FAILED Install on Dell D820

[matulike]

Hi,

 

I've put all my posts on this particular install together here, so read through to get the full scenario! Thanks!

 

 

OK, so I've had OSX and XP running on my PC for ages now using Acronis bootloader to select the OS at boot time. All works sweet. I'm using 10.4.7 JaS disk.

 

I've just tried to install OSX on my new laptop, as I just got the 10.4.8 disk and want to try out Dual Core action! The laptop already had XP and Vista dual booting (using the Vista boot manager).

I created a new partition, moved it to the first place on the drive and formatted (using SuSe live DVD) to AF (0xaf). I popped the JaS 10.4.8 DVD in, booted it up, installed OSX and it rebooted.

 

Now the problems begin:

 

Acronis will not find the OSX partition. It only finds the XP one. I know it wont find Vista, but that's fine. I have the Vista boot loader on the XP partition so when I select XP in Acronis it starts the Vista loader and I can select XP or Vista. Why wont Acronis find the OSX partition now? I even had a look through my PC's Acronis loader to see if I could find anything pointing me in the right direction...but nothing.

 

I have just had a go with Chain0 - put chain0 onto C:\ and added to boot.ini: C:\chain0="Mac OS X"

 

When it boots now, the Vista loader has an extra option for Mac OS X. But when I select it I get a 'chain loader error'.

I also tried copying ther chain0 file to the root of the Vista partition.

What I dont understand is, how does chain0 know just for "Mac OS X" - which partition to load from?? Does the entry in the quotes have to be the exact name of the partitoon label or something?

 

But the main annoyance for me is why Acronis wont just find the OS. I like Acronis. It works great on my PS. I just want a nice simple way of choosing. I dont want to now have to create a linux partition and use grub. But if that's the only other choice...

 

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OK, so - I took the long-winded (but very safe) approach of ghosting the XP and Vista images I had already on the laptop, wiped it, and recreated some partitions:

 

10GB (OSX) Fat32, then to 0xAF

15GB (WinXP) NTFS

20.5GB (Vista) NTFS

The Rest - Data. FAT32

 

I have installed OSX from the JaS 10.4.8 DVD. Then Ghosted the WinXP and Vista partitions back. After much annoyance and playing around I have the Vista bootloader booting XP and Vista. I also have Acronis detecting OSX (well, unknown, but it's OSX) and XP (which goes to the Vista loader for XP and Vista).

 

So all good there then.

 

But, not I'll tell you about my problems with 10.4.8. I actually found this before I sorted the XP and Vista images (I had to get these working ASAP cos it's my work laptop and I need it for tomorrow!) but I put that problem aside until the XP partition would boot. Which it now does.

 

So, I'd boot the OSX partition, it's load up, I'd get the language, name and IP settings screens. During this time my nouse wasn't working at all. It'd move a bit, but not where I wanted it to. A USB mounse didnt work either. So I filled in the forms using the keyboard only, and it continued.... The background was all blue with the little twirling wheel just below centre twirling away. It kind of stuttered and slowed but kept going for a few mins. Then the screen went black. And that was it.

I tried rebooting about 4 times, same process everytime. Filling in the form over again, and then the blue, then black screen.

 

I'm wonderin gif this could be a driver issue or something? Something about my selections in customisation?

 

I am using a Dell Latitude D820 Intel core duo. It's got the Nvidia graphics card and Intel wireless. Not sure about audio off hand. Broadcom wired network card i think.

 

I'm just installing 10.4.7 over it now cos I want it working, but would like to try the 10.4.8 again tomorrow...so if you have any ideas, it'd be hugely appreciated!!!! ohmy.gif)

 

Thanks!

 

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Well, now (since running the instructions below) it runs through all of the initial config, but after entering the IP settings I just get the blue background with the mouse arrow on the screen and that's it...

 

Nothing else. Nada. ohmy.gif(

 

I havent had to have my VGA cable plugged in during install or right now on this laptop. Which is a bit odd, becuase I had to have a VGA cable in ALWAYS on any other laptops I tried before with OSX.

 

Oh, and in those instructions:

 

mount -uw /

cd /volume/(system volume)/system/library/extensions/

rm -R IOPCCardFamily.kext

rm -R ApplePCCard16ATA.kext

rm -R ApplePCCardATA.kext

shutdown -r now

now when you boot hit f8 and type in cpus=1 and voula you're in OSX 10.4.8. smile.gif

 

I didnt have the IOPCCardFamily.kext. The rest were there. There was IOPCIFamily.kext I think (or something very similar), but I left it.

 

 

Edit:

 

Even now, half an hour later, the screen is all blue, but the mouse pointer moves fine. I dont understand! I might give it a go with hte VGA cable in, but dont think that'll help. It never worked at all the times I tried before without VGA, so if it's got this far I doubt that's the problem.

 

I think I'm gonna try installing 10.4.7.

 

Any suggestions?

[lesterix]

I have a d820 too, did you get 10.4.7 to run on it?

I will give 10.4.8 a try when the torrent has finished.

[shmr]

I have a d820 too, did you get 10.4.7 to run on it?

I will give 10.4.8 a try when the torrent has finished.

 

So what's the results? Is it OK? I am going to buy a notebook soon - but I'm still not sure if it's going to be MacBook Pro or Dell D820. Maybe you two will change my future :] Just kidding.