Keyboard issue with XP install > EFI?

[gmanca]

Hello,

I just tried to install XP on my Imac C2D 20" when I run into an issue where the keyboard is non-responsive when the XP installation commences. It's fine through the dos setup so it's not an issue of missing drivers; and I don't think it's the apple keyboard as the issue as I tried to install XP on another computer with the same disk, ps/2 keyboard removed, and apple keyboard installed and the install commenced.

I just noticed that there was a firmware upgrade for the Imac 20 inch model but I cannot run it as the upgrader says "this computer does not need this upgrade."

Is there a way to upgrade just the Boot Rom? I think the SMC is causing the upgrader to think that the boot rom is also upgraded. Any help would be really appreciated!

 

[Jasonbot]

I hope you started the install via boot camp. If not that could be the issue.

 

[gmanca]

Hi jason, thanks for the reply.

Oops, I forgot to mention that; yeah I went through the Boot Camp 1.2 update and clicked "Start Windows Installation."

 

[Jasonbot]

Are you using windows XP with service pack 2? also, are there any USB devices plugged into the mac (other than kb+mouse)

 

[gmanca]

Yeah, it's an SP2 disc. I only have the Apple keyboard and mighty mouse connected; I have tried just the keyboard and no luck.

I know that the EFI update changes the boot rom to .b03 but is that an upward move? Also, it supposedly fixes some boot camp issues but there hasn't been a detail log available. For my computer, it seems like I have an older boot rom but a newer SMC.

 

[gmanca]

Update: So I figured that it has to be an issue when entering DOS programs, so I tried to run the Install from my Windows 2000 cd as well as the Install program from Full Throttle (awesome game BTW) and as I thought, both had the keyboard freezing.

So it has to be the firmware; is there a way to revert the SMC to the initial version so that I can update the boot rom as well? Or am I just stuck without being able to upgrade the firmware? Perhaps there is a way to just install the Boot Rom?

 

[Jasonbot]

My boot ROM is IM51.0090.B03 on the same mac so It might be that problem. Try going to apple.com/macosx/downloads and finding the firware update to install.

 

[gmanca]

Hey Jason, thanks for the replies, they help!

I have downloaded the Firmware Update, firmware 1.1 from here http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/imacefifirmwareupdate11.html

but it doesn't allow me to upgrade. After I open the dmg and try to unpack the packager, it says "This computer does not need to be upgraded." I am thinking that it's looking at the SMC and figuring that because the SMC is new, the Boot Rom must be as well.

I just noticed that the firmware upgrade says that if the volume is RAID, it has to be booted from a non RAID volume; how can I find out if my volume is RAID?

 

[Jasonbot]

A RAID array is when you have two HD's acting as one, I doubt you have a RAID array in your iMac. As for the SMC/Boot ROM issue: I have no idea

 

[gmanca]

Do you happen to remember what boot rom your Imac shipped with?

See, I'm thinking this, if the updater thinks I have an updated system, then I had to figure out what the check is; so it looks like the .dist file checks to see what version of Imac you have, in my case, it's an 5,1 so that's fine, but it also checks the rom version, so it's my existing boot rom version that causes it to fail.

So this is what I did: I edited the dist file to remove the EFI check aka boot rom check routine from the code and I got the firmware pkg to allow me to install the firmware updater, which I haven't yet.

I am thinking of going ahead with the installation figuring that if I didn't need the upgrade, it would just re-write the same code into the firmware. But seeing as how my current boot rom is older than the newer one reported by your's, I think it will be fine.

got any ideas before I just forget it and install?

 

[Jasonbot]

Sorry, no idea what my original boot ROM was If it were my problem I'de probably just do a reinstall of OS X to attempt to fix it.

Did you install EFI 1.1 originally? And did it complete the full install becaus ethere's a big warning about not completing the install, that could've fkc..um, messed up your system.

But if you've killed th echeck now should be as good as ever to install. Good luck!

 

[gmanca]

Well, that was for naught! lol

I hadn't upgraded before, this was my first time. Though the EFI update installed, the actual updater wouldn't work and I don't want to try to edit it.

Does boot camp just make a partition and that's it? Or does it do something in regards to installing some sort of firmware update before you can run the XP install?

The only other idea I have before I give up is to install XP on an external drive with a Windows computer, then copy the hard drive to the partition created by boot camp. Got any theories on that? I appreciate the help you've provided, it's helped me think of new stuff.

 

[Jasonbot]

Now I'm lost Your problem seems to be out of my hands, at this stage I think it's just best to go get it fixed @ the nearest Store.

But I will attempt to provide information! The boot camp partition is some strange partition, I think it does a partition for the storage then a special 2Gb partition for something else. I think it also adds some type of windows keyoard driver to the windows installer so that the apple kb/mouse work during the installer. Doing the install on an external disk? No idea, maybe trying to do it on an external via bootcamp first, if that will work?