Installing Windows 10/8.1 on Mac Pro 5,1

[Irvingoh999]

I have been trying to install Windows 10/8.1 on my cMP 5,1 for days. I have managed to get it to install after much workarounds but everytime after it installs and after setting up windows(without/with setting up bootcamp), I restart the computer and srttrail.txt error pops up. I have tried installing it on my Sm951 drive (separate from my main boot drive) and on an internal SATA HDD. Also tried installing using both DVD and USB in both "windows" mode and "efi boot" mode. Also tried different versions of windows 10 and windows 8.1. Drives were formatted using a modified version of bootcamp(modifying the info.plist to support windows 10).

Any suggestions?

Specs:
12-core, 2x X5690
48gb ram
256Gb Sm951 ahci x2(one for mac, one for Windows)
1tb HDD(internal)
Gt120 GPU

 

[h9826790]

Try remove all other storage except the target internal HDD.

Boot from the disc by holding C during boot.

Remove all partitions inside the installer and format the hard drive for Windows installation.

 

[owbp]

The only post i've seen concerning Windows install on SM951 is starting installation on PC and then, after first reboot (in the middle of the installation), shutting down a PC, taking the drive out and finishing it in Mac Pro.

Please update us if you manage to install it only in Mac.

 

[Irvingoh999]

Try remove all other storage except the target internal HDD.

Boot from the disc by holding C during boot.

Remove all partitions inside the installer and format the hard drive for Windows installation.

Installing it on an Internal HDD worked after holding "c" and installing windows 10.Thanks for the help! Anyways i proceeded to try holding "c" and installing a fresh install on the SM951 but the installer gave an error that i cant install on this drive.The error was "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. This computer's hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure that the disk's controller is enabled in the computer's BIOS menu".

I then began plan B which was to use winclone to clone over the Internal SATA install to the SM951 disk but for some reason the total size of the Internal SATA install was 22.4GB but when cloned over, the SM951 only Showed 11GB of Used Space. This happened with both the "volume to volume" clone and "creating and restoring .winclone image".

Any other suggestions?
[doublepost=1535018578][/doublepost]

The only post i've seen concerning Windows install on SM951 is starting installation on PC and then, after first reboot (in the middle of the installation), shutting down a PC, taking the drive out and finishing it in Mac Pro.

Please update us if you manage to install it only in Mac.

Could you share the link? I have a PC lying around which may be of use in this situation. Thank you!

 

[DearthnVader]

"Windows cannot be installed to this disk. This computer's hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure that the disk's controller is enabled in the computer's BIOS menu".

This is a common error, if you boot in CSM mode, and your disk is GPT, or if you boot in EFI mode and your disk is MRB. Just partition the disk with the tool in the windows installer, and window should install to the drive. E>I> delete all the partitions in the widows installer and Windows will allow you to select the disk.

Avoid trying to install to hybrid GPT/MBR disks created by boot camp.

 

[owbp]

Could you share the link? I have a PC lying around which may be of use in this situation. Thank you!

Seems that you can do it on your Mac only, wasn't paying attention since i don't have SM951.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ssd-in-3-5-hdd-sled.1957255/page-2#post-23373648

 

[h9826790]

Windows installation on SM951 may not be natively supported on cMP. All SSD on PCIe cards are considered external by default.

From memory, Windows can only be installed to internal drives. If you want to boot that from “externally” drive, some work around is required.

 

[Irvingoh999]

Seems that you can do it on your Mac only, wasn't paying attention since i don't have SM951.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ssd-in-3-5-hdd-sled.1957255/page-2#post-23373648

I just tried what was given and it didn't work still. Managed to get to the home screen of Windows 10 but after reboot(I rebooted immediately after installing windows) it was not able to boot properly and gave the srtTrial.txt error. Similar behaviour to the previous attempts.

UPDATE: It worked!! I guess it was a driver issue as when i used the latest Version of Windows 10 v1803, srtTrial.txt occured. But when i downloaded the older version of Windows 10 stated in the thread (Windows 10 v1607) it worked!! Thanks for the help! I will continue to update if any other issues occur.
[doublepost=1535036094][/doublepost]

Windows installation on SM951 may not be natively supported on cMP. All SSD on PCIe cards are considered external by default.

From memory, Windows can only be installed to internal drives. If you want to boot that from “externally” drive, some work around is required.

Yeah they show up as external. Thats why im trying to find a method/guide to installing Windows 10 on a cMP with SM951.

 

[Squuiid]

I’ve installed Windows 10 in UEFI mode on an XP941 no problem, FWIW.

 

[Irvingoh999]

I’ve installed Windows 10 in UEFI mode on an XP941 no problem, FWIW.

What was the setup process?

Anyways i ran into another problem. I was installing Bootcamp Drivers 5.1.5621 when about the portion where it says "intel chipset" the computer reboots and when it boots back up, it loops into automatic recovery. Im currently getting drivers from windows update on a fresh install. Is there a step by step guide to getting the Sm951 drive to work smoothly with cMP 5,1?

 

[Irvingoh999]

What was the setup process?

Anyways i ran into another problem. I was installing Bootcamp Drivers 5.1.5621 when about the portion where it says "intel chipset" the computer reboots and when it boots back up, it loops into automatic recovery. Im currently getting drivers from windows update on a fresh install. Is there a step by step guide to getting the Sm951 drive to work smoothly with cMP 5,1?

I still have not managed to get a stable version of Windows 10 on my Sm951 drive. I managed to install it on the drive but when I update drivers(either from Windows update or bootcamp) I am unable to reboot back into the drive. Any suggestions on getting a stable windows 10 install?

 

[verdejt]

Not to start any type of flame war or other harsh comments. Just curious why would you install Windows on a Mac machine. If it's Windows you want to use then buy a PC. I got a Mac to get away from all the hassles of Windows and such. I do understand the gaming aspect but then again if you want a Windows gaming machine just buy a PC.

 

[Irvingoh999]

Not to start any type of flame war or other harsh comments. Just curious why would you install Windows on a Mac machine. If it's Windows you want to use then buy a PC. I got a Mac to get away from all the hassles of Windows and such. I do understand the gaming aspect but then again if you want a Windows gaming machine just buy a PC.

Not to start any type of flame war or other harsh comments. Just curious why would you install Windows on a Mac machine. If it's Windows you want to use then buy a PC. I got a Mac to get away from all the hassles of Windows and such. I do understand the gaming aspect but then again if you want a Windows gaming machine just buy a PC.

I do programming on the side and school requires windows as most of the apps used are windows based.

 

[Squuiid]

Not to start any type of flame war or other harsh comments. Just curious why would you install Windows on a Mac machine. If it's Windows you want to use then buy a PC. I got a Mac to get away from all the hassles of Windows and such. I do understand the gaming aspect but then again if you want a Windows gaming machine just buy a PC.

What if you already have a Mac, prefer a Mac, but need Windows for some things?
Why would you buy a PC?
Comments such as these are rather tiresome.

 

[Squuiid]

I still have not managed to get a stable version of Windows 10 on my Sm951 drive. I managed to install it on the drive but when I update drivers(either from Windows update or bootcamp) I am unable to reboot back into the drive. Any suggestions on getting a stable windows 10 install?

Which specific drivers are you installing?
Also, how long do you wait before you give up and hold down the power button?
Sometimes it can take over 30mins for Windows to come back up after updates and when in UEFI mode you may not see what’s happening, even with a GT120. Wait, and then wait some more and see if Windows finally comes up.
Have you used Brigadier to download newer Windows 10 Bootcamp drivers?
Give that a go if not. https://github.com/timsutton/brigadier

Also, try removing all USB peripherals and then reboot. I had a USB device which when plugged into a specific port in a USB hub would cause Windows on my cMP to boot to a black screen. I switched it to another port and the issue went away.
It was repeatable every-single-time.
Weird as but worth considering!

 

[verdejt]

What if you already have a Mac, prefer a Mac, but need Windows for some things?
Why would you buy a PC?
Comments such as these are rather tiresome.

All I'm trying to figure out is if you have made the leap to Mac for whatever reason then wouldn't you move to totally make yourself independent of Windows. I understand the need for tinkering and such but I run into people all the time who have spent tons of money upgrading their Mac via hardware and software then spend most of their time dual booting to a Windows Environment.
I had this guy I know buy a cMP and then spend all this money to get high benchmark scores just so he could run Windows games. In the end the amount he spent on his cMP he could have purchased a fully loaded PS4 and a ton of games or a full blown gaming PC.
My comments aren't directed at those that have a Mac at home but are forced to work in a Windows environment because of their job. I'm just talking about the average user.
Just my totally zany useless question of the day. I have one of those every so often and today is one of those days.

Thanks for being patient.

(A question for another and time is why would you agree to meet to buy and item on offer up and then not show or even message the seller you changed your mind. Things that make you go Hmmmmm?)

 

[bookemdano]

There are also folks who just love Apple's hardware aesthetic, component and build quality but still need or want to run Windows. Obviously Apple HW + Apple SW are going to provide the best experience, but there are valid reasons to buy a Mac and run Windows on it.

Not trying to speak for the OP but for me anyway Apple's trackpads alone are reason enough to buy a Mac, regardless of what OS I run on it.

 

[MIKX]

I'm a bit of a purist in that I can't stomach OS X & Win on the same HDD.
Also, I usually only run Win GPU flashing progs.

I have both Win 7 & Win 8,1 installed on their own dedicated 2,5" spinner HDDs in conjunction with an EFI flashed HD 7950.

To run either Win flavour I hit OPTION key at re-boot . . . choose win 7 or 8,1 . .. then I'm greeted wit ha black screen with a flashing cursor for up to 40 seconds .. then Win bootup starts.

On the rare occasion I run a Win game, they seem to run better in this setup than what I recall from long ago Bootcamp installs.

 

[Squuiid]

then I'm greeted wit ha black screen with a flashing cursor for up to 40 seconds .. then Win bootup starts

Sounds like a bootROM initialising. What PCIe cards do you have installed in your Mac?
(These bootROMs can generally be turned off.)

 

[Irvingoh999]

Which specific drivers are you installing?
Also, how long do you wait before you give up and hold down the power button?
Sometimes it can take over 30mins for Windows to come back up after updates and when in UEFI mode you may not see what’s happening, even with a GT120. Wait, and then wait some more and see if Windows finally comes up.
Have you used Brigadier to download newer Windows 10 Bootcamp drivers?
Give that a go if not. https://github.com/timsutton/brigadier

Also, try removing all USB peripherals and then reboot. I had a USB device which when plugged into a specific port in a USB hub would cause Windows on my cMP to boot to a black screen. I switched it to another port and the issue went away.
It was repeatable every-single-time.
Weird as but worth considering!

I used brigaider to download the drivers but i am unable to install them as an error "requiring Windows 7" was needed to install the drivers.

 

[h9826790]

All I'm trying to figure out is if you have made the leap to Mac for whatever reason then wouldn't you move to totally make yourself independent of Windows.

I buy a Mac because it can run both macOS and Windows (and Linux and DOS...).

What would I want to make myself independent of Windows if I don't have to?
Why limit myself of using some tool for no reason?

Windows a tool, macOS is a tool, and they are just different tool. Windows do something better, and macOS do some other things better. That's it. Why make a box for myself???

My comments aren't directed at those that have a Mac at home but are forced to work in a Windows environment because of their job. I'm just talking about the average user.

I am just an average user. I don't need Windows on my job. My Mac is just a home use computer.

However, when I do video editing, I prefer to use FCPX, therefore, I need macOS.

But when I do video encoding, I prefer to use GPU hardware encoding, which cannot be done in macOS (on cMP...yet). So, why not just boot to Windows, use what I want, and make the job can finish 10x faster. Why should I limit myself to macOS, and then use slow software encoding in macOS if all I need is just dual boot to Windows?

If I want to game, when not boot to Windows, make the games perform 2x better? I play in full screen anyway. Won't use any other apps at the same time. Safari or Edge in the background doesn't really matter. Why limit myself to macOS?

Anyway, what is a fully loaded PS4? A PS4 with 1080Ti? A PS4 that can really play games at 4k 60FPS in ultra setting? Also, can PS4 play games with mod? There is a reason why some gamers love play games in Windows even it's the more expensive route.

 

[thepian]

Not to start any type of flame war or other harsh comments. Just curious why would you install Windows on a Mac machine. If it's Windows you want to use then buy a PC. I got a Mac to get away from all the hassles of Windows and such. I do understand the gaming aspect but then again if you want a Windows gaming machine just buy a PC.

Apple obsoleted OpenGL so games migrate to metal. This means that non metal Mac no longer work.
Secondly my favorite game has a bug detecting dualcpu, so it crashes. I use Macs for the same reason as you, but I want a game setup, somehow. PlayOnMac, tried. PlayOnLinux, tried. Last try install windows, on spare ssd.

I will never allow an ugly PC box in my home, and I don’t want a cable spaghetti of a playstaion in the corner. I only play one game and when I’m done, I might not play for 5 years. No extra gear is a requirement.

 

[DPUser]

New reason to install Windows on a Mac: Thunderbolt.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/testing-tb3-aic-with-mp-5-1.2143042

 

[ZStech]

I have been trying to install Windows 10/8.1 on my cMP 5,1 for days. I have managed to get it to install after much workarounds but everytime after it installs and after setting up windows(without/with setting up bootcamp), I restart the computer and srttrail.txt error pops up. I have tried installing it on my Sm951 drive (separate from my main boot drive) and on an internal SATA HDD. Also tried installing using both DVD and USB in both "windows" mode and "efi boot" mode. Also tried different versions of windows 10 and windows 8.1. Drives were formatted using a modified version of bootcamp(modifying the info.plist to support windows 10).

Any suggestions?

Specs:
12-core, 2x X5690
48gb ram
256Gb Sm951 ahci x2(one for mac, one for Windows)
1tb HDD(internal)
Gt120 GPU

48 GB of RAM?
[doublepost=1551447441][/doublepost]How the luck with BOOTCAMP? I think it's the only Mac-compatible way to use Windows OS, if you need to have it.

 

[Iltsu1]

48 GB of RAM?
[doublepost=1551447441][/doublepost]How the luck with BOOTCAMP? I think it's the only Mac-compatible way to use Windows OS, if you need to have it.

Hi

Do you think 48GB is too mutch for win 10 to work solid?
I managed to install win 10 via usb drive, but after 1809 update it takes up to 20min to boot.
And also, should it say "efi boot" on win partition at bootscreen?
sorry for bad english, i am from Finland...

-Iltsu