HP Dv9838ca boot error "Operating System Not Found" (using The all-in-one guide to Vanilla OS X Mountain Lion + Chameleon + DSDT for beginners.)

[kannu1994]

Hey guys,

 

I've actually had Snow Leopard on my HP Dv9838ca for a while even then I had the same issue but I ignored it but now I want to fix it.

 

 

I'm looking to fix this error because I installed 10.8.1 and now I only have Mountain Lion on this HDD and nothing else. No other partitions or operating systems installed on the HDD I'm trying to boot from. Just plain Mountain Lion

 

I have a HP DV9838ca. The HDD I'm using is a Toshiba MK2546GSX. I've already tried this fix but it didn't work.

 

Heres what I did to install Mountain Lion:

• Bought the Mountain Lion app
  
• Made the USB installer using instructions from this thread
  
• Formatted my HDD using Disk Utility to a GUID Partition table and the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) filesystem.
  
• Finished installing
  
• Restarted, booted into the installer as instructed, copied FakeSMC.kext and NullCPUPowerManagement.kext to my HDD
  
• Booted to my Mountain Lion HDD
  
• Finished the basic Setup
  
• Ran Kext Utility and installed the following kexts because they fix a lot of issues on my system.
  

• VoodooHDA 0.2.1
  
• AHCI_3rdParty_SATA.kext
  
• AppleACPIPS2Nub.kext - needed this particularly to fix the trackpad.
  
• ApplePS2Controller.kext - needed this particularly to fix the trackpad.
  
• ElliottForceLegacyRTC.kext
  
• EvOreboot.kext
  
• JMicron36xATA.kext
  

• At last installed the Chameleon from the package I got in the OP
  
• Rebooted and got the "Operating System Not Found" error again
  

I can boot into OS X just fine using the install USB but I don't wanna keep on doing that because its just annoying :/

 

Thanks for any help.

[iFIRE]

try this for install bootloader :

 

 

Look for your boot partition's identifier (diskXsY):

 

 

diskutil list : EX: disk0s2

 

Get root access:

sudo su

 

cd /Users/your user/Desktop/i386

 

Install boot0 to the MBR:

 

./fdisk440 -f boot0 -u -y /dev/rdisk0

 

Install boot1h to the bootsector of the boot partition:

 

dd if=boot1h of=/dev/rdiskX0s2

 

Copy the file "boot" to the partition:

 

cp boot /

 

Set the partition active:

 

./fdisk440 -e /dev/rdisk0

 

p <-----> (print a list on screen)

f 2 <-----> (makes partition 2 active) see your Partition

w <-----> (write to disk)

y <-----> (yes)

reboot

 

 

i386.zip

 

 

Edit: if it not work post photo of your error

[kannu1994]

Just finished trying what you said and the same problem. I'll attach the picture of the error.

 

Just as an experiment when I install Mountain Lion should I try to use a MBR partition instead of the GUID Partition table?

 

I mean my BIOS can boot from GUID (the installer usb is formatted that way) but maybe it just needs a HDD with MBR instead of GUID?

 

Thanks

[rockinron_1]

Chances are your BIOS isn't booting the right disk. Go into your BIOS (when you first turn the computer on it will say press *some key* for setup) have a look round in your BIOS for an option to set the first hard drive your computer boots from, check its set to your OS X drive.

[iFIRE]

use this app for indetified your hardware and take a screnshot and post here. USBInstaller I prefer Partition as MBR Format and Hard disk as GUID and when post photo of all info , and post you Extra folder

 

 

 

5. IMPORTANT: Set “SATA RAID/AHCI Mode” to “AHCI”

6. Go back (ESC), go to Power Management

7. Set the ACPI Suspend Type to S3(STR)

8. Set HPET Mode to 64-bit mode

9. Save and Exit, by pressing F10

 

 

Systeminfo-Mac 2.zip

[kannu1994]

Chances are your BIOS isn't booting the right disk. Go into your BIOS (when you first turn the computer on it will say press *some key* for setup) have a look round in your BIOS for an option to set the first hard drive your computer boots from, check its set to your OS X drive.

 

Unfortunately I gotta say that wasn't it. I had already selected my only HDD as the first option to boot from..

 

Thanks!

[rockinron_1]

Well if that drives ever had an OS on it it should at least give you a boot-loader error of some kind. OS not found usually comes from the incorrect boot device.

Install chameleon again - triple check your BIOS. It should't need the HDD to be formatted MBR if it can boot from a GUID USB.

when you installed OS X did you re-partition & format the HDD or just set aside a partition for OS X?

Failing that it seems iFire has a few ideas.

[kannu1994]

use this app for indetified your hardware and take a screnshot and post here. USBInstaller I prefer Partition as MBR Format and Hard disk as GUID and when post photo of all info , and post you Extra folder

 

 

 

5. IMPORTANT: Set “SATA RAID/AHCI Mode” to “AHCI”

6. Go back (ESC), go to Power Management

7. Set the ACPI Suspend Type to S3(STR)

8. Set HPET Mode to 64-bit mode

9. Save and Exit, by pressing F10

 

 

Systeminfo-Mac 2.zip

 

Unfortunately there is no AHCI option available in my BIOS. However it is selected by default!

 

I can infer this because my chipset supports AHCI, not to mention that this laptop came with Vista installed which also supports AHCI.

 

Some MacBook Pros also use this same chipset.

 

I attached pics of my Sata Controller's info, the app that you linked to, and my extra folder.

 

Thanks!!

 

Well if that drives ever had an OS on it it should at least give you a boot-loader error of some kind. OS not found usually comes from the incorrect boot device.

Install chameleon again - triple check your BIOS. It should't need the HDD to be formatted MBR if it can boot from a GUID USB.

when you installed OS X did you re-partition & format the HDD or just set aside a partition for OS X?

Failing that it seems iFire has a few ideas.

 

I know that this behaviour is odd and I thought that too but then I went through all other methods of booting. For some reason I can't even get to the bootloader if I try to boot directly from my HDD. Btw like the OP says theres nothing else on the HDD just Mountain Lion installed on a GUID Partition Table and a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) Filesystem.

 

Thanks for the help anyways!

[everdone]

Prior to the install when you formatted the HD, did you format an existing partition or did you partition the HD anew and then format.

 

It sounds like there is a hidden partition on the HD that the BIOS boot routine is seeing and it never 'sees' the Mac partition where the bootloader resides. When you boot from the USB installer stick, BIOS picks that up first and the bootloader on the USB sees the Mac install.

 

When booted into Mac enter the disk Utility and see how many partitions are on the HD. You may need to start from the beginning and repartition the HD to eliminate the 'phantom' partition.

[kannu1994]

Prior to the install when you formatted the HD, did you format an existing partition or did you partition the HD anew and then format.

 

It sounds like there is a hidden partition on the HD that the BIOS boot routine is seeing and it never 'sees' the Mac partition where the bootloader resides. When you boot from the USB installer stick, BIOS picks that up first and the bootloader on the USB sees the Mac install.

When booted into Mac enter the disk Utility and see how many partitions are on the HD. You may need to start from the beginning and repartition the HD to eliminate the 'phantom' partition.

 

Hmm I actually erased the HDD coming from a 3 partition system and picked the "zero-out data" option. So I waited till it was all finished and then formatted with just one Mac OS Extended (Journaled) File System and GUID Partition Table...

 

So it would kinda be hard for this "phantom partition" to exist but lets say it does. How would I go about removing it?

 

A Live CD running GParted perhaps? Which option would I pick?

 

The "phantom partition" kinda doesn't make sense especially because isn't really visible.. I mean check the pictures I attached below. Shouldn't there be a hint there? Theres only one other partition here which is "EFI" and isn't that supposed to exist?

 

My boot partition sits as disk0s2 "Macintosh HD" before that there is an "EFI" partition which sits at disk0s1. The "GUID_Partition_system" it self shows up as disk0. So I'm kinda lost...

 

I mean the machine boots up pretty fast even with the USB, I edited the Boot Partition as default and set up a 1 sec timeout but its just annoying.. (Only things is I can't boot with KernelCache = Yes, it breaks Ethernet and probably some other things)

 

I've also attached the filesystem of the USB just as a comparison and I'm hard pressed to find the difference.. :/

 

(I've Partition the USB as a Boot USB and a Normal use USB. The Boot Partition contains chameleon, my required kexts, SMBIOS, DSDT, and some themes.)

 

Please let me know if you need anymore info, Thanks for this reply!

[iFIRE]

Try this: you need edit AppleIntelPIIXATA.kext with device id for chipset IDE ICH8M : 0X28508086

 

ICH8M-E IDE CONTROLLER 8086 2850 it is for AppleIntelPIIXATA

ICH8M-E SATA AHCI 8086 2829 it is for Kext AppleAHCI.kext

 

/System/Library/Extensions/IOATAFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleIntelPIIXATA.kext

 

 

<key>ICH8 Serial ATA</key>

<dict>

<key>CFBundleIdentifier</key>

<string>com.apple.driver.AppleIntelPIIXATA</string>

<key>Controller Name</key>

<string>ICH8 SATA</string>

<key>IOClass</key>

<string>AppleIntelPIIXATARoot</string>

<key>IOPCIPrimaryMatch</key>

<string>0x28288086</string> edit it for your IDE Controller 28508086

<key>IOProbeScore</key>

<integer>2000</integer>

<key>IOProviderClass</key>

<string>IOPCIDevice</string>

<key>PCS Port Map</key>

<data>

kgGTAZICkwKSBJMEkgiTCA==

</data>

<key>Serial ATA</key>

<true/>

<key>Supported Transfer Modes</key>

<string>0x3f061d</string>

</dict>

repairPermissions/Rebuild Caches with KextWizard and reboot

 

 

Good Luck!!!!!

[kannu1994]

Try this: you need edit AppleIntelPIIXATA.kext with device id for chipset IDE ICH8M : 0X28508086

 

ICH8M-E IDE CONTROLLER 8086 2850 it is for AppleIntelPIIXATA

ICH8M-E SATA AHCI 8086 2829 it is for Kext AppleAHCI.kext

 

 

/System/Library/Extensions/IOATAFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleIntelPIIXATA.kext

 

 

<key>ICH8 Serial ATA</key>

<dict>

<key>CFBundleIdentifier</key>

<string>com.apple.driver.AppleIntelPIIXATA</string>

<key>Controller Name</key>

<string>ICH8 SATA</string>

<key>IOClass</key>

<string>AppleIntelPIIXATARoot</string>

<key>IOPCIPrimaryMatch</key>

<string>0x28288086</string> edit it for your IDE Controller 28508086

<key>IOProbeScore</key>

<integer>2000</integer>

<key>IOProviderClass</key>

<string>IOPCIDevice</string>

<key>PCS Port Map</key>

<data>

kgGTAZICkwKSBJMEkgiTCA==

</data>

<key>Serial ATA</key>

<true/>

<key>Supported Transfer Modes</key>

<string>0x3f061d</string>

</dict>

repairPermissions/Rebuild Caches with KextWizard and reboot

 

 

Good Luck!!!!!

 

I followed your instructions, and no dice...

 

I seriously think this has more to do with my hardware than the software.. I mean I don't even get a chance to get to chameleon... Its something else... :/

[everdone]

Gigabyte MBs (a large number) boot fine with GUID partitioned HDs, however insert a GUID USB and it apparently hangs (actually it just takes a reallllll lllllong time to boot). Possibly your BIOS works OK with USB, GUID and HFS+ but will not recognize an HFS+ on the HD. Have you tried a small first partition on the HD formatted as FAT32 with the bootloader installer there with a Mac install on another partition.

 

Another thought is what is the actual boot order of drives in BIOS? Have you tried setting the HD as the first boot option?

[kannu1994]

Gigabyte MBs (a large number) boot fine with GUID partitioned HDs, however insert a GUID USB and it apparently hangs (actually it just takes a reallllll lllllong time to boot). Possibly your BIOS works OK with USB, GUID and HFS+ but will not recognize an HFS+ on the HD. Have you tried a small first partition on the HD formatted as FAT32 with the bootloader installer there with a Mac install on another partition.

 

Another thought is what is the actual boot order of drives in BIOS? Have you tried setting the HD as the first boot option?

 

Hmm that sounds interesting but could it be the GUID Partition Table thats the problem? I mean could my BIOS not like the partition table itself? Because my first partition is an EFI Partition right? disk0s1 this is something that the GUID Partition Table does. Right? I guess I'll try this out when I do an installation again. My system is stable for now, I'm stil using my USB to boot. :/

 

Yeah I have tried setting my HDD as the first boot option, that was the first thing I did actually when I had this problem..