MP 1,1-5,1 Support NVME boot on Legacy for Mac Pro 5.1

[Schprecher]

need to understand csm module in imac 27 2012-13 to compare with CMP

but the modules are not signed in efi

I have a guess that there is a certain driver that imac 27-2012-13 and mac mini of the same 2011 have.

The solution to the problem is on the surface, but we don’t see it.

By the way, can a trash can load windows 7 in Legacy on nvme?

 

[startergo]

View attachment 2363057

The installer is booted in UEFI mode.if you want to install it in UEFI mode delete the partition. If you want to install it in legacy mode boot the installer in legacy mode, which for the cMP is the DVD bay.

 

[startergo]

The solution to the problem is on the surface, but we don’t see it.

I think it is pretty safe to say that everybody else sees the problem (and the solution which is to rewrite the firmware), but you. For some reason you refuse to see the problem regardless of the multiple explanation attempts from @tsialex, @Dayo and others.

 

[tsialex]

I think it is pretty safe to say that everybody else sees the problem

Btw, a non-existant problem, since he can install Windows 7 (Legacy or UEFI) to a SATA SSD anytime and have practically the same performance, since NVMe 4Kn read performance is not advantageous with sequential loading of small files, like Windows 7 loading is, and the additional time necessary for enumerating PCIe (and NVMe is even worse) drives will eat any IOPs gains.

(and the solution which is to rewrite the firmware), but you.

Which won't happen for one person vanity reason.

 

[startergo]

since NVMe 4Kn read performance is not advantageous with sequential loading of small files, like Windows 7 loading is, and the additional time necessary for enumerating PCIe (and NVMe is even worse) drives will eat any IOPs gains.

Nice, good to know.

 

[Dayo]

A bit obsessed with comparing CSM, which is barking up the wrong tree, but I have seen many cases in my time where users become fixated upon what they think is the problem with something and just can't shake this.

All the same, "Crazies" should not be discouraged IMO and if hellbent on running Win7 via legacy boot from NVMe on cMP, then it should be tried.

To the OP, you need to find another way to get Win7 on your MBR disk and, as @startergo pointed out, this is not via running an installer from a USB stick as this defaults to uEFI mode. This has nothing to do with CSM.

As an aside, CSM is CSM is CSM ... there is no "CSM Type A" on this Mac and "CSM Type B" on another Mac. The Compatibility Support Module (CSM) is from the UEFI specs to let uEFI units support legacy boot and there is effectively only one. Well, Apple apparently implemented it a bit differently to the actual UEFI specs but as far as you are concerned in terms of Macs, there is only one CSM; which is either present or absent.

Now, some Macs treat USB like DVD. This is related to when Apple started dropping actual DVDs from the lineup and added this to ease the pain. Seems this might be why you think your iMac has a different CSM. I am sure that iMac does not have a DVD slot (despite being an oldie) and is a "USB as DVD" Mac on which you can run the installer on a USB stick in legacy mode.

For cMP, you need a real DVD to run the installer in legacy mode or you could try this approach for a virtual DVD:

Bare Metal Windows on cMP

PART 1 of 3 This is a guide to installing Windows 10 on Classic Mac Pros without Bootcamp or similar (Bare Metal). This is one of many ways to do this but is a straightforward method. This guide is for installing Legacy Windows, as opposed to UEFI Windows, but can also be used for installing...

forums.macrumors.com

It is for Win10 but I assume it would work for Win7.

Good luck!

 

[Schprecher]

The installer is booted in UEFI mode.if you want to install it in UEFI mode delete the partition. If you want to install it in legacy mode boot the installer in legacy mode, which for the cMP is the DVD bay.

That's all clear. special attention should be paid to the second message. After installing the nvme driver in legacy Mode, windows 7 can install files on it but cannot boot because it is not bootable. The problem is that there is no simple permission to boot. There are so many messages here, and there is no specialist who really understands how it works.

 

[startergo]

Once again:
The screenshot you posted means that you booted the Windows installer in UEFI mode, but have the disk partitioned in MBR or hybrid modes. Windows complains that you are trying to install Windows in UEFI mode on an MBR (or hybrid) partition.
I have not yet found a way to boot Windows in legacy mode through USB on cMP. If you are able to boot to the boot screen you will see various boot Options. Legacy Windows installer shows a disk image, UEFI windows installer shows the EFI folder. If you burn the Windows 10 installer on a DVD at the boot screen it shows you 2 options:
A DVD image (Legacy) and an EFI folder (UEFI).
You can check whether you booted in legacy or UEFI like this:

How to tell if the Windows Installer boots in EFI or BIOS?

I have a Windows 7 x64 install USB and want to know if the installer has booted into EFI or BIOS mode. I found a solution here, but it doesn't work since notepad couldn't find: \Windows\Panther\se...

superuser.com