[Success!] 10.6.7 DELL Optiplex 755 + GF 8500 GT 512MB.

[Rastamancho]

Hello everyone.

 

Here's a quick step by step guide on how to install and update Mac OS X Snow leopard on a Dell Optiplex 755 (Core 2 Duo E6550, 3 GB DDR 2) with a GeForce 8500 GT 512 MB (Also suitable for the onboard Intel VGA chip, but without QE/CI).

 

I used Hazard 10.6.1 - 10.6.2 ISO on a separate 150 GB Sata hard drive with only one partition. More partitions are supported, but I'll only describe what I did.

 

1. Installation.

 

• Burn the ISO to a blank DVD. I used Nero.
  
• Insert the os x dvd into the dvd drive and power off the pc.
  
• Remove the Windows HDD and connect the one for Mac OS X install.
  
• Turn on the PC and enter BIOS settings.
  
• Expand the "Drives" tree and make sure the 2 drives (DVD and HDD) are turned on and AHCI is enabled.
  
• Save & exit.
  
• On the Dell loading screen strike F12 and select to boot from DVD drive.
  
• [Optional]On Darwin boot screen press F8 and type -v or just press enter if you don't want to see whats happening.
  
• Upon successful boot select your language. Mine's russian for example.
  
• When preparing is done, click utilities and select Disk Utility.
  
• Select the drive itself and click Partition.
  
• From the dropdown menu select the option with only 1 partition.
  
• Name it and use Mac OS X Extended (Journaled) as your file system.
  
• Exit the Disk Utility.
  
• Click Continue, select the drive, click Customize.
  
• Select the Mac OSX 10.6.2 Combo, select the latest Chameleon as your boot loader, Expand the Audio tree and select VoodooHDA.
  
• Click Done.
  
• Click Install and skip the verification thing.
  
• Restart upon successful install.
  

 

2. Permissions and Updating.

 

• Before logging into your Mac OS X, boot from the DVD and select the Password Reset utility.
  
• Reset the password for "root System Administrator".
  
• Reboot.
  
• In the Chameleon Boot loader select "Boot Single User".
  
• on the "root" prompt type the following:
  

  mount -uw /
  cd System/Library/Extensions
  rm -rf AppleTyMCEDriver.kext
  cd /
  touch var/db/.AppleSetupDone
  exit

  
   
  

• Mac OS X should start booting. When prompted login as root and your password.
  
• In applications find the OSX86 Tools and launch it.
  
• Select "Restore Mac OS X to defaults" or something like that.
  
• Restart normally
  
• Create an account or log in as root.
  
• Click Apple logo in the top left corner and select Software Update.
  
• Click Show details, untick all the updates except for the "10.6.7 Combined".
  
• Install it.
  
• The installation should end up as a Kernel panic.
  
• Manually power off the PC and unplug the HDD.
  
• Plug the HDD into a PC with windows.
  
• Download MacDrive and on your OS X HDD go to x:\System\Library\Extensions and permanently delete Sleepenabler.kext and AppleTyMCEDriver.kext folders.
  
• Plug the HDD back into the Optiplex 755 and boot it normally.
  
• You should have Mac OS X 10.6.7 fully working. Now you can install all the other updates.
  

 

3. Enabling the QE/CI. (For nVidia GeForce 8500 GT 512 MB).

 

• Go to kexts.com.
  
• Find and download Nvenabler64.kext
  
• Go to System/Extra.
  
• copy the apple.boot.plist file to the desktop.
  
• Right click it and open with text editor.
  
• Add the following 2 lines:
  

  <key>GraphicsEnabler</key>
  <string>No</string>

  
   
  

• Close, Save, move it back to the initial place by replacing the old one.
  
• Find your downloaded Nvenabler64.kext, right click it and open it with the Kext Utility.
  
• When the kext installs, reboot.
  
• QE/CI should be working now.
  

 

* Note: This QE/CI method should work with many other Nvidia graphics cards, but you'll have to google that.

[Rastamancho]

10.6.8 update was completely successful.