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? Dummy OpenCore USB


mengshi
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Dortania advises to use a "Dummy" USB drive formatted to GUID and putting a "test" EFI folder in the EFI partition for any upgrading etc.

 

I have created this, used my working EFI folder on my SSD on it, put it in during boot, the extra USB shows up but when I hit return, nothing happens and it is a black screen.

 

1. Why is this so?

 

2. What is suppose to happen?

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Guest 5T33Z0

Dummy USB?

 

Can you post post a link to the section you are refering to?

 

Usually you update OpenCore, Kexts and Drivers to the latest Version first, validate the config, reboot, check if it works and then perform the System Update. It's good practice to keep the latest working EFI folder on a FAT 32 formated USB stick as a fallback to boot from. As long as you can see the Bootmenu you're good to go. That's all this is supposed to do –   starting the bootloader so you can boot macOS or the Installer which is on the HDD/SSD already. What do you want to do?

Edited by 5T33Z0
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7 hours ago, 5T33Z0 said:

Dummy USB?

 

Can you post post a link to the section you are refering to?

 

Usually you update OpenCore, Kexts and Drivers to the latest Version first, validate the config, reboot, check if it works and then perform the System Update. It's good practice to keep the latest working EFI folder on a FAT 32 formated USB stick as a fallback to boot from. As long as you can see the Bootmenu you're good to go. That's all this is supposed to do –   starting the bootloader so you can boot macOS or the Installer which is on the HDD/SSD already. What do you want to do?


 

https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Post-Install/universal/update.html#_2-mount-your-efi

 

 

This part about using a USB thumb drive to update in case of screw up. I did that as a backup USB but it is not working. Can see iit in the bootmenu but it is black screen when selected. It has the same EFI as the working SSD which is strange.  Is it using FAT32 GUID format?


 

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Guest 5T33Z0

The GUID part is unnecessary since the hidden EFI partition on your HDD/SSD is – in fact – a FAT32 partition. So a FAT MBR is sufficient and can be accessed from within windows as well. Plus no mounting necessary.

 

BUT, you get one part wrong: THIS tutorial is not about using the stick for updating. It is simply to start the bootloader in case something happens to the EFI partition in the HDD/SSD– nothing more nothing less. Nothing happens if you select the stick, because there's nothing on it besides the bootloader. You have to select a hard drive.

 

I think this part of the guide is totally misleading and not useful

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4 hours ago, 5T33Z0 said:

The GUID part is unnecessary since the hidden EFI partition on your HDD/SSD is – in fact – a FAT32 partition. So a FAT MBR is sufficient and can be accessed from within windows as well. Plus no mounting necessary.

 

BUT, you get one part wrong: THIS tutorial is not about using the stick for updating. It is simply to start the bootloader in case something happens to the EFI partition in the HDD/SSD– nothing more nothing less. Nothing happens if you select the stick, because there's nothing on it besides the bootloader. You have to select a hard drive.

 

I think this part of the guide is totally misleading and not useful

 

Actually, just read your guide. I did what you described but is it correct that if previously I had LauncherOption = full, I have to disable it and CleanNVRAM prior to booting from the USB?

 

I disabled LauncherOption and clean and reset NVRAM, on reboot, I do see the USB in the bootmenu but when selecting it, it is black screen. Somehow it is not booting from the USB when the USB stick was using the same EFI as the one that is working on the SSD. (I literally copied the EFI folder from the working SSD to the USB-EFI partition).

 

BTW, I was able to do what you described in your guide previously until I tinkered with USB port mapping but the interesting thing is that I was able to boot from SSD without issue but the same EFI on the USB doesn't work.

 

[ Reading your guides to check if I made any errors. I did the USB port remap using Oralila methods via SSDT. Previously was using Technolli method with the generated .kext. I did turn off EHCI via SSDT-EHCx_OFF]

 

Edited by mengshi
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Guest 5T33Z0

What is that "it" you are refering to? The USB Stick or the SSD?

 

3 hours ago, mengshi said:

[…] I do see the USB in the bootmenu but when selecting it, it is black screen. […]

 

Again: the USB Stick only starts the OpenCore Bootloader – nothing more. You put the stick in, open the BIOS bootmenu, select the USB stick and boot from it. If you see the OpenCore Boot Menu after this, it's done. That's all it does and that's all it is designed for. From this stage forward you need select a SSD to boot macOS from, not the stick itself because there's nothing else on it besides the EFI folder.

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