My Windows 10 EFI build

[Squuiid]

So, having replaced one of my Mac Pro’s with a 2018 mini I set about rebuilding the cMP I dedicate to Windows.

I was amazed at how easy it ended up being and at how well it performs. These are GREAT Windows boxes.

To be clear, I don’t have macOS on it at all, it’s pure Windows and will stay that way.

Firstly, I found that my DVD drive was not working well so I replaced it with this one. It’s almost a carbon copy of the original cMP drive, just 8 years later! It’s fully compatible, very cheap and performs well.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01B23WDRQ

I then removed the GTX 1080 and installed a GT 120.

I also removed the network cable to ensure the Mac was NOT connected to the internet. That was important! (We do not want that NVIDIA GT 120 driver to install via Windows update.)

I downloaded the Windows 10 1809 ISO and burnt it to a DVD-R DL.

I rebooted holding down the option key, waited for the DVD to spin up, and selected the orange “EFI” DVD icon.

Once I got to the disk partition menu I deleted all partitions on the SSDs and installed to drive 0.

Once Windows was up and running I shut down the OS and then removed the GT 120 and installed the GTX 1080.
It is very important to replace the network cable at this stage and ensure you have internet connectivity. This is so that Windows update can automatically download the NVIDIA driver and get your display working again.

Power back on, wait a few minutes, and at the black screen press any key once and then type in your password. This will log you into Windows (blind) and prompt Windows update to run in the background and install your NVIDIA driver.

Wait a good 15 minutes. Then press the power button on your Mac briefly once. Wait one second and press it again. Your Mac will power off gracefully.

Now power up and you will have the required video drivers installed.

Next step is to run Windows update and install everything available, including any missing drivers.
Once done reboot.

Then download and install iTunes (NOT from the Microsoft store). Ensure that Apple Software update also gets installed.

Run Apple Software Update and install the Broadcom Wi-Fi driver update. This will enable Wi-Fi.

The last remaining driver is Bluetooth.
Use Brigadier to download the iMacPro1,1 drivers and install both the BootCamp.msi as well as the Bluetooth driver using Windows device manager if necessary.
(BootCamp.msi will need to be run through an admin command prompt.)

https://github.com/timsutton/brigadier/releases
Brigadier —model iMacPro1,1

You now have an excellent Windows gaming box. Install Steam and enjoy!


NOTES:

My cMP is on firmware 144.0.0.0, I suggest that you ensure that it is updated to this firmware prior to dedicating the Mac to Windows.

Some folks believe that there is a risk to installing Windows 10 in EFI mode on a cMP. I can only say that I installed it 3 times in order to create this guide and have installed it many times before in the past, always using EFI, and have not had a single problem with it.
Do so at your own risk however. There is no definitive answer yet as to whether or not the risk is genuine but I thought I’d mention it and say what my personal experience has been.

 

[deabrunner]

Nice!

Why is it important to disconnect network cables to avoid automatic installation of drivers for gt120?

I have a problem when installing windows (This thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-pro-4-1-windows-10-reboot-loop.2166289/), could it be because I have network cable and GT 120 in the machine? I have a rx580 installed in my machine that I removed before installation.

 

[octoviaa]

One of the problem I know with W10 in EFI mode is corruption of the bootROM as W10 will injecting / signing it multiple time.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mp5-1-bootrom-thread-140-0-0-0-0.2132317/page-104#post-26924791

For some-one who don't want to take the risk of having a bricked cMP, it is advisable to install W10 in CSM mode (not EFI).

H98 have written a good tutorial how to install W10 in CSM mode:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ut-a-boot-screen.2114788/page-9#post-26689280

 

[Squuiid]

One of the problem I know with W10 in EFI mode is corruption of the bootROM as W10 will injecting / signing it multiple time.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mp5-1-bootrom-thread-140-0-0-0-0.2132317/page-104#post-26924791

For some-one who don't want to take the risk of having a bricked cMP, it is advisable to install W10 in CSM mode (not EFI).

H98 have written a good tutorial how to install W10 in CSM mode:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ut-a-boot-screen.2114788/page-9#post-26689280

I've mentioned this in my post. As far as I am concerned it is FUD (no disrespect to tsialex, we both agree to disagree on this one). We do not know the root cause of this issue and in my experience it is very much an edge case.
[doublepost=1548167689][/doublepost]

Nice!

Why is it important to disconnect network cables to avoid automatic installation of drivers for gt120?

I have a problem when installing windows (This thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-pro-4-1-windows-10-reboot-loop.2166289/), could it be because I have network cable and GT 120 in the machine? I have a rx580 installed in my machine that I removed before installation.

GT 120 NVIDIA driver is not the same one used with modern NVIDIA cards. It is the legacy driver and it's best to have a clean installed rather than having to then remove a driver you don't need. The same applies to installing the RX580, you don't want that legacy NVIDIA driver.

 

[octoviaa]

I've mentioned this in my post. As far as I am concerned it is FUD (no disrespect to tsialex, we both agree to disagree on this one). We do not know the root cause of this issue and in my experience it is very much an edge case.

Sure, just want to give more information to the reader what kind of 'problem' might occur.

The multiple signing of the bootROM is real, as whether it caused a bricked cMP or not could be arguable but at least with the information then reader will be able to make an informed decision whether to go with EFI and CSM.

 

[Reindeer_Games]

The multiple signing of the bootROM is real, as whether it caused a bricked cMP or not could be arguable but at least with the information then reader will be able to make an informed decision whether to go with EFI and CSM.

Just as Squuiid wrote-they were re-purposing this machine. If there is discordance as to what is "causing" failure of machine's reaching a decade old-environmental's play a greater contributing factor to failure than corrupted NVRAM.

FYI, I've been running Windows 10 since MP51.0083.B00 in GPT which also double signs with minimal "issues". MBR has never been supported in an Apple, to my knowledge-it's only in disk management for webmasters and clean wipes of drives.

 

[tsialex]

Just as Squuiid wrote-they were re-purposing this machine. If there is discordance as to what is "causing" failure of machine's reaching a decade old-environmental's play a greater contributing factor to failure than corrupted NVRAM that can be reset by sudo Command or Command and P+R at boot. Just my 2 cents-it's only a problem if you have a Hackintosh, because you have to rebuild it.

FYI, I've been running Windows 10 since MP51.0083.B00 in GPT which also double signs with minimal "issues". MBR has never been supported in an Apple, to my knowledge-it's only in disk management for webmasters and clean wipes of drives.

NVRAM is a volume, with 4 different streams/stores. First and second streams of the NVRAM stores semi-permanent and transient settings/parameters, you can only clear the transient ones. When you clear the NVRAM with sudo nvram -c, only a little part of stream 1 is cleared, everything else is kept. You are making an affirmation without knowing how it works.

 

[crjackson2134]

....... corrupted NVRAM that can be reset by sudo Command or Command and P+R at boot. Just my 2 cents-it's only a problem if you have a Hackintosh, because you have to rebuild it.

That's not how it works at all. Your comments on this are not helpful to anyone. Please don't contribute to the disinformation pool. You clearly don't understand.

 

[Reindeer_Games]

Fair enough-I am no coder. But I am simply reporting my experience's in Windows 7/8/8.1/10, beta from 8 forward- such as peer review requires-sanctioned or not. Their disclaimer was noted - just as my comments suggest. Information is not disinformation-unless it's speculation, mine is noted an opinion based on my experiences.

Thank you for the inner working of the NVRAM clearing and how it does not clear all volumes, I was unaware.

 

[crjackson2134]

Thank you for the inner working of the NVRAM clearing and how it does not clear all volumes, I was unaware.

That was my point. This aspect has nothing to do with opinion or speculation. It's a fact...

I didn't bother with your opinion on the windows issue. Just understand, that you can't clear corrupted machine data (serial numbers, hardware descriptors, etc..) by a simple NVRAM reset. Don't put misinformation like that out there. It's not helpful.

 

[Reindeer_Games]

That was my point. This aspect has nothing to do with opinion or speculation. It's a fact...

It's a fact that my machine hasn't bricked- thats what I asserted. Thank you for correcting my incorrect portion-but attacking anyone beyond that is pointless, and where these threads keep getting trolled.