Mac Pro w Boot Camp - SATA, AHCI, EFI, BIOS - what can we do?

[Laslo Panaflex]

The bios emulation that is done via the CSM in EFI is different for all hardware. EFI. Just like every standard computer has a different BIOS, the Mac Pro and Macbook Pro will have different implementations of EFI and the CSM/BIOS emulation. So what I'm saying is just because the Macbook Pro works, doesn't mean the Mac Pro will. Way different hardware, way different EFI drivers and CSM/BIOS emulation even though it looks pretty much the same to the user.

100% agree, there is nothing we can do short writing our own firmware updates with the proper BIOS emulation layer for the Mac Pro. If the emulated BIOS doesn't think the chipset is capable of running HDs in a certain mode, the computer CAN'T do it, no matter what drivers you install in windows.

 

[sirnh]

100% agree, there is nothing we can do short writing our own firmware updates with the proper BIOS emulation layer for the Mac Pro. If the emulated BIOS doesn't think the chipset is capable of running HDs in a certain mode, the computer CAN'T do it, no matter what drivers you install in windows.

There is one other route, but probably more difficult... pressuring apple to provide AHCI drivers that force the chip into AHCI mode regardless of how the firmware set it up. They did a similar thing for Bluetooth on the iMac and Mac Books I believe.

 

[sirnh]

Let me know how that one pans out..

The Matrix Installation Package said that compatible hardware was not found.

Forcing the installation of the basic Matrix driver from the install floppy caused a blue screen during OS launch.

 

[hwattys1]

I took my Mac Pro back because it will not run PS any better than much older machines for now. But for those who want to keep them, has anybody tried the Intel SATA drivers here:

http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scr...306&lang=eng&OSFullName=All Operating Systems

I was also having the slow SATA problem on mine with Boot Camp and never got around to trying these drivers. I am not sure if these are the same as the Matrix Storage drivers. I found them by going to the 5000x download page on the Intel site and clicking "additional downloads" in the upper right corner.

 

[tobyg]

I took my Mac Pro back because it will not run PS any better than much older machines for now. But for those who want to keep them, has anybody tried the Intel SATA drivers here:

http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scr...306&lang=eng&OSFullName=All Operating Systems

I was also having the slow SATA problem on mine with Boot Camp and never got around to trying these drivers. I am not sure if these are the same as the Matrix Storage drivers. I found them by going to the 5000x download page on the Intel site and clicking "additional downloads" in the upper right corner.

Yes, I tried all of the downloads I could on that page.

 

[sirnh]

I took my Mac Pro back because it will not run PS any better than much older machines for now. But for those who want to keep them, has anybody tried the Intel SATA drivers here:

http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scr...306&lang=eng&OSFullName=All Operating Systems

I was also having the slow SATA problem on mine with Boot Camp and never got around to trying these drivers. I am not sure if these are the same as the Matrix Storage drivers. I found them by going to the 5000x download page on the Intel site and clicking "additional downloads" in the upper right corner.

Those are the Matrix Storage drivers which do not install because it can not find compatible hardware. I imagine it's looking for the controller in AHCI mode, not PATA mode. The Matrix drivers support different forms of RAID but I guess only through AHCI mode.

 

[toonerh]

Intel Chips?

Intel is generally very good about documenting all their chips/chipsets. Exactly what "Southbridge" chip manages the SATA interface? I assume it's operating mode can be programmed from its parent PCI bridge device. Microsoft's DDK offers fairly complete PCI DMA examples. Could someone put a DMA PATA driver together with moderate effort if they had access (like I do) to the XP DDK?

I not sure about the bootstrap driver "hand off" issues. It's fairly easy to update drivers, even "chipset" drivers which normally handle the same disk NTLDR loaded XP from using BIOS read calls.

 

[pipomolo42]

Hello,

Just for your info, I managed to install and boot windows with the controller in AHCI and RAID mode.

Actually, when the mac pro boots up (in EFI), the controller IS in AHCI mode, it's the CSM that puts it back to Legacy IDE mode.

And RAID mode is currently useless, as there is no Option ROM loaded by the CSM (and the windows driver depends on it).

Details and files can be found here: http://forum.onmac.net/showthread.php?t=2739

 

[Chocomonsters]

pipomolo42

Does your mac pro recognize IDE - CD storage driver when you enable AHCI? When I enable AHCI mode, my Mac Pro fails to locate and access CD drives

 

[pistolwhip]

well i have been trying to run parrells also, only difference is that im running on a hackintosh. what i'm really looking for here is a link to the drivers, i tried using intel's site but it seams like they removed all the sata driver links. I'm pretty sure i can just slipstream the patch via a flash drive during the install. unfortunately during my leopard install i had to choose sata or not, hence i have this problem (but really running sata or not isn't much of a choice) so if anyone has a link to the driver i would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

 

[mgsarch]

well i have been trying to run parrells also, only difference is that im running on a hackintosh. what i'm really looking for here is a link to the drivers, i tried using intel's site but it seams like they removed all the sata driver links. I'm pretty sure i can just slipstream the patch via a flash drive during the install. unfortunately during my leopard install i had to choose sata or not, hence i have this problem (but really running sata or not isn't much of a choice) so if anyone has a link to the driver i would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

bump for driver links or if anyone can post them for us. they are indeed MIA ...

 

[65StangBoy]

Here's the driver's that I used about 6 months ago.

http://idisk.mac.com/mvansande//Public/imsm_windows_x86-x64_v7.5.0.1017.zip

 

[waremaster]

bump for driver links or if anyone can post them for us. they are indeed MIA ...

This is not even needed anymore it was fixed in an EFI update probably 3 - 4 months after the original Mac Pro was released. This was a mirror that I had up about this.

 

[65StangBoy]

This is not even needed anymore it was fixed in an EFI update probably 3 - 4 months after the original Mac Pro was released. This was a mirror that I had up about this.

We're talking about two different things. The drivers I posted are for enabling AHCI mode in Windows which increases speed and also allows the extra sata ports to be useable in Windows.

 

[waremaster]

We're talking about two different things. The drivers I posted are for enabling AHCI mode in Windows which increases speed and also allows the extra sata ports to be useable in Windows.

Oh ok I misread that then. I thought it was the sata stuff.