GA-Z270X-DESIGNARE for Pro Tools 12

[aaquilato]

Hi all.
I'm new to this forum. I don't think it was around when I built my 1st Hackintosh.
I'm not new to the Hackintosh scene but not someone who lives and breathes the "how to" stuff.

Thanks to the Tonymacx86.com forum I've built two machines.
That was 10 yrs ago. They're both still running.
I thought I had a good understanding of how to get it done but times have changed and this seems harder to me now.

I've recently started a new build. The components are listed below in my signature.
I'm having some problems with SSDTs and 3rd Party Kexts. At least that's where I think I'm stuck.

More specifically I'm having a USB port problem. I've been doing a lot of reading about the USB port limitations and how to get them all working. I'm failing miserably at this so I'm reaching out for some help.

I'D LIKE TO COMMISSION SOMEONE TO WRITE A CUSTOM SSDT FOR THIS MB TO GET ALL THE USB PORTS WORKING.

I'm pretty sure this can be done with KextBeast. I'm failing using these guides below as I really don't understand how to use Clover Configurator.

https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/guide-creating-a-custom-ssdt-for-usbinjectall-kext.211311/

https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...an-sierra-high-sierra-mojave-catalina.268964/

https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/mojave-10-14-6-usb-2-0-3-0-3-1-fix.283739/

I would continue to try to do this but I just don't have the time. I've been at this for 2wks now and even though all the instructions seem to be out there I can't get it done. I think I've added too many Kexts and added them incorrectly. I'm really not sure so before I screw up this mostly working, booting up nicely build, I'm asking for help.
That's the simple honest truth.

The machine is built and running. Not sure how stable yet but it boots up nicely. Not quickly but nicely.
I followed the Tonymac Mojave build guide. The Clover boot loader is a PIA but I got past most of the quirks.

Mojave 10.14.6 is installed.
64Gb of Ram working.
M.2 connector works.
All the internal SSDs show up.
Internal graphics work with a LG TV monitor via the HDMI port.
All the rear audio ports work.
HDMI audio works.
I'm using one of the yellow USB DAC+ ports for audio with an Apogee Groove DAC.
That works BUT it's a USB2 port.
All the USB2 ports work and show up in macOS system report.
Internet works.
Preview works.

My problem is with the USB3, USB3.1 and USB-C ports.
Chipset+ASMedia®ASM2142 USB 3.1 Gen 2 Controller

Some of them work. Only one shows up in the macOS system report.
I know this is related to the APPLE USB port limitation.

This Hack is being build as a DAW. That will be it's sole purpose.
I chose this MB because of the USB features. The new Z370 MB has Thunderbolt and will accept a much more robust CPU BUT Thunderbolt is going away. USB-C is going to become the standard so I went with this somewhat obscure MB.

I've only found one other person in all the Hackintosh threads that has asked if it was a good candidate for a build. That was 2yrs ago. No one other than myself (just last week) ever replied so I'll assume they never went ahead with the build nor did anyone else.

In my IMHO this MB a great choice for a DAW build. That is if you can get all the USB ports working.

I've attached a screen shot of the MB i/o and my MultiBeast info.
I'm not sure what else to include for you to see but if someone is reading this and can help me I'd be incredibly grateful.

Thanks,
AQ.

 

[Edhawk]

With a working system I would require the following to deal with the USB port issues:

1. A copy of your working CLOVER folder.
2. A copy of your IOReg from IORegistryExplorer v2.1 (copy attached)
3. A copy of your Bootlog.txt (can be obtained from Hackintool or Clover Configurator app's)
4. Details of what is currently connected to each USB port or Header.
5. A screenshot of the USB tab in Hackintool app, sample below.
6. Additional information about the location of the virtual USB ports in relation to the physical USB ports. We will use diagrams of the motherboar and rear I/O plate to make this easier.

We can discuss any commission in a private conversation, which I will start shortly.

I would confirm I have provided this service to a couple of other members on this site and there will be a bit of trial and error as we finalise the SSDT-UIAC.aml for your system. You will need to test each port with a USB2 pen drive and then a USB3 pen drive, so we can establish which port is located in which physical USB port.

Screenshot of the Hackintool USB Tab, showing the USB ports for my iMac1 system.

Screenshot of the Logs tab in Hackintool app, shows part of my iMac1 Bootlog.

To obtain a copy of this file you just need to select anywhere in the white window, press cmd+A to select all, press cmd+c to copy and cmd+v to paste the text into TextEdit. Save the file as Bootlog and then Compress/Zip the file to attach it to a post in this thread.

Take a screenshot by pressing cmd+shift+4, cursor turns to crosshair use this to draw a rectangle around the Hackintool app window. The Screenshot will be saved to your desktop. Just make sure you stretch the Hackintool window to show all the USB ports before you take the screenshot.

With regards to the copy of your IOReg. Download and install IORegistryExplorer to your Applications folder. Open the app, it will when open show your IOReg. Go to the File drop down menu, select 'Save a Copy as...' and save the file to your desktop. Compress the file and attach it to a post in this thread.

 

[aaquilato]

OK. I will do my best to get you this information.
At the moment my time working on the new DAW is limited.
A glitch with the Apple Updates has somehow changed the Clover boot loader back to trying to load from "install macOS partition" rather then "boot from HD". I need to fix that again. That took me a day of work inside the terminal.

 

[Edhawk]

That will be casued by a setting in your config.plist, either wrongly set or missing entirely. Setting the default volume to boot your macOS drive from can be set in the config.plist. This is a fairly easy fix.

Have you installed Clover to the EFI partition on your System HD? You shouldn't need to have the USB plugged in to your system for normal booting.

Which version of Clover are you using?

The latest Clover-v2.5k versions, i.e. post r5000, are different to the older Clover_v2.4k versions. Some of the folder names and locations have changed as part of the new installation routine.

If you post a copy of your CLOVER folder I will be able to tell which version 2.4k or 2.5k you are using just by looking at the folder layout.

I would recommend you start using the latest version of Clover Configurator or install Apple's Xcode Application to make managing/tweaking your config.plist simpler.

 

[aaquilato]

That will be casued by a setting in your config.plist, either wrongly set or missing entirely. Setting the default volume to boot your macOS drive from can be set in the config.plist. This is a fairly easy fix.

Have you installed Clover to the EFI partition on your System HD? You shouldn't need to have the USB plugged in to your system for normal booting.

Which version of Clover are you using?

The latest Clover-v2.5k versions, i.e. post r5000, are different to the older Clover_v2.4k versions. Some of the folder names and locations have changed as part of the new installation routine.

If you post a copy of your CLOVER folder I will be able to tell which version 2.4k or 2.5k you are using just by looking at the folder layout.

I would recommend you start using the latest version of Clover Configurator or install Apple's Xcode Application to make managing/tweaking your config.plist simpler.

I've been locked out of my Tonymac86 account because I asked these same questions to someone else.
I didn't know you couldn't solicit help. You have to ask and wait (like that poor guy who waited two yrs) for an answer. It seems absurd but rules are rules.
Once I can get back into my account I can find the link with the instructions to fix this boot loader problem.
Can I attach a video of my machine starting up? Hmm? I'll give that a try next.

 

[aaquilato]

Hello Edhawk.
Attached you will find the zip files requested and some screen shots.
For some reason I could not attach the Clover folder.
The attach files button wanted to open the folder not attach it.
How else can I do this?

You can see in one screen shot that I have 3 external USB thumb drives on my desktop but they do not show up in system report. This is part of my problem.
The other two screen shots show EVERY USB port on the MB and case populated.
There is still one USB2 header on the MB that has nothing connected to it.

I'm not that familiar with Hackintool but I can tell you that I plugged USB2 drives into USB2 ports, USB3 drives into USB3 ports, USB-C drives into USB-C ports, etc...

There are black ports (USB2), yellow ports (USB3.0 DAC-UP), blue ports (USB3.0), red ports (USB3.1) and a USB3.1 Type-C) port.

The case has 2xUSB2, 2xUSB3 and 1xUSB-C.

Let me what the next step is.

Thanks very much for your help Edhawk,
Anthony.

 

[Edhawk]

Anthony, navigate to the CLOVER folder, right-click on the folder and compress it. That should allow you to attach it to a post here.

If it says it is too large, delete some of the themes from the /CLOVER/themes folder. They are usually the largest files/folders and you can only be using one theme at a time, so any others are not necessary.

If you try to attach the full EFI folder the APPLE folder usually makes the attachement too large, it isn't needed for this exercise, neither is the BOOT folder, just the CLOVER folder and if one is present the Clover installation log.

I will have a look at the files and images you have provided and let you know if I need anything else.

 

[aaquilato]

Here ya go.

Thanks again,
Anthony.

 

[aaquilato]

Edhawk, I have installed the new Clover folder.
To answer your previous question, I am running Clover 4934. That's what the boot screen shows during start up.
The machine boots exactly as it did previously.
It still wants to boot from the "boot macOS Install partition. I'm not sure if the new folder would have changed that.
Also the USB Device Tree hasn't changed. The transfer USB on the desktop is the Cruzer 3.0 plugged into the top rear blue MB USB 3.0 port.
The AQ HD BK is a Samsung USB 3.1 type C T5 SSD.
That is plugged into the front case USB-C port.
That does not show up in the USB Device Tree in Sys Info.

It was not recognized in the rear port on the MB. It was before, so I tried the case port.

Interestingly I've found that the Type C plug needs to be orientated a certain way to be read.
And it is not marked as most USB plugs are.
It works plugged in on way but flipping it over (which you can do on this type of connector but cannot on Type A connectors) does nothing. That's puzzling.

I have checked this multiple times this morning.
In the rear MB port, it is not recognized at all.
Plugged one way the drive does light up but does not mount.
Plugged in the other way (flipping the plug over) nothing happens. No light.

On the case Type C port, the drive lights up solid one way but does not mount.
Flipping the plug over the drive lights up, flashes and it mounts.

That's all I have for the moment.

Anthony.

 

[Edhawk]

The case C-type port is connected to the motherboard header, which uses the Asmedia USB Controller. You need a different kext for that port to work. I didn't include the US3 kext in the /CLOVER/kexts/Other folder. As I didn't want to complicate things in the beginning, when what I wanted to see was if the CLOVER folder was booting OK or not.

We still need to tweak the CLOVER folder and config.plist. Before we move on to the USB issues.

So what I need is a copy of the new Bootlog.txt and a copy of the new IOReg. I have attached a copy of IORegistryExplorer application v2.1 for you to use.

 

[aaquilato]

OK.
I hope I'm doing this correctly....??
To clarify about the USB-C problem.
The port on the rear of the MB does not work which seems odd as it did before.
The port on the case which is indeed connected with a very large blue plug is connected to the USB3 header on the MB.

Files attached below.
The iMac file is the IOReg.


Anthony.

 

[Edhawk]

Anthony, ignore the USB issues for now, we will deal with them shortly.

Can you confirm that the CLOVER folder I provided has been copied to the EFI partition and replaced the CLOVER folder that was previously in the EFI Folder on your Hackintosh HD.

To me it seems that both the Bootlog and the IOReg you provided above, were generated with your old CLOVER folder, using the SMBIOS 14.2. I changed the SMBIOS, so those files can't have been generated from the config.plist that I provided.

 

[aaquilato]

Hi Edhawk.
Yes, here is a screen shot of the path.

 

[aaquilato]

Hi Edhawk.
I check again and I did replace the older folder with your newer folder.
I can do it again if you think it didn't update for some reason.
Let me know.

AQ.

 

[aaquilato]

Hi Edhawk.
I've gone back and checked the clover folder installation.
Attached is a screen shot of the clover folder in my sys and the clover folder you sent me on my transfer USB.
They are the same.
What's the next step?
I have installed Team Viewer if you want to have a look at things.
Let me know.

AQ

 

[Edhawk]

Post another copy of your Bootlog and IOReg, make sure they are not mixed up with any other previous Bootlog or IOReg files.

I still need to tweak the config and CLOVER folder before we move on to the USB issues.

 

[aaquilato]

Here you go Edhawk.

AQ.

 

[Edhawk]

Anthony, update in PM.

 

[aaquilato]

The first image is where I cursor over to the right and boot from my main HD. The second image is what I get when I press F12.
The third image is what happens when booting from the SanDisk.
The fourth video is what happens when I boot from UEFI: SanDisk Partition 1.

I'm stuck at the moment so i'm going to take the BkUpHd out of the machine and add the old clover.plist into the EFI folder.

I see you're emailing me....
I'll stand by for a moment.

 

[Edhawk]

From the middle image I would say you need to select the 'UEFI: SanDisk, Partition 1' entry.

Assuming that is your USB with the new Clover installation only.