MP 1,1-5,1 MacPro5,1 - Installing Windows 10 notes

[Mike Richardson]

Warning: Forced To Choose Vague Prefix. There needs to be a prefix specific to 5,1. This issue may not be applicable to other models because Apple only patched 5,1 for NVMe support.

See screenshot.

I boot Monterey using OCLP. MacPro5,1

I have a 256 GB SATA SSD on a Sonnet PCIe card, it is empty. I'd like to install Windows 10 there.

Boot Camp assistant only shows me an option to partition the NVMe drive (also on a PCIe card of course since its a 5,1)

I think doing this is a lot more likely to cause errors, but it might be somewhat faster.

Has anyone installed Windows 10 onto the NVMe drive after Boot Camp partitioned it?

If I don't want that, how do I get it installed on the SATA SSD drive instead?

 

[Mike Richardson]

Boot Camp still makes a bootable Windows 10 USB Drive, so I decided to reboot and hold option and boot from that.

This works - I booted into the Windows installer. It allowed me to choose the 256GB SATA SSD Drive and format it suitably for Windows.

It starts to install Windows and I get this super helpful error:

Information online about this error is useless and generic bullshyt like: Make sure your RAM is ok (it's fine), make sure the sun and moon align, etc.

The PCIe card I have is from Sonnet and says Windows 10 booting is supported: https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Sonnet Technologies/TSATA6SSDE/

 

[tsialex]

You are forgetting that BootCamp with a Mac as old as a MacPro5,1 is a BIOS/CSM/legacy Windows install. Said that, Windows REQUIRES that you do UEFI installs for NVMe devices.

Windows only supports NVMe with UEFI installs, a legacy/BIOS/CSM/BootCamp Windows install can't install/boot from NVMe. Since MacPro5,1 is not a UEFI compatible PC, you need to protect the BootROM from Windows UEFI SecureBoot signing or you will corrupt the BootROM, bricking the MacPro. You can use OpenCore ProtectSecureBoot to avoid this issue, but you can't use BootCamp to install Windows to a NVMe drive.

Also, some older Sonnet Tempo cards are not capable of booting Windows and have a problem with Apple firmware blocking the access to BootPicker - Sonnet OPROM related issue.

In general, is a good advice to avoid using SATA3 cards with BootCamp, use a native SATA port to do the install, test Windows with the native SATA and only after that move the disk to the PCIe SATA3.

 

[Mike Richardson]

I am using OCLP. I don't see any option that says "ProtectSecureBoot". Do I need to add that to a config file?

I used VMWare to create a new Windows 10 installer USB drive. It boots the Mac Pro if I hold option and select it from the list. The installer shows as a USB icon, but the text reads "EFI Boot".

If I use that drive, and install onto the SATA SSD that I have, inserted into one of the onboard SATA ports, will that install with UEFI or BIOS? Do I need to worry about protecting the UEFI in that case?

Is Windows bricking something on the drive, or the actual firmware chip?

 

[tsialex]

I am using OCLP. I don't see any option that says "ProtectSecureBoot".

Like I wrote, ProtectSecureBoot is an OpenCore config.plist setting. For more info see the first post of the Manual OpenCore thread stickie here.

Recent OCLP versions can't even boot Legacy/CSM/BIOS/Bootcamp Windows installs anymore.

The installer shows as a USB icon, but the text reads "EFI Boot".

Most probable is that you did a UEFI install and the BootROM is shot.

Double check is UEFI or Legacy/CSM/BIOS/Bootcamp via SysInfo:

Check if Windows 10 is using UEFI or Legacy BIOS

How to Check if Windows 10 is using UEFI or Legacy BIOS

www.tenforums.com

If I use that drive, and install onto the SATA SSD that I have, inserted into one of the onboard SATA ports, will that install with UEFI or BIOS? Do I need to worry about protecting the UEFI in that case?

While a NVMe SSD can only have a UEFI Windows install, SATA SSD can have both. What make a UEFI or Legacy/CSM/BIOS/Bootcamp is the way you installed it, UEFI Windows can only be installed via USB while Legacy/CSM/BIOS/Bootcamp are installs from DVD (or any of the very troublesome workarounds to avoid a dual layer DVD).

 

[Mike Richardson]

Like I wrote, ProtectSecureBoot is an OpenCore config.plist setting. For more info see the first post of the Manual OpenCore thread stickie here.

/Volumes/EFI/OC/config.plist

<key>ProtectSecureBoot</key>
<true/>

It's already set to true.

Most probable is that you did a UEFI install and the BootROM is shot.

I didn't install anything yet because you are telling me I might screw up the BootROM. I am typing this from the Mac Pro booted into Monterey.

 

[Mike Richardson]

For people finding this thread later: You want to do a BIOS install, to avoid this BootROM corruption the other poster mentioned. To ensure it's a BIOS install you need to burn the Windows 10 ISO onto a dual layer disc, then reboot and hold down C.

Don't bother with "Rufus". I tried that, and it makes a useless USB drive that never boots. Just buy some dual layer discs.

Boot Camp makes a bootable USB drive also. Don't bother with this either. The drive will error out almost immediately after starting the install.

When you boot from the Windows 10 install DVD, you'll see a blinking underscore for a long time. Just be patient, it will eventually launch the installer.

Install onto a SATA drive on the onboard SATA bus. Even though the Windows installer shows drives on a Sonnet card, it won't let you install onto it at all.

The installer will copy a bunch of stuff, and then reboot. Hold option while it reboots, and select the "Windows" hard drive. (I have a MacVidCards RX 580 so I can see the native boot picker with the grey background. I think you have to pick it from the grey background one, and not the black background one which is OpenCore).

It will reboot again, hold option again and pick the Windows hard drive. (I think if you don't do this, it'll just boot Mac OS)

This is basically how I installed Windows XP on this same computer ~13 years ago.

When it's done installing and booting, I'll try moving the SATA drive back to the Sonnet card.

 

[Mike Richardson]

Moving the SSD to the Sonnet card does not boot. It says "No bootable devices -- insert boot disk and press any key".

Maybe mine is the incompatible one, I don't know.

Too much BS right now, I'm just going to move it back.

 

[startergo]

To ensure it's a BIOS install you need to burn the Windows 10 ISO onto a dual layer disc, then reboot and hold down C.

Thankfully there is an easier way now. No need for DVD's or USB's:

Windows Install

Download Windows Install for free. Installing Windows from macOS. Suitable for Hackintosh and Macintosh. Installing Windows from macOS. Suitable for Hackintosh and Macintosh (install drivers yourself).

sourceforge.net

 

[Macschrauber]

... and you can check, if your USB boot already got you certificates
with the Dumper:

Macschrauber's System Version Scanner: check if an installation is Uefi or Bios:

And there are some tools in the package to mount ESPs, check for certificates, etc etc.

The main topic is, that certificates in NVRAM can harm our Mac Pro in the long run.

GitHub - Macschrauber/Macschrauber-s-Rom-Dump: A tool for dumping and analysing Mac firmwares. Plus flashing for Mac Pro 4.1 / 5.1

A tool for dumping and analysing Mac firmwares. Plus flashing for Mac Pro 4.1 / 5.1 - Macschrauber/Macschrauber-s-Rom-Dump

github.com