How to install with non EFI graphic card? Black boot screen

[BlackDragon]

I have a Mac Pro 1.1.

My nvidia 7300GT had broken down. I bought a nvidia Geforce 210. Its working fine, but no boot screen at the start, the monitor works once the desktop is opened.

Now I want to re-install the operating system. I tried a lot of things, differents cables, HDMI, VGA, DVI, different monitors, different combinations of keys, safe Mode, etc, but the screen remains black in the beggining, so I can not select the way I want to install it, I can not select DVD or USB, the screen remains black, so I can not do anything.

Is there a way to re-install the system with black screen on monitor, with a non-EFI graphic card????

Thank you very much.

 

[echoout]

I have a Mac Pro 1.1.

My nvidia 7300GT had broken down. I bought a nvidia Geforce 210. Its working fine, but no boot screen at the start, the monitor works once the desktop is opened.

Now I want to re-install the operating system. I tried a lot of things, differents cables, HDMI, VGA, DVI, different monitors, different combinations of keys, safe Mode, etc, but the screen remains black in the beggining, so I can not select the way I want to install it, I can not select DVD or USB, the screen remains black, so I can not do anything.

Is there a way to re-install the system with black screen on monitor, with a non-EFI graphic card????

Thank you very much.

If it's pre-10.8.4 you'll need to borrow another GPU until you get it updated.

 

[BlackDragon]

Now, I have installed OSX Lion 10.7.5, but I can believe that the solution it's on changing the graphic card.

 

[imac9556]

Could you try taking the hard drive out and connecting it to an external drive enclosure and reinstall everything on another Mac? Then reinstall the graphics drivers for GeForce 210?

 

[BlackDragon]

I don't have another mac, to do that, anyway, it could be a good solution. The fact is this Mac, was working fine with a Samsung HDMI monitor, even with boot screen. Its very strange.

 

[leo73rm]

I think you need an EFI card to reinstall OSX!

 

[xcodeSyn]

Is there a way to re-install the system with black screen on monitor, with a non-EFI graphic card????

Unless I misunderstand your question, this is rather straightforward. First, boot into your OS X default drive as before, then insert your DVD/USB install disc/drive. Once its icon shows up in the Finder, select the System Preferences option under the Apple menu icon, then click on the Startup Disk icon. You'll see the OS X installer icon in the Panel, select it and click "Restart", and confirm it. Then it'll be rebooted into the installer start screen, and you can start your install/reinstall process. Instead of using the boot menu at startup, you just have to use the Startup Disk option in System Preferences to select your boot device. Really not a big deal, just more steps for losing the EFI part in your GPU. One final word, changing the Startup Disk boot device also changes the default boot drive, so just remember to change it back to your preferred default drive next time.

 

[BlackDragon]

Unless I misunderstand your question, this is rather straightforward. First, boot into your OS X default drive as before, then insert your DVD/USB install disc/drive. Once its icon shows up in the Finder, select the System Preferences option under the Apple menu icon, then click on the Startup Disk icon. You'll see the OS X installer icon in the Panel, select it and click "Restart", and confirm it. Then it'll be rebooted into the installer start screen, and you can start your install/reinstall process. Instead of using the boot menu at startup, you just have to use the Startup Disk option in System Preferences to select your boot device. Really not a big deal, just more steps for losing the EFI part in your GPU. One final word, changing the Startup Disk boot device also changes the default boot drive, so just remember to change it back to your preferred default drive next time.

I tried several times this, but nothing on the screen after one hour, waiting....



I can believe it.

 

[xcodeSyn]

I tried several times this, but nothing on the screen after one hour, waiting....

Have you used the installer successfully before and how did you get it in the first place? Also how many hard disks are connected to your Mac? Without further info, it's hard to figure out what's going on.

Edit: Just occurred to me that you need to run OS X 10.7.5 or later version to use a non-EFI NVIDIA card according to the NVIDIA FAQ thread. I suspect that your installer is not up to 10.7.5 and that's why you got a black screen.

 

[BlackDragon]

Have you used the installer successfully before and how did you get it in the first place? Also how many hard disks are connected to your Mac? Without further info, it's hard to figure out what's going on.

Edit: Just occurred to me that you need to run OS X 10.7.5 or later version to use a non-EFI NVIDIA card according to the NVIDIA FAQ thread. I suspect that your installer is not up to 10.7.5 and that's why you got a black screen.

Ok, now there is just one hard disk installed with OSX Lion, 10.7.5.
Maybe what I am not doing right it has to do with the USB installer. Is there any goog tutorial to make a booteable USB with OSX Lion?

 

[echoout]

Ok, now there is just one hard disk installed with OSX Lion, 10.7.5.
Maybe what I am not doing right it has to do with the USB installer. Is there any goog tutorial to make a booteable USB with OSX Lion?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[linuxcooldude]

Unless I misunderstand your question, this is rather straightforward. First, boot into your OS X default drive as before, then insert your DVD/USB install disc/drive. Once its icon shows up in the Finder, select the System Preferences option under the Apple menu icon, then click on the Startup Disk icon. You'll see the OS X installer icon in the Panel, select it and click "Restart", and confirm it. Then it'll be rebooted into the installer start screen, and you can start your install/reinstall process. Instead of using the boot menu at startup, you just have to use the Startup Disk option in System Preferences to select your boot device. Really not a big deal, just more steps for losing the EFI part in your GPU. One final word, changing the Startup Disk boot device also changes the default boot drive, so just remember to change it back to your preferred default drive next time.

Thanks for posting! I too use non-EFI cards in two Mac Pros. Its a pain to start switching video cards ect. Did not think of doing it that way, thanks again.

Ok, now there is just one hard disk installed with OSX Lion, 10.7.5.
Maybe what I am not doing right it has to do with the USB installer. Is there any goog tutorial to make a bootable USB with OSX Lion?

i stumbled on this App DiskMaker X. Cannot verify how well it works but it seems super simple to make a Mavericks USB install disk. I think you have to download or re-download Mavericks before using but check out their website before using.

EDIT: oops that app probably will not work with a 1,1 Mac Pro. But someone else may find it useful.

 

[xcodeSyn]

Maybe what I am not doing right it has to do with the USB installer. Is there any goog tutorial to make a booteable USB with OSX Lion?

There are two possibilities: either you have a defective USB installer or the installer is not OS X 10.7.5. I still have one USB installer with OS X 10.7.4 and I made the installer based on this article. If you have purchased OS X Lion from the Apple Store, then you should be able to download the 10.7.5 version and follow the instructions. If you got the installer or InstallESD.dmg file elsewhere, I'm almost sure it's not 10.7.5 and therefore the black screen. Since your MP 1,1 can only install up to 10.7.5, it's essential that you use the right version of installer. Otherwise you need to find an EFI-equipped GPU to install the older version of Lion and then update to 10.7.5 before you can reuse your non-EFI GPU.

 

[BlackDragon]

There are two possibilities: either you have a defective USB installer or the installer is not OS X 10.7.5. I still have one USB installer with OS X 10.7.4 and I made the installer based on this article. If you have purchased OS X Lion from the Apple Store, then you should be able to download the 10.7.5 version and follow the instructions. If you got the installer or InstallESD.dmg file elsewhere, I'm almost sure it's not 10.7.5 and therefore the black screen. Since your MP 1,1 can only install up to 10.7.5, it's essential that you use the right version of installer. Otherwise you need to find an EFI-equipped GPU to install the older version of Lion and then update to 10.7.5 before you can reuse your non-EFI GPU.

Thank you for the answer.

 

[Manic Harmonic]

Pretty sure you could also boot with Chameleon or Clover, that would give you a boot screen and let you choose a drive.

 

[beppe.wide]

Hi BlackDragon and sorry for my bad english.
Did you resolve the problem?? If yes, how? I'm a newbie in Apple world.

I'm in the same situation as you! My sister has a MacPro 1,1 and my original GT7300 is broken and I've bought a Gainward GT640 from Amazon that will arrive tommorow. At the moment I use an old Geforce 9600 GT of my friend. It boots on 10.7.5 (boot screen doesn't work obviously) but i don't know how I'll be able to install Mavericks if i'll not able to choose the boot device! I don't have another Mac machine so i can't follow the procedure of install the OS on external hard disk.. I've heard about an alternative bootloader called Chameleon that could help me. Has anyone of you tried it in a similar situation?
Or......is it possible to select the boot device before restart the Mac? I do something similar on my Linux desktop by using a script for GRUB.

Thanks in advance

 

[ActionableMango]

Or......is it possible to select the boot device before restart the Mac?

post 7 has your answer

 

[nonlinearlondon]

I had the same issue. The answer was blindingly obvious when I realised it - Mac Pros have 4 HD bays, install Mac OSX on a drive in one of the other bays and then shut down, remove the old system drive and start up again. As soon as I installed OSX on the new drive it automatically booted to it so it was easy.

The answer in reply #7 didn't work for me for some reason. I had been able to boot from the same Mavericks drive on my Macbook Pro but my Mac Pro wouldn't boot from it when I selected it as a startup disk.

 

[incaico61]

I had the same issue. The answer was blindingly obvious when I realised it - Mac Pros have 4 HD bays, install Mac OSX on a drive in one of the other bays and then shut down, remove the old system drive and start up again. As soon as I installed OSX on the new drive it automatically booted to it so it was easy.

The answer in reply #7 didn't work for me for some reason. I had been able to boot from the same Mavericks drive on my Macbook Pro but my Mac Pro wouldn't boot from it when I selected it as a startup disk.

Your comment is the answer. I could not do a clean Mojave install on my HS 5,1 because my RX580 is non-EFI. So I used an empty HDD, created a Mojave boot on it, restarted HS, told it to start off the Mojave disk, shut down, removed the HS boot disk, put in new 1TB SSD, booted up, blindly, and it did it's thing. Took about 30 min but then the select language screen came up. Then it's all good.

Thanks for your tip that started it all!!