R22 Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 For those who has problem getting Mac OS X to boot with the SATA HDs and suffer the "still waiting for root device" or "red circle with a cross", the problem has been fixed for awhile but the topics is hard to find around here and after three weeks of trying to find a solution, searching after searching the problem was really simple that I had to bonk my head with a hammer. Here is my spec: MSI PT880 Neo Motherboard Intel Pentium 4 2.8ghz Prescott 2GB PC3200 DDR RAM Hitachi 250gb 7200RPM SATA HD (NOTE: If anything happens to your computer, please don't blame me or sue me. I'm just trying to help for those who are having this issue and is willing to take the risk. If I made a mistake in my instructions, please let me know so I can correct. Not everyone is perfect...) Alright first thing first. You either want to install it either in VMWare or Natively, it doesn't matter. Make sure your partition on the SATA HD is active. I suggest using 10.4.6 or 10.4.7 since there is a patch in there already that recognize the SATA controller. So you're not quite sure if the partition is actually active? What you want to do is during setup, go to Utilities -> Terminal. Type diskutil list (found your SATA HD number?) fdisk -e /dev/rdisk(the number of your HD you want to install it to) (without the quotation marks) Type "p" (check your partition) Type "f l" (select which partition you want to make active) Type "write" Type "yes" Type "exit" Now that you have confidence that you have your partition active, continue you on with the installation. Make sure you select the patch for your SATA controller (if there is any, if not ignore it or try to found it) in the "customize" before pressing install/setup whatever it is. Note: I'm not 100% sure if the VIA or ATI SATA patch will work with any other controller out there so please don't ask me about that because I have no idea. I only have experience with what I have. Alright, it is round TWO! The batter is up and what comes up after round ONE? The stupid "still waiting for root device" blah blah blah {censored}. Yeah we all had this issue before. A simple small bug I would say. You're wondering... I select the stupid SATA Controller patch during setup, why isn't it reading my stupid HD! DIE COMPUTER DIE! Well the problem is, it is not reading your patch .kext file for the SATA Controller. Instead it is reading that old buggy "AppleGenericPCATA or AppleGenericATA kext file". You want to get rid of that {censored} but how? Simple, follow these instruction. - Reboot and try to get into Darwin boot menu by pressing the F8 key numerous of times until you get in there. Do it quick! and type the command "-v" once you're there. - Got that message right? Do you see the file loading AppleGenericPCATA or AppleGenericATA? That is the file you want to get rid of. - Follow the first step above (Darwin Boot, F8) Type in the command "-s -x" - Now look, LOOK! Which kext loaded? You should a kext file with something ATA or SATA on it. (Keyword: ATA, or SATA is the file you're looking for) It should be something similar. I suggest you write it down for reference. - Type exit and hopefully you should be able to get into safe boot. If not, I cannot help you there. - Copy and paste the ATA or SATA kext file you saw (the one I told you to write for reference). It should be in the /System/Library/Extensions folder. Next, you want to copy and paste it into IOATAFamily/Contents/PlugIns. - Remove the AppleGenericPCATA or rename it to disable it and move it to a different folder. - Go to Terminal, type sudo -s "your password" - cd /System/Library/ - sudo chown -R root:wheel Extensions - sudo chmod -R 755 Extensions - Type "exit" - Go to /System/Library/ and delte the extensions.mkext file and the other one if you want. - Go to Disk Utility -> Repair Permissions - Reboot - Go into Darwin Boot menu again with F8 (QUICK!) - Type in the command "-v -f" (to refresh the Extensions folder) Cross your finger and hope it works! BAM! That is the end of the tutorial and hopefully it works for most of you guys...Hopefully... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbig Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Maybe you can try to download this dvdimage... MacOS X.10.4.7 HOT-iSO (Made by JaS) From btjunkie.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R22 Posted October 4, 2006 Author Share Posted October 4, 2006 The only HotISO pack i found was for ver 10.4.6 which is my next attempt to download. I can't seem to find one for 10.4.7 and if it was 10.4.7, that is the amd intel repack ver. I download which also did not work in both ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rammjet Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 It may be that OSX has an issue with your SATA controller. Try a PATA drive for the OSX installation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R22 Posted October 4, 2006 Author Share Posted October 4, 2006 PATA works fine. Though if OS X has an issue with my sata controller, how is it able to read my SATA fine (as a slave) when I got the OS installed on the PATA HD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rammjet Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 I don't know what the problem is, but it appears to be a random problem if it works once and then not a second time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R22 Posted October 4, 2006 Author Share Posted October 4, 2006 Interesting how it works on VMWare and not native, I wonder if its probably the drivers for the sata controller or something. If anyone knows about it, let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBK.Xscape Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 sorry to bug but what is VMware Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R22 Posted October 4, 2006 Author Share Posted October 4, 2006 http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?sho...4&hl=vmware Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R22 Posted October 5, 2006 Author Share Posted October 5, 2006 After doing more research, I figured out the problem. It loads the AppleGenericPCATA.kext file instead of the AppleVIAATA.kext file. I've been looking around the forum finding issues related to this. I tried removing the AppleGenericPCATA file and replace it with the AppleVIAATA in the IOFamilyATA content. It loads find in Safe Boot when it boots normally, how the hell does it still load up the AppleGenericPCATA file? I set the permission correctly and remove that file. EDIT: GOT IT FIXED!! Let me know if anyone is having the same issue. Just PM and I'll try to help you the best way I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R22 Posted October 12, 2006 Author Share Posted October 12, 2006 Made an instruction for those who has problems. Feel free to correct me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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