Mac Pro boot option screen freezes after I select the Windows partition

[robbier]

Hello,
I am having a strange issue with my Mac Pro. I posted about a similar issue about 6 months ago, and I still have yet to find a solution. I upgraded to OS X 10.8 earlier today, and the issue has not gone away, so I thought I would post again and see if anyone has any suggestions.

I have a mid-2010 Mac Pro, and I am currently experiencing an issue regarding booting into Windows 7. Windows 7 64-bit is installed on its own HDD in bay 2 of my Mac Pro. When I restart my Mac Pro (from OS X), hold the option key, and select the windows HDD, the computer completely freezes and locks up. I can't move the mouse or use the arrow keys on the keyboard, and the boot select screen completely locks up after selecting the Windows HDD. This issue does not happen, however, after a cold shutdown and startup. If I completely shut down my Mac Pro, start it up, hold the option key, and select the Windows HDD, it boots into Windows perfectly fine. It is only after a reboot from OS X that the boot select screen completely locks up after selecting the Windows HDD.

I have tried everything I can think of, including resetting the PRAM, SMC, repairing disk permissions, etc. I did also call AppleCare a while back, and the technician on the phone was unable to find a solution. I have also tried selecting the Windows partition in the Startup Disk pane of system preferences, and that did not work either. I have also tried utilities such as BootChamp to automate the restart. Same issue. Could this be a hardware issue?

Thanks,
Robert

[netkas]

Originally Posted by robbier

Hello,
I am having a strange issue with my Mac Pro. I posted about a similar issue about 6 months ago, and I still have yet to find a solution. I upgraded to OS X 10.8 earlier today, and the issue has not gone away, so I thought I would post again and see if anyone has any suggestions.

I have a mid-2010 Mac Pro, and I am currently experiencing an issue regarding booting into Windows 7. Windows 7 64-bit is installed on its own HDD in bay 2 of my Mac Pro. When I restart my Mac Pro (from OS X), hold the option key, and select the windows HDD, the computer completely freezes and locks up. I can't move the mouse or use the arrow keys on the keyboard, and the boot select screen completely locks up after selecting the Windows HDD. This issue does not happen, however, after a cold shutdown and startup. If I completely shut down my Mac Pro, start it up, hold the option key, and select the Windows HDD, it boots into Windows perfectly fine. It is only after a reboot from OS X that the boot select screen completely locks up after selecting the Windows HDD.

I have tried everything I can think of, including resetting the PRAM, SMC, repairing disk permissions, etc. I did also call AppleCare a while back, and the technician on the phone was unable to find a solution. I have also tried selecting the Windows partition in the Startup Disk pane of system preferences, and that did not work either. I have also tried utilities such as BootChamp to automate the restart. Same issue. Could this be a hardware issue?

Thanks,
Robert

It ahooens sometimes if you screwed videocards firmware

[initialsBB]

Originally Posted by netkas

ahooens

happens ? ^^

I have this same problem, but I have just the standard Apple 5770 (no custom firmwares).

I remember a while back that you used to have to install bootcamp on the 1st hard drive bay... I wondered if this is an Apple bug in the boot loader not working properly on the other drive bays ?

My bootcamp partition is in bay 3, what is yours ?

[robbier]

I do have an Nvidia GTX570 from MacVidCards, however this issue has been occurring since long before I upgraded. I had an HD5770 before the upgrade.

----------

Originally Posted by initialsBB

happens ? ^^

I have this same problem, but I have just the standard Apple 5770 (no custom firmwares).

I remember a while back that you used to have to install bootcamp on the 1st hard drive bay... I wondered if this is an Apple bug in the boot loader not working properly on the other drive bays ?

My bootcamp partition is in bay 3, what is yours ?

I forgot to mention this in my previous reply. My partition is in bay 2, but I will try moving my Mac HDD to bay 2 and the Windows HDD to bay 1 and test again.

[Draeconis]

I've had this exact problem as well.

I have a 5,1 with an Apple 5870. I couldn't even get Windows installed unless the drive was in Bay 1. I did an SMC reset and that seemed to solve things. I've since upgraded to 10.8 and have tested it out and there still isn't an issue with it.

I believe it's either some issue with the graphics card, or a problem with SMC or EFI. When I'm feeling particularly brave/stupid, I might try flashing the SMC with the same firmware, as it may have become corrupted, though since it currently works, I'll leave it alone :P

[robbier]

Unfortunately, I am still having problems even after switching the Windows HDD to bay 1. The drive was not in bay 1 when Windows was initially installed, however, so I'm not sure if that would make a difference.

[chaosbunny]

Same problem here with the Mac Pro in my signature. However it doesn't happen always, just sometimes.
Very strange ...

[MacVidCards]

this can frequesntly happen if you have changed ANYTHING about GPU since last WIndows boot.

changing slot the GPU is in or connector that display is connected with will do it

[Draeconis]

So, this just happened again to me last night, so I doubt it's an issue with EFI or the OS, so I'm guessing it's an SMC issue.

I seem to remember reading somewhere long ago it's a reproducible error if you hold the Alt/Option key down too long, though since my Mac Pro takes ages to get to the boot disk selection window, it's hard to tell exactly how long you need to hold it down for to get there.

[jenzjen]

Knock on wood, I've never had this issue, and my Windows drive has varied from the 2nd optical bay to HD slots 1 and 2. I have always clean installed both OS every time, maybe that's the reason?

[nox-uk]

not had this issue, but you might get round it by using BootChamp? I'm finding it easier to do that than usually missing the 'holding the option key down' on startup

Nox

[robbier]

Thanks for the suggestions. I actually have tried using BootChamp, however that does not solve the issue. As soon as the computer restarts, it freezes at the white screen and never boots to Windows.

[mbnt]

Originally Posted by robbier

Thanks for the suggestions. I actually have tried using BootChamp, however that does not solve the issue. As soon as the computer restarts, it freezes at the white screen and never boots to Windows.

Well, as unfortunate as this is, I'm happy to see I haven't been the only one to go through this. It's extremely frustrating, to put it mildly.

I have an XP SP 3 installation on its own HDD (Bay 2), and same, since the Pro came out of the box in December, 2010, I've been experiencing this exact issue.

I never heard of BootChamp until tonight, and decided to try it out. Like the OP, it still sits at the gray screen, and never loads. If I leave the computer idle, the computer eventually restarts and goes back into OS X.

Nothing custom has been done to the GPU card, or anything. I clean install regularly, even going as far as wiping with zeroes.

I'm going to remove the card and just re-seat it, just to see wot happens.

[mbnt]

I removed my GPU card, and re-seated it in the same slot. Pro booted into OS X, and I used BootChamp to reboot into my Boot Camp HDD.

It worked. Beautifully!

I rebooted a few more times to really test it out, and everything looks great!

Yay!