A while ago i upgraded my system to a D820 processor, P965 MS?, 9700GT etc.
Now i can't start installing from DVD (x86 10.4.5), gives an error like:

/com.apple.Boot.plist not found

Then i pressed keys randomly and when i pressed F8 a screen appeared that says

...
(bla bla bla)
HDD (159.0) Ethernet PXE Client
...

and no selectible options. I disabled onboard Ethernet nothing changed.
Previously i was able to install with same DVD and same SATA drive.

Any opinions?

I'm getting the same thing. When I boot from the DVD, I get the 'boot.plist cannot be found' error. I can push F8 and can type in the -v flag, but the same error occurs. I know it's not the DVD because it seems to load on my friends computer and my other computer...

I think the main difference is that I'm using a SATA HDD. I have an ASUS P5W DH Deluxe mobo.

But i could install on a SATA disk before with my 865 chip mobo.

I get the same error all the time, only i have a laptop (BenQ 5001U)... so i can't make drastic hardware changes.
I searched the forum and it seems that is has to do something with the chipset, it should be cureable, but from what i read only through installation through vmware.

Can anyone help with this? I've tried two different DVDs. I tried the 10.4.6 ISO by JaS, and I tried the 10.4.7 ISO by HotISO (converted the DMG on a Mac).

Firstly, when I burn the DVDs and I load them in a computer, the explorer says the disk is 184 kb. This is with both images and burned with two different computers. Same thing if I mount the image using Alcohol 120%; it still says 184 kb.

The DVDs work in other systems, so it has to be my hardware. I checked on the HCL, and I believe my stuff is supported. Here's what I have:

ASUS P5W DH Deluxe
Intel Core 2 Extreme
Corsair 2x1GB DDR2 800
WD 250GB SATA HDD
XFX 7900 GS
Hauppauge PVR 150

I tried the JaS DVD in VMware, but that only produced the same error. I am able to see some text, but then it locks up and I get an error from VMware. After I try again, I just get the boot.plist error.

After doing a bit of searching, I've noticed this problem is fairly common, but I don't know what to do.

Any help is appreciated.

PS sorry megavolken for kind of hi-jacking your thread, but we have the same problem so I thought I'd post here.

There are two sections on the DVD. A small partition that contains boot files and a large partition that contains the OSX OS and installer files.

The boot files partition is in a format that Windows can read. That is because the BIOS needs that format in order to read the boot files. The rest of the DVD is formatted in Mac HFS+ format and Windows cannot read that without a 3rd party software.

The 184 kb are the boot files.

Ah, I see. So atleast now I know that my DVDs are working.

I remember my friend saying the OS must be installed on the primary HDD. I can't remember which method he tried, but he tried installing on a secondary HDD and things went wrong. Is this true?

I looked in my BIOS and noticed that my drive is labeled as the Third Primary drive. There are spaces for First Primary, First Slave, Third Primary, Third Slave, Fourth Primary, and Fourth Slave. There isn't a Second Primary and Second Slave (maybe it's the CD-roms?). Anyhow, could this be a source of error? I'm pretty sure I plugged in the drive to the right SATA port, although I suppose I could be mistaken.

[Errr, I had a nice post/reply going, hit the crtl + w and closed the tab... here goes again...]

The file not found issue, would it not be a problem with the disk itself?
I know a way around it is by launching the motherboard's onboard boot menu (I love repeating myself), [it's an F# key pressed at the time you would normally press DEL to enter the BIOS...] it's commenly different on all boards, and some doen't even support it (like, as far as I know, the Abit AB9 series). Using this boot menu, you select the dvdrom device, it should boot to the dvd liquidly... (even to a bummed OS even). I've tried this on an ASUS A8N-E board (worked perfect using the bootmenu) but not on my ABit AB9 board (it for some reason doesn't support a boot menu!! ARG!). So, it has to be something to do with how the dvd recognizes itself (or rather, how darwin recognizes itself, and boots).

My question, is could there not be some work around developed to load into, then tell it to boot from the mac side of the DVD? Think of the ol' Win9x boot floppies.. insert one of those and boot into DOS with cd-rom support; then browse to the windows folder on a setup cd and launch the installer app manually (yes, for those that don't know, it works even in XP).

I tried hunting down a simple booter for darwin, but was unsuccessful, the website was down last I checked (the open darwin one).

Any ideas? Would be a big help, even to those who have the OS isntalled and are unable to boot.


Ok, I found the last place this issue was posted on, I reread it and saw a post I forgot about..
retailer posted that there's problems with the JMicron chip and drivers, ect... I know my abit has this for ide and some of the sata devices, but as far as I know the asus board doesn't use this chip at all; so it's gotta be an issue with drivers... any way a more generic raid ide/sata driver might be loaded to the install disk to add support? But still doesn't offer a reason why the boot menu surpasses the problems.. hmpf, it's got me stumped as where the conflict is

So can we say no solution to this problem?

i'm having the same problem. i have a MSI p65 neo-f.

i have loaded the 10.4.6 jas patched dvd and installed through vmware, no problems. (well, a few problems, but it is up and running now). when i try booting to the drive directly, then i get the boot.plist error.

any suggestions?

Yes, i also have exactly the same board. Could it be the source of the problem?

If I remember right, after the OS is installed and you get that error, there was a way to configure something... But i'm not sure if that worked out like it should, my abit board is rma'd and i expect it in a few days.. and after a bios update of my asus board, it boots directly from the disk; suprised me even...

Im guessing the problem is from an unsupported ide controller.
Try getting an ide>sata convertor to connect the dvdrom to your sata controller.

I now believe this might be a kernel issue (somebody want to confirm this with me?)
I looked up support for JMicron drivers and linux... it appears that some Ubantu system have had problems, and that there was a patch to the kernal that fixed the issue, even though the kernal supported the drivers.. (yea, it gets more weird)

check the first post at this site:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=234706


So my next question (so I might not have to spend time looking it up), is there an active working driver that could be loaded to the install dvd? I know I was unable to come up with anything so far....

I was thinking the same thing, I read somewhere to change around the way the ide controller's handle's (er, its change it to AHCI or something - I was lazy and didn't go look up what the exactly the AHCI does but might even help)

I'm curious if the way works, if anybody tries it, please tell... I might have to go order one... although I do want my OS drive to be on the normal IDE controller.. hmm.

I searched for how to disable JMicron, and I ran into a forum where they say to set the ICH7 to AHCI (for the P5W). My BIOS doesn't have an ICH7 parameter, but when I try to just disable JMicron completely, the drive isn't recognized. There is also a setting nested in the JMicron setting (can't remember the name) that can have values of RAID, basic, or AHCI. My default is set at basic. I tried putting it at AHCI, but the same error appears when I try to boot from the disk.

I'm getting exactly the same error too with a Foxconn P965 mb, trying to use the 10.4.7 version.

Hmm, somehow I knew changing it to the AHCI or w/e it is wouldnt fix things, I don't remember if I tried that or not (just by trying as much as I could) but we'll see come monday... arg, wish ups shipped weekends :s

Hmm, I just realized that Ubantu link I posted is a 12+ page forum thread.. I kind of don't want to read all that, so I won't. I guess I'll either have to install to a sata drive or wait for a proper fix (I'm still thinking it maybe a kernal issue)....

Edit: I just read an interesting piece of info... I'll quote it

Is there a similar feature for Darwin or whatever, to override the ide driver??? It would be very interesting to see if it just happens to make it work, I'm not counting on it though.

I think using the IDE to SATA connector fixes the issue... but you'd have to plug it into a SATA port that isn't part of the JMicron controller... The above link I posted had somebody try it. Looks like I'll be heading to the store then.. eh, next week ish.

Only thing is, the whole IDE channel would have to be ignored in my box if there's no drivers for it, booo

Oh ya, you guys also might want to check for mobo BIOS updates (BE CAREFUL! (naturally))
For my Abit AB9 Pro, the new bios update's description is: "Support the IDE/ RAID mode adjusting function on JMicron363" + (plus some other fixes). I was ever so hoping to have loaded this bios into my board, but as I experienced first had their mobo is a bit flaky.. is why I had to RMA is, oi :s

So i see that its p965 boards that might be the cause of the problem.
Is there anyone succesfully installed osx on a 965 board?
If so what is the exact configuration?

I tried a lot with a P5B motherboard to install 10.4.6 and 10.4.7.

You can solve the installation problem with an USB DVD and start the installation.
Someone (2 people if i remember) had a success to install the OsX with this solution using a SATA HD connected to black/purble SATA connector (Jmicron raid connector) using it as AHCI.

I failed to do that on my p5B, so im not sure if one solution exists.

I changed motherboard and with 945 all works easily

Mike

From what I'm reading on Linux forums, the JMicron controller must be disabled, and then to use another port other than the IDE and SATA that goes along with it (use of a IDE to SATA works)....
I'm thinking I may hook up my OS to my 9th SATA port, and do a hookey pokey IDE to SATA to my eSATA for my burner... yay... :s

As far as AHCI, I don't know quite yet, I'm prety sure I tried that and it still had failed....
Although, I did take my os x 10.4.6 installed on a IDE hdd out of my ASUS board and stuck it into my 965 board, I did manage to get darwin going, but it errored out on the firewire or usb something or another...
I think its cuz the asus board didnt have soemthing insatlled and mine did... heh, we'll find out...

Geez, i cant wait till monday (ugh, never thought i'd say that)

Well, my problem is a bit different since i got a laptop, i don't think i got that JMicron controller since i got Ubuntu and SuSE Linux running great...
btw, I can't configure anything in the bios regarding to AHCI or something...

Are there any other solutions next to installing from VMWare???

Hit Enter several times before this message appears (ea. after the BIOS POST)..

If you mean i should get the "F8" menu, where i can select verbose mode,
I only get to the option called "Intel PXE Network" or something, after i press enter i still get the same error...

"Intel PXE Network" sounds like a BIOS message. Try to press F8 right after you hit Enter from the "Intel PXE Network" message.

When OSX boots, first the screen turns black then grey with a spinning icon. As soon as the screen turns black (after you hit Enter), start tapping the F8 key quickly and repeatedly until a command prompt appears. Type -v at the prompt.

I'm not so sure an IDE to SATA converter will work for the DVD drive. In VMWare, I used a virtual drive to boot the image from and I still got the same error.

I also tried loading from the image on my hdd (rather than enabling a dvd drive) and still the error occurred.

Its not a BIOS message, 'Intel PXE Network' thing is just a choice that you should choose out of a boot location list of OSX installation. And that is something that comes after you press F8.

My opinion is OSX installer doesn't recognize the right boot sector of Installer disc. Maybe this is the problem that must be fixed. And i believe we can do it in the command console (or Darwin) by entering some sort of command which tells the installer where to start booting on the OSX DVD.

Any suggestion what could that be?

By the way, has anyone tried installing from a external USB DVD or something like that? Any success?

i found out that my dvd drive in my laptop was not compatible with booting. i plugged the hard drive into another laptop and installed osx86 there and slapped it back in mine. the drive still works in osx86 with no problems with patchburn3

Did your laptop hdd have Windows on it first? Can you really install the operating system on one computer and then put it in a different computer? Doesn't the install keep a blueprint like thing of the system, so you aren't able to just put it in something else?

I tried using a different dvd rom, but that didn't help. However, if installing the OS on another system works, that could be a possibility for me. I don't really understand how it could really work, though.

i used my dad's ibm thinkpad (855 chipset w/ ati graphics).. i think by default all drivers are installed.. my laptop is a lenovo 3000 c100. it has a 915 chipset. so it's not a controller issue. i suppose if you installed the base os on a similar chipset system, you should be find unless it's a controller issue. i have an xp-osx dual boot using chain0 method cuz i don't like acronis.... i plan to overhaul the install though. i cloned the hd to a 100gb from a 40gb. i might want a bigger osx86 partition now. we'll see.

Well, I finally got my mobo in the mail and my coputer setup (took sooo long, but wiring is killer).
Anyways, I've been fidgeting with the bios and trying to get the dvd to boot... still no luck.


I've decided to test this out, but alas, it still gave the file missing error, even in both scenerios with the JMicron controller enabled and disabled..

I tried fiddeling with the AHCI for the jmicron.. still nothing, and I even tried swapping to another dvd burner from my other older box that mac isntalled on.. still no go, file missing errors galore

As far as the IDE to SATA goes, I've not made it to the store, and probably won't for some time (kinda lazy like that). If anybody wants to try this, please do and inform us how it goes.


Oh, I also think that once it's intalled to a drive using the JMicron controller, the OS will boot fine; the older mac os I had loaded from my other box starts to boot, but then errors out on some firewire stuff, no matter if I enable or disable the onboard firewire hmpf.


Does anybody have a P965 motherboard that has an onboard boot menu feature (common in laptops, according to the abit "techie")? I'm curious if this method would get around the file missing like it did in my other board.

Also, I know the BIOS in my board is still one the one that's out, but am still curious if the update might fix it; if anybody has an Abit AB9 Pro and gets teh bios 14 working, let me know
[I think I'll resort to calling the abit tech line and 'guiding' me through it, so if the board flakes on me again I can blame them :s]




I don't know if you know Rammjet, but I must say, I think it's a problem with the Darwin loader, it doesn't get to the GUI of OSX when it gives the file missing error... Which leads me to my next question: Does the OSX isnatll DVD have to be HFS+ partitioned? Could it not be another format? And if it could, couldn't the disk be compiled so the bios could recognize everything on there?

Hmm, I guess I'll test this as I'm anxious to figure this out

Any success with a SATA drive so far? Anyone?

Or are we stuck to the all IDE dirves. Has anyone got a MSI P965 Neo mobo and OSX86 installed?

I tried installing to a SATA with the JMicron controller disabled, and booting from my converted usb dvdrom.. and tried 2 different burners, still failed...

And should be any p695 shouldnt it? Currently, I've isntalled win and going to try via vmware.. hope that works

Hmm... I'm not so sure it's the JMicron controller. I've searched around a little bit and there are a bunch of people that share the same mobo as me (P5W DH Deluxe) that have successfully installed Mac OS. On the HCL list, it doesn't mention anything about the JMicron controller either. This is leading me to believe it's something els... I just don't know what.

EDIT: I found a solution!!! At least a solution that works for me. On my mobo, I have 2 IDE ports. One is the JMicron one, and the other is the ICH7R (I think that's what it is.) I read elsewhere that when turning on AHCI, you have to plug in the DVD-rom in the ICH7R port. I thought I did this but I guess not. This is why when I put it on AHCI last time I didn't see my DVD-rom. Well I switched it to the ICH7R port and turned on AHCI, and it works! I'm installing it this very moment. Hope this helps!

Ah, interseting souled.. sadly, my mobo only has one IDE controller and is by the JMicron controller as well as 2 SATA ports... Hmm, I wonder if a PCI - IDE card would fix the issue, I got one laying around, I'll test that this minute.

And your solution is supporting that it is indeed the JMicron controller; something about it and Disc devices don't work (try booting into a Win9x DOS floppy with cd-rom support, fails miserably.. ) Although, booting to mac from on a JMicron IDE controller is possible, by what I've seen my old one do (cept it errored on firewire like I mentioned earlier).

Well, I'll see if the IDE-PCI card work, I'll letcha all know of course

EDIT: Well, seems this will take a bit longer than I thought, the my dvd burner isn't recognized on this damn card I have, dunno if its bum IDE cables or something, be another 30 mins or so, gonna go on IDE cable hunt. :s

EDIT2: Hmpf, still no go on my card, windows recognizes the card, can't find a x64bit driver but only looked for about 2 secs.. and SATA plugged into it (its a 2 port sata and 1 port ide to pci card) doesn't get recognized, so thinking either card is in bad pci or bios conflicting... or, maybe i shutdown my good box and test a working card? If I don't doze off again, I'll be puttin results in faster than this last time... ;P

Err, ok, so I figured it out; I had unplugged the sata drive's power from the main power channel, ( i knew that was simple ) but the cdrom still failed... from the online manual "The card does not support ATAPI devices such
as Zip drives or CD/DVD drives." Well isn't that lovely?? I guess I'll deal with another pci-ide card tomarrow, just a matter of switching off my main computer... i'd rahter not though.


Anybody try the IDE - SATA method yet with a DVD Burner/Rom?

Man What a mess! Why doesn't it just simply work?
I started thinkin' to return my old p865 box, all was just flawlessly working...

Yea, i agree man, still only got my theories myself...

Has any of you tried booting from an old DOS 9x boot floppy with CD-Rom support?
I'm sure it will fail for anybody using the DVD Rom on the jmicron controller... I'm about to order one of those IDE to SATA connectors (18 bucks with shipping via newegg.com).

BTW, i successfully (yea, what a concept for this board) upgraded my BIOS to a modded newest version... still didn't make the thing work. I'm also thinking, since it's the open darwin that can't find the file, would it not be a driver issue with open darwin? Arg, I wish I knew how to make my own drivers.... I'm gonna play around with the open darwin boot disk and try to fiddle away.

Oh ya, I almost got to test the install via vmware but msUpdate rendered my registry corrupt.. so I get to reinstall, YAY!! (oh, besides the fact my hdd sounds like an ewok...)
I'll letcha know how well it boots into mac os using that ide channel tomarrow sometime

EDIT:
lol, megavolkan, I think its just you and me that's having this stubborn problem and glad to hear you're stubborn like me in tring to get it to boot without having to do the win step inbetween although, I think the ide-sata method will work, going to order that right now, should be here next tuesday (i'll expect it wednesday)

Yeah buddy (mMiniImManN ) i'm stubborn because i updated my system for a great gaming experience under windows and with high hopes on the osx86 side.

If the ide to sata thingy works well i might think getting one of those
Waiting for tuesday come...

Thought I'd add in, booting with just the Open Darwin cd, gives me an error right as fast as the osX setup does:

"/System.config/Default.table" not found


hmm, I swear it didn't error on my asus board, I'll check it tomarrow morning. [Just tried the disk in VMWare on this old box of mine, it actually boots till my comp can't handle it]. So, I think it's a problem with the darwin loader conflicting with the jmicron ide controller? Perhaps maybe, jsut maybe it's a simple driver issue with darwin?
Edit: Er, i meant to say, I think darwin has a problem with cd-devices on this jmicron cotroller, or at least the ver of it that we have

be interesting, if there was a way to load a driver on there and test it....

Death to Jmicron
Just kidddin', i need to find a sata dvdv drive..

Thank god I found this thread! This problem has been driving me insane! Anyway, after reading everybody's posts I figured I throw my 2 cents of desperation in. Here are my specs:

MSI P965 Neo
Intel Core Duo 2 1.86ghz
320gb Western Digital IDE HD
1gb RAM
ATI x1600

So basically I tried everything you guys tried, with the exception of the USB boot and the IDE -> SATA converter, all to no avail. Today I went and bought a SATA HD to test out, and the OS X still failed.

My conclusion is that, at least for me, booting OSX on a 965 MB is impossible at this point and time. Even with the SATA plugged in, it only saw the PXE Boot Client, which means it wasn't reading either my IDE controller or my SATA controller, so tomorrow I'm returning my 965 for a 945. Good luck with everything!

Now wait just a minute, it may still be possible! The IDE to SATA device is a little 12 buck converter... (It's for making the DVD Burner a sata device, not the HDD I'm installing to; I've got plenty of sata devices and checked that part first). Mine is still in the mail, I'm hoping to get it tomorrow sometime.. latest friday (it helps entering your credit card info correctly, heh, damn date check). Well, I'll let everyone know what happens yet, and I just got windows re-installed, so will try install through VMWare, I'm pretty sure the OS will boot natively once it's installed

So keep your hopes up, 2 more test trials to do, and well, hope both of them work.

OK, here's the deal:

Got my IDE to SATA connector today (FINALLY!!).
Plugged my dvd burned into ther, plugged it into my main SATA controller (not that damn jmicron one).

Well, DARWIN BOOTS!
Sooooo gooood. Using my 10.4.6 dvd currently, looks like it hung with a grey apple... gonna do verbose mode next here in a minute.
Lets see, I think that's it... I'll post what verbose does for me.. unless thats for darwin part only... hmm, we'll see

Oh yea, if I can't get it to boot properly, I'll try the vmware way.. I've got a fresh new 80gb sataII drive for the job as well


EDIT:
Ok, found my problem, probably will work for you:
Verbose mode gives ugly results.. exactally what the installed os 10.4.6 drive said from my other box when I poped it in this one...

FireWire (OHCI) TI ID 8023 PCI: Bad selfID's, issuing bus reset (retry -has a number that goes to 40)
/SourceCache/AppleFWOHCI/AppleFWOCHI-259.4.0/AppleFWOHCI.cpp 2760: ERROR: Firewire (OHCI) TI ID 8023 PCI: handle UnrecoverableErrorInt


Then, after 40'th time:

Still waiting for root device 3 times..
FireWire (OHCI) TI ID 8023 PCI: 136 bus resets in last minute.
Still waiting for....... several more times; I'm gonna fiddle with bios now, the ahci and ata thingie.. maybe pop in another sata port.

ooo, new thingie:
FireWire (OHCI) TI ID 8023 PCI: 96 bus resets in last minute.
Still waiting for root device

guess it does in 3x intervals? I wonder what happens when it hits 0....
EDIT: hmm, stalls and does 3x od waiting, doesnt go less than 96


Thought I might also pop in:
Since this is a cpp file and erroring on what looks like line 2706 (That right?) couldn't it be edited and fixed? or bypassed?


EDIT:
Yay, more info :\
Well, with AHCI for the controller the dvd rom is plugged into, comes up in verbose and hangs quite quickly:

Waiting for boot volume with UUID [bunch of numbers, too lazy to copy]
Waiting on <dict ID="0"><key>IOProviderClass</key><string ID="1">IOResources</string><key>IOResourcesMatch</key><string ID="2">boot-uuid-media</string></dict>


heh, guess I'll try the 10.4.7 cd next, then vmware-ing it.


Hope this helps, hope somebody has answers to my above questions


Final Edit for the night:

Well, I tried all 3 of my SATA controllers (SiI, Jmicron, and the one the bios refers to as IDE (or raid/ahci)... couldn't get it to boot the installer with any combinations
I had to unplug my ps/2 KB, plugin a usb one (poped in my mac kb).. then it came up with
USB device thingie (i dont remember it 1:1) signaled wake (ahci [or something])
Still waiting for root device
Still waiting for root device
Still waiting for root device
Still waiting for root device
ect.......

so, i dunno what else to do other than VMWare... I'll work on this come sunday, work tomarrow, booo.

mMiniImManN:

Please let us know what's happening with your machine. I succeded with an Athlon 3500+ machine, but now I'm failing terribly with my brand new Abit Ab9 + Conroe + nVidia 7600GT.

I tried booting from IDE DVD and there was the boot.plist failure. Then with the USB DVD and the same thing. Now I'm trying with VMWare but.... No working. My next move is a Sata-IDE convertor, an Abit Bios update and... I'll be out of ideas.

So, plz let us know if you have any success. Coz I know you will man!!

We'll conquer you Stevie!

same problem here .... but got it solved when i extracted it again from the rar file and burned it again at low speed.....

i burned it with clone dvd 2.9.0.1 which even solved my ebios error ....... which alcohol and nero could not

how? You were having the /com.apple.Boot error and it's solved now?
So i have a 10.4.5 native install DVD (with patches of course), and if i remake the DVD via clone dvd way it will be solved...

wish i was at home now and give it a try
can't wait!!!
(cross the fingers )

what if i install MacOS with VMWare on a separate disk and try to boot it natively?
Does this solve the problem?
Any ideas?

Did you try any other installation dvd's? JaS 10.4.6 with 10.4.7 update is working great here.

yes i know but unlike most of people around here i don't have a broadband connection so i cannot get those Gigabytes of files and i should stick to this 10.4.5 DVD
-sigh-

yes i got exactly same problem......
if you are installing on vmware try daemon tools......dont use the iso file directly....... heard that somr problems in hfs file system emulation in vmware