Model : Toshiba A100-PSAARA
Hi I'm an ex Windows user,
I currently have a Toshiba A100 PSAARA laptop with the following specs. A friend from work suggested I try a mac and after he mentioned all the things it could do I thought I'd have a look.....3 months down the track here is where I'm at.
Laptop Specs :
Processor : Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6Ghz T5200
Memory : 2Gb DDR2 667Mhz
HDD : 120GB
Graphics : Nvidia GeforceGo 7600 (256MB dedicated)
Wireless : Intel 3945
It came with Windows Vista home premium but due to all the problems of M$ in general the move was inevitable. I'm writing this guide for users that have a similar laptop to mine and anyone else who finds this useful.
I've been successful in installing iATKOS v2.0i (OSX 10.5.2) and Kalyway's OSX 10.5.2. They went very well with a lot of hardware compatibility surprisingly.....but iATKOS v4i has been the best so far.
I'll start off with listing what you will get working and what you won't get working.
Working
- Sleep/Wake and Restart/Shutdown
- Speedstep support + Graphical User Interface
- Internal Wifi - After I replaced it with an atheros pci-express mini wifi card
- Internal LAN Network card
- Internal Bluetooth.
- Internal Fingerscanner / Biometric scanner
- Internal PCMCIA card expansion bay
- Internal Firewire
- Internal Sound card - Audio Output
- Nvidia full QE/CI support using nvinject 0.2.1 driver and even QuartzGL support!!!
- 32-Bit colour (NO CRAPPY BANDING!!!)
- VGA video output
Not Working
- Internal Card Reader
- Internal Sound card - Microphone
Installation Section
iATKOS 4i with EFI installation
Step 1. Boot DVD with no F8 options.
Step 2. Click on the arrow in the bottom right to continue
Step 3. Click the "Utilities->Disk Utilities" on the Mac menu bar.
Step 4. Click the Hardrive itself and not the partitions.
Step 5. Click the Partition Tab.
Step 6. Click the Current Partition and choose 1 Partition.
Step 7. Click the Options button and choose GUID Partition Table.
Step 8. Rename the Partition name from "Untitled" to "MACHD" (DO NOT MAKE THE NAME TWO WORDS)
THE NEXT STEP WILL ERASE EVERYTHING, CONTINUE AT OWN RISK.
Step 9. Ensure the Partition type is "Mac OS Journaled then click Apply.
Step 10. Close the Disk Utility app and open up the Terminal.
Step 11. Type the following commands :
CODE
fdisk -e /dev/rdisk0
update
f 1
w
q
update
f 1
w
q
Step 12. Close the Terminal and read through all the iATKOS agreements.
Step 13. Click on the new MACHD hard drive icon and click continue.
Step 14. Click on the Customize button.
Step 15. Ensure only the following is ticked :
- 'Darwin Bootloader'
- 'iATKOS main 4i Main System'
- 'Remove Thermal kexts' patch
- SMCBIOS netkas patch
(Don't choose any Graphic Drivers you install that later)
Step 16. Click Done, then install
Step 17. Skip the DVD verification check and then wait til the PC boots up MAC OSX Leopard 10.5.4!!!
Setting Up your Hardware
BluetoothFirst before installing anything you need to see if your Bluetooth device is working or not.
Step 1. Check in System Profiler and select Bluetooth.
Step 2. If it says "No device is preset" then continue to Step 3. If it is present and has plenty of information ie Cambridge Silicon Radio etc.. then continue to Step 5.
Step 3. Open up Utilities->Terminal then type :
sudo kextload /System/Library/Extensions/IOBluetoothHIDDriver.kext
You should then see :
/System/Library/Extensions/IOBluetoothHIDDriver.kext Driver loaded sucessfully
Step 4. Turn your Wifi switch on the side of the laptop off and on. If successful your Bluetooth device will be detected immediately for use.
Step 5. Test and see if it can pair with any Bluetooth devices.
BLUETOOTH RULES
1.- ALWAYS TURN BLUETOOTH OFF BEFORE SLEEP.
TO DO THIS :
1. TURN THE WIFI SWITCH OFF ON THE SIDE OF THE LAPTOP.
2. PUT LAPTOP TO SLEEP...IT'S THAT SIMPLE!
3. WHEN YOU RESUME JUST SIMPLY TURN THE BLUETOOTH SWITCH ON AGAIN.
2. IF YOU FORGET TO SWITCH OFF THE BLUETOOTH SWITCH AND PUT YOUR LAPTOP TO SLEEP WHEN YOU RESUME YOUR BLUETOOTH HARDWARE WON'T BE DETECTED
TO QUICKLY FIX THIS :
1. TURN OF THE BLUETOOTH SWITCH
2. AND THEN PUT IT TO SLEEP.
3. RESUME AGAIN
4. TURN THE BLUETOOTH SWITCH ON AGAIN.
YES KNOW IT'S TEDIOUS BUT IT SAVES YOU RESTARTING TWICE AND IT'S THE QUICKEST WAY I KNOW OF GETTING OSX TO REDETECT THE BLUETOOTH DEVICE.
Display DriverInstalling the Driver with Dual Monitor Support
Step 1. Download the NVinject.kext version 0.2.1 from here : http://nvinject.free.fr/files/Latest_NVinject.0.2.1.zip
Step 2. Use the Kext Helper 0.7 and drag the NVinject.kext in. This will install it properly and easily. http://www.cheetha.net/Kext_Helper/Software.html
Step 3. Reboot your laptop.
Step 4. Download this Editor so we can modify the NVinject.kext slightly : http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/14363
Step 5. Open up your finder and go here /System/Library/Extensions/
Step 6. Right click on NVinject.kext and select show package contents(The kext file is actually a directory by the way)
Step 7. A new finder window appears and now open the Contents folder and open the Info.plist in the Property Editor List.
Step 8. Change the NVCAP value to 04000000 00000300 02000000 00000007 00000000 (Please note that you DO NOT edit this in the bottom pane of the Property List Editor....YOU MUST USE THE TOP PANE TO MAKE THE CHANGE!!!!
Step 9. Saved and exit the Property List Editor.
Step 10. Restart your PC and boot with -f -v.
Step 11. Open Display Preferences either the icon in the mac bar at the top or in your System Preferences.
Step 12. Click Detect Displays and it should come up with your second VGA monitor.
Enabling QE/CI/QGL
Step 1.Download the NVInstallerV.41.pkg here : http://scottdangel.com/blog/?p=23
Step 2.Download Pacifist.
Step 3.Run Pacifist and open the NVisntallerV.41.pkg package.
Step 4.Install only the MacBook drivers. DO NOT INSTALL THE VIDEO DRIVERS OR NETKASMACH KERNEL!!!!
Step 5.Use the "OSXTools PcWiz" program to enable the QuartzGL for a graphics power boost!!!
Fix the Colour Depth to 32-bit
Step 1.Download this kext which connects a fake VGA device to the laptop. This then enables your laptops LCD display to use 32-bit color instead of the 16-bit. Here is the kext : http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?sho...7630&st=131
Step 2.restart.
Sleep and WakeStep 1. Download the latest 9.4.0 ToH Universal Kernel and System.kext from here : http://leo4all.uni.cc/viewtopic.php?f=17&a...mp;p=2264#p2264
Step 2. Use the OSx86Tools Utility to install the kernel and the kext: http://pcwizcomputer.com/osx86tools/
SpeedStepStep 1.Download the driver here : http://code.google.com/p/xnu-speedstep/
Step 2.You can install the kext using OSx86Tools PcWiz.
Step 3. Drop it in the utilities folder and type this in terminal to set user rights on the app:
cd /Applications/Utilities/SpeedStep.app/Contents/MacOS
chmod +x SpeedStep
sudo -s
chown root:wheel SpeedStep
chmod +s SpeedStep
Step 4. To start the app automatically on each boot go to System Preferences, Accounts and add it to the login items list.
PCMCIAOh recently I got the PCMCIA port working with the beta 3 of this program : http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?sho...1036&st=600
One thing that you must do is if it is hanging on some random "...ColorSetGetChooser???..." error then you must boot with -f and also rm the /System/Library/Extensions.mkext then reboot again with the -f boot option.
Biometric Finger ScannerDownload and install the Protector Suite for Mac OSX from : http://www.upek.com/solutions/mac/default.asp
2/1 Finger ScrollingGo here : http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=88811
Follow the instructions exactly but change the zAccept value to 200 instead of the default 80 or the 90-130 he suggested. I found that unless I set it to 200 it would scroll when I didn't want it to.
Wifi USB workaround for $40AUDI can confirm that yes the Intel 3945abg wifi card has NO complete driver that works. Until then I'm using a Netgear WG111v3....it cost me $32AUD on sale....here's a hint to find the right model as there are 3 versions....WG111v2 and WG111v3 use a compatible chipset but the WG111 DOESN'T. On the box it doesn't say V2 or V3 clearly it's actually stated in small writing on the side of the box....so ask them to check this when you ask them what version of the WG111 they have. Oh and before I forget V2 uses the chipset name that ends in L and the V3 uses the cipset name ending in B. So get the appropriate driver for each and you'll be fine.
Wifi internal for $20AUDIt is possible to replace the intel 3945agb wifi mini-pci-express card in the laptop with an Atheros AR5006EGS wifi mini-pci-express card. It is detected without any drivers required in both iATKOS v2.0i and iATKOS v4i. It is an absolute nightmare to install due to short ribbons data cables but I've done it and it is possible.
Sound CardThe Soundcard output works out of the box but the input mic is not detected. A different config/kext may be required to get this working.
Now you can install all your programs and do a software update...then your Finished!
