MP5,1: Unable to boot Windows 10/EFI after applying Hyper-threading mitigation

[w1z]

Hi everyone,

I currently have windows 10 installed in EFI mode, by choice, on a dedicated SSD connected to a Sonnet Tempo Pro PCIe card and since applying Apple's hyper-threading mitigation, the system won't boot Windows fully - it stops loading at the Windows Logo screen.

No issues booting macOS and as soon as I undo the mitigation fix (deleting the 2 nvram settings), the system boots normally into Windows.

@h9826790 Are you experiencing the same thing with your setup?

Thanks!

 

[Alex Sanders74]

Wonder if it's the Tempo card or the hyper threading mitigation.... Did you try the SSD in a HD bay to see if the behaviour is the same?

 

[h9826790]

Hi everyone,

I currently have windows 10 installed in EFI mode, by choice, on a dedicated SSD connected to a Sonnet Tempo Pro PCIe card and since applying Apple's hyper-threading mitigation, the system won't boot Windows fully - it stops loading at the Windows Logo screen.

No issues booting macOS and as soon as I undo the mitigation fix (deleting the 2 nvram settings), the system boots normally into Windows.

@h9826790 Are you experiencing the same thing with your setup?

Thanks!

I have't try to disable HT yet, and my Windows is installed in legacy mode.

 

[w1z]

Did you try the SSD in a HD bay to see if the behaviour is the same?

I don't think it should matter but I'll give it a try, thank you!
[doublepost=1557952076][/doublepost]

I have't try to disable HT yet, and my Windows is installed in legacy mode.

Guess I missed that, thank you!

 

[w1z]

Alex, thanks for the tip. No issue booting Windows from the internal sata ports so now we know it's the tempo pro card that is causing the boot issue.

Now, what could possibly be the link between disabling HyperThreading and Windows freezing on the sonnet card?

 

[Alex Sanders74]

No problem.

Does it use any drivers? Maybe they need to push out a firmware update. Might be worth contacting Sonnet to see if they're aware and if there's a patch available.

There was a windows firmware update released on May 8 of this year for that card... Maybe try it?

http://www.sonnettech.com/support/kb/kb.php?cat=461&expand=&action=a13#a13

Check the release notes. There are three options you can set it with.

 

[w1z]

Does it use any drivers?
There was a windows firmware update released on May 8 of this year for that card... Maybe try it?

http://www.sonnettech.com/support/kb/kb.php?cat=461&expand=&action=a13#a13

Check the release notes. There are three options you can set it with.

No drivers needed and yes, I saw the updated firmware for Windows yesterday and have spent a couple of hours trying to figure out a way to flash it on the mac pro to no avail.

I'll contact Sonnet today about this to see if they can assist.

Cheers

 

[orph]

iv not been able to boot windows 10 for a while now, not shore why.
was shore i had it installed in legacy mode (but i may be wrong)

now when i try to boot windows 10 i get



was scared windows had done something bad to my BIOS chip.

i did a post in the windows sub forum and got no reply/help so far
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/cant-boot-to-windows-legacy-mode-not-suported.2180298/

been split on trying to clean install windows 10 or just give up on windows on my macpro and make a second box.
going to wait for AMD to bring out new CPU's then get an old one on sale or a new one for windows use i think unless some one know's whats going on here.

@W1SS do you have the same problem as me?

 

[w1z]

been split on trying to clean install windows 10 or just give up on windows on my macpro and make a second box.

I don't think this is related to the issue being discussed here as my Windows installation starts booting then freezes - try https://abdyfran.co/projects/boot-manager which works for me. Make sure to partially disable SIP by booting into recovery and running the following command in terminal:

csrutil enable --without nvram

Do this prior to installing Boot Manager.

Edit: Also, remove other boot manager/s prior to installing Abdy's Boot Manager.

 

[orph]

thanks ill try that.
im going to finally get my bios/bootrom 'fixed' and move to osx10.14 before i fix windows.

still it's odd windows has been working for 3-6 months or longer with no real problems since i moved to windows 10 and then this, got to assume it a windows 10 update that broke something.
been using win 7 for a long time with no problems, only moved to win 10 after win 7 died and i lost my install DVD so ended up having to buy windows 10 and install via dvd.

 

[w1z]

It's Apple. They began restricting EFI-based Window installations on macs with BIOS / Legacy-EFI (non-UEFI) support since September by updating macOS's startup manager to not recognize/work with such installations. If you revert back to a BIOS Windows install, the startup manager will work again. I posted about it back then.

 

[orph]

ah thanks, not got auto update on so i must have manually updated some time and broken everything
joy apple i feel pain in your embrace.

Im in the middle of moving house and not been here since before Christmas so relay out of date.
amazing how painful it is to move

ill look in to it tonight, on the bright side my macpro is half in parts and my DVD drive was found.
on the bad side it's spent a week in parts with me scared the bootrom had been damaged to much by windows.

>.> AMD cpu and lack of killer bugs get's more tempting with each piece of security news.

 

[h9826790]

iv not been able to boot windows 10 for a while now, not shore why.
was shore i had it installed in legacy mode (but i may be wrong)

now when i try to boot windows 10 i get
View attachment 837353
View attachment 837354

was scared windows had done something bad to my BIOS chip.

i did a post in the windows sub forum and got no reply/help so far
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/cant-boot-to-windows-legacy-mode-not-suported.2180298/

been split on trying to clean install windows 10 or just give up on windows on my macpro and make a second box.
going to wait for AMD to bring out new CPU's then get an old one on sale or a new one for windows use i think unless some one know's whats going on here.

@W1SS do you have the same problem as me?

Are you using any NTFS driver / software in macOS?

 

[startergo]

It's Apple. They began restricting EFI-based Window installations on macs with BIOS / Legacy-EFI (non-UEFI) support since September by updating macOS's startup manager to not recognize/work with such installations. If you revert back to a BIOS Windows install, the startup manager will work again. I posted about it back then.

My Windows 10 UEFI on an NVME was booting last time I checked it (a month ago) .
[doublepost=1558060996][/doublepost]Plus I tested Windows to go boot from USB in EFI mode and it booted fine .

 

[tsialex]

My Windows 10 UEFI on an NVME was booting last time I checked it (a month ago) .

I have a PM961 with 1803 installed via UEFI that I use when I need UEFI W10.

Boots perfectly here too, used various times today to test a GPU, no problems with StartupManager (new name for BootPicker).

 

[startergo]

When I have such a problem it is normally related to the video driver . Try rebooting more than 3 times to get to the safe mode boot.

 

[w1z]

My Windows 10 UEFI on an NVME was booting last time I checked it (a month ago) .
[doublepost=1558060996][/doublepost]Plus I tested Windows to go boot from USB in EFI mode and it booted fine .

As I said, the restriction is in startup manager and not whether you are able to boot EFI/UEFI installations.

Check if you are able to set your windows installation as startup disk in startup manager so it would boot - it won't work. Only Bios (CSM) Windows installs can be set.

Edit: I have not used Apple's startup manager since the issue was reported by multiple users, including me. Not sure if it was updated recently, with the restriction removed.

 

[orph]

looks like my problem is different to W1SS so ill to a new thread here in the macpro section as no luck in windows.

 

[w1z]

Sonnet's response:

Keep in mind that the Tempo SSD Pro was marketed as supporting bootcamp back when I bought it. I guess I won't be buying Sonnet's products anymore.

 

[startergo]

Sonnet's response:

View attachment 837607
Keep in mind that the Tempo SSD Pro was marketed as supporting bootcamp back when I bought it. I guess I won't be buying Sonnet's products anymore.

I will test mine with the same procedure when I have time and will report the results .

 

[Project Alice]

Somewhat off topic..
Why would you ever disable HT?? I hope this isn't because of that "ZombieLoad" thing. If so, unless you're a large datacenter with enemys or a government agency, taking that much of a performance hit for something that will never happen to you is insane.

I'm so tired of seeing these intel vulnerability posts every month.. It's tinfoil hat stuff for the average user. Just like tap-water being linked to cancer. Everything gives you cancer nowadays - apparently everything is a security vulnerability too.