MP 1,1-5,1 Mac Pro 3,1 fails to boot

[LookToWindward]

Hi,

I have a Mac Pro 3,1 that is failing to boot. I have verbose mode on and it always fails at the same place:

vmnet: VMnet_Start allocated vnetpeerlock
vmnet: Module Initialized

Then it freezes no Caps Lock.

The initial GPU card was faulty, I tried another and that one seems to work ok.

There is no Network cable plugged in at the moment.

Any ideas?

All the Best
Dave

 

[Bigwaff]

Providing a lot more details about the hardware configuration and software configuration will be necessary. I’ve seen your other posts. Surprised you didn’t include more details in this one.

 

[LookToWindward]

Thanks a lot, Im not sure of the information you might need.

I'm trying to boot Tiger from a HDD, there is only this drive installed.

I have one NVidia 8800 GT installed and no other slots occupied.

I'm not sure if the processor but got a feeling is a Dual 2.6 GHz. I'm not sure about the DIMM capacities but there are installed.

The LED flashes once on power on and then remains off. There are no other LEDs lit that I can see.

I'm not sure what else you'd like to know?

All the Best
Dave

 

[LookToWindward]

I've tried resetting NVRAM (Command+Option) P R five times.....

 

[Dayo]

I'm trying to boot Tiger and there is only this drive installed.

Why not a supported version of Mac OS on MP31, 10.5 Leopard to 10.11 El Capitan, instead of 10.4 Tiger?

 

[LookToWindward]

It was the drive that was originally in the machine. I'll try again with El Capitan...

 

[Bigwaff]

I think the 2008 came preinstalled with 10.5. If you don’t know the state of the NVRAM, install/boot from 10.5. Anything later might require firmware update. Given you don’t know state of firmware, firmware update could be risky.

 

[Dayo]

Anything later might require firmware update.

There was no firmware update to speak of on MP31 and certainly none is triggered by an OS update.
Well, there was one update but virtually every MP31 came with this from the factory given that it was issued barely a month after the release of the MP31. There was no other update.

 

[LookToWindward]

Ok, 10.5 is Leopard, I can't see to find a download site so I looked on Apple Developer, but can't see it there?

I tried booting El Cap, but it failed at a different place:

ApplePC: notifyPlatformASPM

 

[Dayo]

I tried booting El Cap, but it failed at a different place:
ApplePC: notifyPlatformASPM

Try a different supported GPU.

 

[LookToWindward]

I only have 8800 GT's available - I have tried 5 8800's, 4 were dead, but one seems to work ok.

I do have another 2 8800's in another Mac Pro 3,1, only one is being used at the moment, I could try one of those?

 

[LookToWindward]

I will make an Installer USB, which OS should I choose?

 

[LookToWindward]

I made a El Cap installer USB and removed all SATA HDDs and tried to boot from the USB. It failed again, frozen with a while screen with the Apple Logo in grey and progress about 60%.

I guess I'll have to try the other 8800 GT, I trying not to touch that system as it seems stable! Oh well, needs, must. I'll do that tomorrow.....

 

[LookToWindward]

I tried the other 8800 GPU but that's dead too! I have one 8800 GT board that works in that it displays the Apple Logo and progress bar and shows verbose mode startup log. It fails about the 60% mark. Is there anyway to check the graphics board other than having it boot

I also have another Mac Pro 3,1 that I could use. I have 4 total, two of which are stable and and used daily. The other two are empty (no disks, PCI cards) and haven't been turned on for 5+ years. I'm trying to get them working and upgraded. I don't mind buying a cheap Radeon 2600 if I can say for definite that the 8800 GT is not working