MP All Models Unable to boot into Flash drive..

[Nex126]

Created a bootable drive but for some unknown reason I can't boot into it, screen goes no signal detected then stays blank, I did leave it like that for over an hour before switching off. Flash drives stays active (Light on) I have tried 3 flash drives which were all new! I have recently changed my GPU to a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 3072 MB which has been flashed. Any help would be appreciated. I am currently running El Capitan 5,1 Mac Pro mid 2010 and the flash drive contains a catalina patcher as i want to upgrade. Thanks.

 

[MarkC426]

When you say flash drive, is it an ssd in sata bay, nvme on pcie?
What make and spec is it.

 

[KeesMacPro]

Could you share some more details e.g. BootRom version ?

 

[Nex126]

When you say flash drive, is it an ssd in sata bay, nvme on pcie?
What make and spec is it.

Sorry Marc I meant a USB stick, its Dosdudes patcher I'm trying to boot into I thought they were called flash drives, I'm out of my depth really.

Model Name: Mac Pro
Model Identifier: MacPro5,1
Processor Name: 6-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed: 3.46 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 6
L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 12 MB
Memory: 32 GB
Processor Interconnect Speed: 6.4 GT/s
Boot ROM Version: 144.0.0
SMC Version (system): 1.39f11
SMC Version (processor tray): 1.39f11
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Could you share some more details e.g. BootRom version ?

Ive posted reply to Marc above.
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Could you share some more details e.g. BootRom version ?

Mac Pro Mid 2010
Processor 3.46.GHz 6-core Intel Xeon

 

[KeesMacPro]

Did you erase and format the usb drive to mac os extended before you installed the Catalina installer?

 

[Nex126]

I will be installing to a Samsung SSD 860 EVO 500GB if I get that far, I'm approaching this bit by bit as I'm having quite a lot of problems but will come back once I can access the stick which is a 32 gig sands.

 

[KeesMacPro]

Just edited my previous post ,i assume the issue is the usb drive/format.

 

[Nex126]

Yes I did, and just to make sure I used 2 other sticks assuming they might be faulty... followed Dosdudes instructions to the letter and as far as i can see the patcher is on the sticks, but I can't boot into the stick ..... I did at 1st on the 2nd attempt but Catalina would not install. Message said Cant install to this machine or something like that that is why I upgraded my GPU which I have now sent back as I think its faulty.

 

[sfalatko]

Yes I did, and just to make sure I used 2 other sticks assuming they might be faulty... followed Dosdudes instructions to the letter and as far as i can see the patcher is on the sticks, but I can't boot into the stick ..... I did at 1st on the 2nd attempt but Catalina would not install. Message said Cant install to this machine or something like that that is why I upgraded my GPU which I have now sent back as I think its faulty.

So are you holding down the option key during startup and getting the "normal" Apple boot picker menu? If so then are you seeing the USB stick as a boot option? If not then you haven't configured the USB stick properly to be bootable and need to look at that. If you are seeing the USB stick as a boot option and you are selecting it as the boot drive I'm not sure what could be causing it to fail. I am also not sure if your GPU is "Metal" compatible.

 

[KeesMacPro]

I am also not sure if your GPU is "Metal" compatible.

The gtx 780 is METAL compatible and EFI flashed should show the boot screen.
Assuming the gtx 780 works with El Capitan it's not the issue.

 

[Nex126]

Yes I

So are you holding down the option key during startup and getting the "normal" Apple boot picker menu? If so then are you seeing the USB stick as a boot option? If not then you haven't configured the USB stick properly to be bootable and need to look at that. If you are seeing the USB stick as a boot option and you are selecting it as the boot drive I'm not sure what could be causing it to fail. I am also not sure if your GPU is "Metal" compatible.

Yes I have followed the instructions and done it so many times now I could do it in my sleep, as I said the patcher has all the details on it but when I try to boot into the stick I just get a blank screen, when it did boot into it installation failed, I'm wondering if there is a bit of data installed thats stopping me now. It is formatted in the correct way Mac Os Journalled and all the files are there from Dosdude, I know it should work Ive seen it in so many YT videos this has taken up my whole life for the past week now, Ive even bought a newer Mac as the previous was a 3,1 early 2008 I now have a 5,1 mid 2010 same problem, I don't think its something I'm doing wrong anymore. Ive done quite bit of research too mostly of which l don't fully understand, decided to look for someone to do it for me but finding thats hard work too.
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Yes I

Yes I have followed the instructions and done it so many times now I could do it in my sleep, as I said the patcher has all the details on it but when I try to boot into the stick I just get a blank screen, when it did boot into it installation failed, I'm wondering if there is a bit of data installed thats stopping me now. It is formatted in the correct way Mac Os Journalled and all the files are there from Dosdude, I know it should work Ive seen it in so many YT videos this has taken up my whole life for the past week now, Ive even bought a newer Mac as the previous was a 3,1 early 2008 I now have a 5,1 mid 2010 same problem, I don't think its something I'm doing wrong anymore. Ive done quite bit of research too mostly of which l don't fully understand, decided to look for someone to do it for me but finding thats hard work too.

The gtx 780 is METAL compatible and EFI flashed should show the boot screen.
Assuming the gtx 780 works with El Capitan it's not the issue.

As I said Ive sent the the GTX back as I think it was giving me the problems I'm looking for something a little less busy and cheaper, have no wish to run windows would just like the latest version of LogicX Ive seen guys on YT installing using stock GPU on 3,1 machines which is where I started, but I upgraded the GPU 3yrs ago when my original gave up ... wish I had it repaired now.

 

[KeesMacPro]

To eliminate possible causes:
-download the installer again
-install it on a known working SSD/HDD and connect it via USB or mount it in a SATA bay.

 

[Nex126]

I have Catalina stored on a HDD that came with machine, problem is if I put my SSD in I can't see the HDD with Catalina on the desktop, disc utility sees it but when trying to boot to the stick the SSD disappears, you couldn't make it up ...
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To eliminate possible causes:
-download the installer again
-install it on a known working SSD/HDD and connect it via USB or mount it in a SATA bay.

I have Catalina stored on a HDD that came with machine, problem is if I put my SSD in I can't see the HDD with Catalina on the desktop, disc utility sees it but when trying to boot to the stick the SSD disappears, you couldn't make it up ...

 

[KeesMacPro]

To get a clear overview could you post a list of the drives you got :
-name
-internal/external
-HDD/SSD
-Format
-content (e.g. OS or installer or data)

 

[MIKX]

Are you trying to boot from USB 2.0 = OK

You cannot boot from USB 3.0 in any 2009 - 2010 - 2012 Mac Pros.

 

[r6mile]

Are you trying to boot from USB 2.0 = OK

You cannot boot from USB 3.0 in any 2009 - 2010 - 2012 Mac Pros.

But surely a USB3 flash drive will just downspeed to USB 2.0 on a older machine? I've managed to boot from a USB3 drive on a 2002 PowerMac G4 with USB1.1 so this is surely possible.

 

[KeesMacPro]

But surely a USB3 flash drive will just downspeed to USB 2.0 on a older machine? I've managed to boot from a USB3 drive on a 2002 PowerMac G4 with USB1.1 so this is surely possible.

@MIKX is right: If you connect the usb to a standard usb 2.0 port (which are 2 at the front and 3 at the back of the MP) this is bootable.
If you connect the usb drive to a whatever usb connector on a PCIe card installed, this is not bootable.

EDIT: the failproof way would be to connect the installer to one of the original usb connectors, or make a bootable installer on a internal HDD/SSD mounted in one of the SATA bays.

 

[KeesMacPro]

@Nex126 :

If you dont provide all relevant information , it will be very unlikely that one of the readers could give you an adequate advice which could lead to the solution of this issue.

Like stated before:

To get a clear overview could you post a list of the drives you got :
-name
-internal/external
-HDD/SSD
-Format
-content (e.g. OS or installer or data)

As I said Ive sent the the GTX back as I think it was giving me the problems

So what GPU is installed at the moment?

 

[Nex126]

Hey Kees, Well the only drives I had on my machine while trying to do this was the Samsung 860 EVO 500GB as mentioned in earlier threads, which is internal formatted to AFPS also my working drive
1 TB (1,000,204,886,016 bytes) TOSHIBA DT01ACA100
which is fine running El Capitan , the GTX is now gone and I put my ATI Radeon HD 5770 1024 back and thought I would give it one more try, could always boot into the Sandisk 32GB USB stick when using the Radeon not the `GTX, this time Catalina installed to the Samsung not in the way Ive seen it done either and seems to be running fine with the Radeon contrary to what Ive seen and read, have not tried to install or update my music software yet I'm guessing this is where I will have the trouble. Its been a very weird and tiresome week trying to sort this out not to mention expensive, have no doubt my troubles aren't over yet either Would like to thank everyone who posted to my confusing thread, thanks for your patience I really appreciate it.

 

[KeesMacPro]

Thx for the post , troubleshooting can be nerve-wrecking