windows updates broke it. I’m trying to roll back to the last restore point, but that doesn’t seem to be working.