Alienware-17R3 always requires Windows desktop first

[sharky9]

Okay, a little more history....goes back a ways of course

With the High-Sierra installation that I still have working on another SSD stick not installed. When I installed it (with Clover of course, OpenCore didn't exist then), it was using the same config.plist as what I was trying for Mojave install at that time. Default settings (as recommened by the other guys/forums) that should have worked in Mojave didn't, so I decided to run HighSierra.

Fast-forward two years later, here we are. Clover is now nasty, no one recommends it, BigSur requires OpenCore. I discover OpenCore - and also discover there is no one on the planet that hates OpenCore more than I do. #Fact #lol

I get a new SSD stick and attempt a more current version of MacOS. BigSur installation will not launch for anything with OC. Tried so many things, too many to mention. I attempt those same efforts with my config.plist with the Catalina installer. That worked! Although, that is when I discovered the "Run Windows first" crap. And the installation of Catalina worked - I just had to remember to interuppt the multiple installation reboots with a Windows reboot in between so the framebuffer would be FRESH for each post-install reboot required by the Mac Installer. That worked of course.....

Now, how I arrived at BigSur release. I read many forum entries all over the internet that a lot of people had my BigSur installation launch failure and that the only way to get the OS installed was to do the UPGRADE from a Catalina desktop. That same method worked for me! Just had to remember to interrupt those post-install restarts with a Windows boot in between so the framebuffer would be fresh again for each reboot. It worked......and that's how I am at BigSur and OpenCore 080 today.

Thanks for anything you have for framebuffer installs. Trust me, I've tried the 'default' framebuffer stolen and fbmem entries, and other tweaks to those entries. None work (after the system restart) and I when I said 250+ reboots a few comments ago, I'm not lying.

Here are some screen captures. I had to capture the connectors with Hackintool, because your pointer on the guide for Windows Intel GUI doesn't match up. I have no "System" or "Options" in my Control Panel GUI.

 

[EliteMacx86]

Fast-forward two years later, here we are. Clover is now nasty, no one recommends it, BigSur requires OpenCore. I discover OpenCore - and also discover there is no one on the planet that hates OpenCore more than I do. #Fact #lol

Honestly, I was always a Clover user since the beginning but after OC was launched, I began using it and it is more simplified than Clover. Now, Clover seems a bit complex to me.

I get a new SSD stick and attempt a more current version of MacOS. BigSur installation will not launch for anything with OC. Tried so many things, too many to mention. I attempt those same efforts with my config.plist with the Catalina installer. That worked! Although, that is when I discovered the "Run Windows first" crap. And the installation of Catalina worked - I just had to remember to interuppt the multiple installation reboots with a Windows reboot in between so the framebuffer would be FRESH for each post-install reboot required by the Mac Installer. That worked of course.....

I suspect some kind of MimoWhitelist then.

Now, how I arrived at BigSur release. I read many forum entries all over the internet that a lot of people had my BigSur installation launch failure and that the only way to get the OS installed was to do the UPGRADE from a Catalina desktop. That same method worked for me! Just had to remember to interrupt those post-install restarts with a Windows boot in between so the framebuffer would be fresh again for each reboot. It worked......and that's how I am at BigSur and OpenCore 080 today.

Of course, sometimes, there are different approaches. However, I'll have to check with my set of files.

Thanks for anything you have for framebuffer installs. Trust me, I've tried the 'default' framebuffer stolen and fbmem entries, and other tweaks to those entries. None work (after the system restart) and I when I said 250+ reboots a few comments ago, I'm not lying.

I understand, but that's how debugging works in general. Sometimes, it's pain.

Here are some screen captures. I had to capture the connectors with Hackintool, because your pointer on the guide for Windows Intel GUI doesn't match up. I have no "System" or "Options" in my Control Panel GUI.

Whoa. I'll check them.

 

[sharky9]

**Resolved**

The hard way, lol

Fresh install (wiped SSD) of Catalina, but with the knowledge of config.plist manipulation as of yesterday helped me out.

- Chose Configv14 (0x191B0006) to start out with
- Did all of the SMBIOS edits from a fresh install.

It installed fine and I get consistent reboots like a system should do. I guess something was corrupt on my prior installation and never could resolve itself no matter how hard I tried.

Only quirk I have now is I have no sound.....the speaker icon is not greyed out, you can definitely move it, just no output. And I know it is something I added personalizing the system per guides, because sound worked last night after the initial install. Obvious conflict with something, but whatever. I followed all of the guides for SSDT-Time to build ACPI on my specific machine specs, but I've had enough anyway...time to start getting this machine back up to photo editing specs with Adobe products.

Thanks for your time anyway! Here's my 'winner' config.plist for a post-installation of Catalina on a AW17R3. All USB ports are 3.0 speed and properly mapped - some things are probably out of whack in the config, but OC doesn't complain at startup, so I'm okay with that

 

[EliteMacx86]

**Resolved**

The hard way, lol

Fresh install (wiped SSD) of Catalina, but with the knowledge of config.plist manipulation as of yesterday helped me out.

- Chose Configv14 (0x191B0006) to start out with
- Did all of the SMBIOS edits from a fresh install.

It installed fine and I get consistent reboots like a system should do. I guess something was corrupt on my prior installation and never could resolve itself no matter how hard I tried.

Only quirk I have now is I have no sound.....the speaker icon is not greyed out, you can definitely move it, just no output. And I know it is something I added personalizing the system per guides, because sound worked last night after the initial install. Obvious conflict with something, but whatever. I followed all of the guides for SSDT-Time to build ACPI on my specific machine specs, but I've had enough anyway...time to start getting this machine back up to photo editing specs with Adobe products.

Thanks for your time anyway! Here's my 'winner' config.plist for a post-installation of Catalina on a AW17R3. All USB ports are 3.0 speed and properly mapped - some things are probably out of whack in the config, but OC doesn't complain at startup, so I'm okay with that

Nice.

If you're using Hotpatch, use SSDT-HPET.

 

[sharky9]

Never heard of Hotpatch, I followed SSDT-Time which dumps your ACPI and builds your necessary AML files specific to your machine. It didn't work though. I've got that new SSDT-HPET file in my ACPI directory for sure.

 

[sharky9]

Only thing I did earlier today was to apply the normal fixes that anyone typically does these days:

- Adding SSDT-PLUG.aml for power management
- Adding SSDT-EC-USBX-LAPTOP.aml to help with USB ports
- Adding SSDT-UIAC.aml with the Hackintool guide for USB mapping.
- All USB ports work good now, it's only after I did this today that I noticed I have no sound now. It sucks, but if I have to 'choose' - I pick my USB ports over sound right now. Of course I want them both, but today I pick USB lol.
- Then followed the SSDT-Time guide/page to apply an SSDT-HPET.aml specific to my machine since I had a sound problem and google searches tend to point to this very specific thing.
- Only thing I may try later tonight is to do a 'Kernel BLOCK' of HPET in the config file. I heard people do this, and it helps with ALC sound errors, and HPET loads a little later in the system anyway.

 

[EliteMacx86]

Never heard of Hotpatch, I followed SSDT-Time which dumps your ACPI and builds your necessary AML files specific to your machine. It didn't work though. I've got that new SSDT-HPET file in my ACPI directory for sure.

Only thing I did earlier today was to apply the normal fixes that anyone typically does these days:

- Adding SSDT-PLUG.aml for power management
- Adding SSDT-EC-USBX-LAPTOP.aml to help with USB ports
- Adding SSDT-UIAC.aml with the Hackintool guide for USB mapping.
- All USB ports work good now, it's only after I did this today that I noticed I have no sound now. It sucks, but if I have to 'choose' - I pick my USB ports over sound right now. Of course I want them both, but today I pick USB lol.
- Then followed the SSDT-Time guide/page to apply an SSDT-HPET.aml specific to my machine since I had a sound problem and google searches tend to point to this very specific thing.
- Only thing I may try later tonight is to do a 'Kernel BLOCK' of HPET in the config file. I heard people do this, and it helps with ALC sound errors, and HPET loads a little later in the system anyway.

Use SSDT-HPET.aml from OpenCore Package and then add HPET _CRS to XCRS Rename.

 

[sharky9]

Did that, unfortunately still no sound. Config-R (revised) attached.

 

[sharky9]

Well I be darn....

It was as simple as removing "Unsupported-XHCI.kext". Removed it, rebooted, and sound came back next boot . Thanks for the info anyway!

 

[EliteMacx86]

Did that, unfortunately still no sound. Config-R (revised) attached.

Well I be darn....

It was as simple as removing "Unsupported-XHCI.kext". Removed it, rebooted, and sound came back next boot . Thanks for the info anyway!

Glad it's fixed for you.

XHCIUnsupported should be only used if you have a USB Controller which is not native and requires this kext. Most Laptops don't require this kext.

Closing this thread now.