(GUIDE) Dell Optiplex 790 SFF MacOS Sierra 10.12.6

[NisseA 4]

Including the guide in the Dell optiplex 790.zip.

 

• Dell Optiplex 790 – This is necessary to install macOS Sierra for this tutorial

• A copy of Mac OS X – This can be in the form of an existing hackintosh, within Windows or Linux, or even a regular Mac.
• A 8GB USB flash drive (or larger) – We’ll be copying the files to the drive appropriately, so make sure that you have a flash drive with enough storage space (8GB or larger).
• A copy of macOS Sierra – The method used by this guide requires that you have a copy of the 

macOS Sierra Installation app, which is available for free from the Mac App Store. 

• This is for an clean vanilla install. 

 

My Specs 

 

Dell Optiplex 790 SFF

 

• Intel Core i7-2600 / 3.39 GHz (you might have a different CPU)
• 8GB DDR3 1333Mhz RAM
• Samsung SSD 840 EVO 120 gb
• Nvidia Geforce Quadro 600 1024 gb 

• Netgear wna1000 N150 mini usb wifi adapter (https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Wi-Fi-Micro-Adapter-WNA1000M/dp/B004VDR37K)

 

 

1. Download OS X Sierra 

 

• Download macOS Sierra from the Mac App Store.
• Once macOS Sierra is downloaded, close the install pop-up that appears using Command (⌘) +Q.
• The application INSTALL macOS Sierra will appear in /Applications
• Done! 

 

2. Prepare bootable USB Installer
Note on flash drives: You will need a USB flash drive to make this work. Your USB should be at least 8G.
Now, we need to prepare the USB Drive so that it will properly boot up on your desktop. Make sure that the disk you choose to use doesn't contain anything that you want to keep, because the following tutorial will delete everything on the drive. 

 

• Open Finder - Applications and right-click on Install macOS Sierra and select Show Package Contents.
• Open Contents - Resources.
• Open a Terminal in applications or using the spotlight. 

• In the Terminal window type sudo followed by a space.
• Drag the createinstallmedia file from the finder window opened in Step 4 to the Terminal Window.
• Type --volume followed by a space.
• Connect your USB drive and drag the USB drive into the Terminal Window.• Type -- applicationpath in the Terminal followed by a space.
• Open Finder - Applications and drag the Install macOS Sierra into the Terminal Window.
• Press Return on the keyboard to submit the full command.
• Type a 'Y' to continue when prompted to do so, and press Return on your keyboard
• The install process will begin by erasing the contents of your USB disk and copying the installer files to the USB disk. The entire process is quite lengthy; it can takes around 15-30 minutes, so you will need to show some patience. 

 

 

 

3. Installing Clover to the USB Disk

• Download clover boot loader - https://sourceforge.net/projects/cloverefiboot/
• open the Clover.pkg.
• Clover installation screen will be prompt.
• Click on Continue - Continue.
• Click on Change Install Location on the right bottom.
• Choose your USB Stick named Install macOS Sierra and click on Continue.
• Click on Customise on the left bottom.
• Choose Install Clover in the ESP
• Choose Boot-loader - Install boot0af in MBR
• At last choose Install RC Scripts on target volume
• Click after that on Install.
• Clover will installed on the EFI Partition on the USB after install you can see the EFI partition in Finder. 

 

4. Prepare USB stick for Dell Optiplex 790

 

Now, we need to prepare the USB Drive so that it will properly boot up on your desktop.

• Go to the folder Dell Optiplex 790 (SFF)
• Copy the kexts inside the folder Kext
• Copy and paste all the files to /EFI/CLOVER/Kexts/10.12
•  Copy the config inside the folder Config

• Paste the config inside /EFI/CLOVER and replace
• Save the Clover.pkg on the usb for further installation.
• Done, you can now boot on the usb.

 

 

6. Installing OSX Sierra from your USB drive 

 

• Power on the desktop, press F12 until you get to the boot screen. 
• Enter Bios Setup and under “Boot sequence” choose legacy boot
• If needed, check the square for booting with usb.
• Apply and exit 
• Once again, press F12 until you get to the boot screen - Choose to boot from usb.
• When clover boot screen is visible, choose boot "Install macOS from Sierra USB Installer”.
• Choose you desired language and click on the arrow, the macOS Utilities screen will appear.
• For a new installation of macOS, you must erase and format the destination drive according to the following steps before continuing.
• Choose in the macOS utilities for Disk Utility and click Continue. 
• Disk Utility will be opened, highlight your target drive for macOS Sierra installation in the left
  column. 
• Click the Erase button on top. 
• Under Name: Type Sierra or any other name. (your chose but remember the name)
• Under Format: Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled). 
• Under Scheme: Choose GUID Partition Map. 
• Click Erase. 
• Click on Done. 
• Close Disk Utility you will be prompted to the macOS Utilities screen.
• In the macOS Utilities screen choose Install macOS and click 2x on Continue.
• Agree the license agreement and click again on Agree
• When the installer asks you where to install macOS, choose your Sierra HDD and click on Install.
• Sierra will be installed on the HDD, this will take about 6 - 15 minutes depending of your HDD.
• Upon completion, system will restart when its done.
• Press F12 key to choose the boot device.
• When the Clover Boot screen is visible, Choose "Boot macOS Install from Sierra”.
• macOS will continue to Install the OS on your HDD this will take about 10 -25 minutes after that the installation will be finished and your desktop will reboot.

7. Booting for the first time macOS Sierra

• When the Clover Boot screen is visible, Choose "Boot MAC OS X from Sierra"
• You will eventually get to the setup screens for macOS Sierra. Go through the setup process to setup macOS Sierra.
• At the country selection choose your country and press continue.
• Select Your Keyboard choose ABC and press Continue.
• Choose at "How do i connect to the internet " ..."My Computer Does Not Connect to the Internet” or use an ethernet cable

• Choose at Transform Information To This Mac for "Don't Transfer any information now" click on Continue.
• At Enable Location Services for "Enable Location Services on this Mac" click Continue.
• Agree the Terms and Conditions.
• Create your Computer Account and uncheck "Set time zone based on current location" press Continue.
• Choose your Timezone and click Continue.
• At the Diagnostic screen click Continue.
• The setup process is ready, Done!. 

 

8. Change Security & Privacy for 3rd party software

• Start Terminal choose using the launchpad or spotlight
• In Terminal type sudo spctl --assess --master-disable followed by password to activate the option in Security & Policy "Allow apps downloaded from" Anywhere.
• Go to System Preferences – Security& Privacy and look of the option "Anywhere" is active if not activate the option. 

 

 

10. Installing Clover to the HD 

• Unpack the Dell Optiplex 790 (SFF).zip to your desktop.
• Once again install clover with the pkg you saved on the usb
• Click on Continue - Continue.
• Click on Change Install Location on the right bottom. 

• Choose your HDD named Sierra click on Continue. • Click on Customise on the left bottom.
• Choose Install Clover in the ESP
• Choose Boot-loader : Install boot0af in MBR
• At last choose Install RC Scripts on target volume
• Click after that on Install
• When its done, locate the folder Dell Optiplex 790 (SFF)
• Download Clover configurator (http://mackie100projects.altervista.org/download-clover-configurator/)
• Drag it to the folder Applications in finder menu.
• Open the app and mount the EFI portion if its not mounted

• Copy the kexts inside the folder kext
• Copy and paste all the files to /EFI/CLOVER/Kexts/10.12
•  Copy the config.plist inside the folder Config (optional, just open Clover configurator and create a new one)

• Paste the config inside /EFI/CLOVER and replace
• Done, you can now boot from the hdd.

 

11. Optional - USB WIFI

 

If you have, Like me the netgear wna1000 N150 follow this steps then.

 

• Go to folder Dell Optiplex 790 (SFF)
• Open the folder named Wifi
• Open the folder named netgear wna1000 N150
• Open the Sierrav1.dmg 
• Install the “installer.pkg”
• Restart and done, you have now working wifi.

 

 

12. Optional - Clover config

 

If you choose to make a new config file. (remember, if you have another graphics card this settings might look different. You might need boot flags or other settings to get it to work. THIS IS ONLY WORKS WITH GEFORCE QUADRO 600 as far as I know)
Should work for everyone with a graphics card thats supported oot in MacOS.

 

• Open Clover configurator  
• Go to Boot and check the square named kext-dev-mode=1
• Go to SMBIOS and press the button looking like that ——>
• Choose MacBook Pro 10,1
• Go to System Parameters
• Press Get it from system and copy that
• Go to SMBIOS again and paste it in SmUUID
• Go to Rt Variables 
• Press Generate
• Close Clover configurator and save the config.plist 
• Paste the config.plist in /EFI/CLOVER (you can paste it on the usb too if you want)
• Done! You can now boot without the usb AND iMessage/FaceTime/iCloud/Appstore should work now.

 

13. Optional - skip the clover boot menu to boot straight into Sierra upon starting your desktop 

 

 

• Open the config.plist you’ve made with Clover configurator 
• Go to Boot
• In the section Default Boot Volume type Sierra (or the name you chose for your hard drive  with Sierra on)
• In the white square named Timeout type 0
• Done! Your desktop will now skip the clover boot menu and boot straight into MacOS Sierra.

 

14. Optional - Bluetooth Adapter  https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007MKMJGO?tag=pcad03-21

 

If you have like me the (or want to buy one) Ultra-Mini USB Broadcom BCM20702 you can follow this steps.

 

• Go to folder Dell Optiplex 790 (SFF)
• Copy the kexts in the folder Bluetooth
• Paste the kexts in /EFI/CLOVER/Kexts/10.12’
• Done! You should now restart your desktop.

 

15. Disable SIP - Optional

 

• Open your config.plist within /EFI/CLOVER/
• Go to Rt Variables 
• Change the BooterConfig to 0x28
• Change the CsrActiveConfig to 0x67
• Restart your hackintosh
• Boot into recovery mode when reaching Clover boot menu.
• Open up terminal
• Type in csrutil disable
• Restart your hackintosh and boot into Sierra
• Open up terminal 
• Type csrutil status and check if its disabled.
• Done, you have now disabled SIP.
  
  16. Whats working?
  About everything should work by now including iMessage/FaceTime/iCloud/Appstore.

 

 17. Finished!
You’ve successfully installed macOS Sierra onto your Dell Optiplex 790 SFF.

[CamBuff 0]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. Your post is very well explained, thanks a lot for that. But from where can I download the Dell Optiplex 790 (SFF).zip?

Is it part of this article or any other section of this website? I did a thorough search in this forum, can't find anything. Please help, thanks in advance.

[NisseA 4]

On 6/11/2018 at 11:55 AM, CamBuff said:

Hi, I'm new to this forum. Your post is very well explained, thanks a lot for that. But from where can I download the Dell Optiplex 790 (SFF).zip?

Is it part of this article or any other section of this website? I did a thorough search in this forum, can't find anything. Please help, thanks in advance.

sorry thought I had it included in the thread. will upload it later if you still need it.

[Drgreen203 0]

hi could not find the Dell Optiplex 790 (SFF).zip

[CamBuff 0]

On 6/17/2018 at 7:17 PM, NisseA said:

sorry thought I had it included in the thread. will upload it later if you still need it.

Great, waiting for update. Thanks in advance! :)

[CamBuff 0]

On 6/17/2018 at 7:17 PM, NisseA said:

sorry thought I had it included in the thread. will upload it later if you still need it.

Can this Zip file work?
http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/332512-guide-macos-high-sierra-1013-dell-optiplex-780-760-755-790-990/#entry2595284

[CamBuff 0]

On 6/17/2018 at 7:17 PM, NisseA said:

sorry thought I had it included in the thread. will upload it later if you still need it.

Hi,
I found this Zip from another thread. Does it contain all necessary files? Can you verify it please? I'm a beginner, don't know much about this.

EFI Optiplex 790 (HS-10.13).zip

[bennals 1]

@NisseA This is a very useful thread that is made far less useful if you haven't attached the .zip that you refer to.  The versions of the kexts within it might be critical to the success of forum members trying your method.  Please upload it.  Otherwise you might be wasting a lot of peoples time.

[CamBuff 0]

I've been waiting for the .ZIP file for past few weeks. Looks like author abandoned this thread :'(

[robif2002 1]

audio work?

[CamBuff 0]

On 7/11/2018 at 7:43 PM, CamBuff said:

Hi,
I found this Zip from another thread. Does it contain all necessary files? Can you verify it please? I'm a beginner, don't know much about this.

EFI Optiplex 790 (HS-10.13).zip

 

On 10/29/2018 at 8:58 PM, robif2002 said:

audio work?

Check the Zip file above. It works well, including Sleep n Wake. DSDT files also included in it.

[Katsuma 0]

Good find, CamBuff. I was getting an "IOConsoleUsers" error message and then had a light bulb moment and solved it.