Windows 10 on Mac Pro 4,1->5,1

[ifraaank]

Hello. I've installed Windows 10 on my Mac Pro 4,1->5,1. But when I try to install the BootCamp drivers, the Mac just shuts down in the middle of it. No error message, no nothing. No shut-down has ever occurred in OS X...

Specs:
2.66 Quad Xeon
NVIDIA GT120
16GB ram
stock HDD

Anyone else tried this?
Thank you.

 

[h9826790]

You means a sudden shut down? Like a force shut down?

Any blue error screen?

 

[ifraaank]

You means a sudden shut down? Like a force shut down?

Any blue error screen?

Yes, a force shut down. I just cuts..
No bluescreen, and the Mac runs fine otherwise in Windows, it's only when I try to install bootcamp software

 

[Machines]

Yes, a force shut down. I just cuts..
No bluescreen, and the Mac runs fine otherwise in Windows, it's only when I try to install bootcamp software

Did you have the USB drive always plugged in with the bootcamp drivers during the Windows installation , or are you trying to install the drivers afterwards ? It's also best to let Boot Camp Assistant make a fresh driver USB drive , downloaded from an Apple server at time of Windows installation .

 

[ifraaank]

Did you have the USB drive always plugged in with the bootcamp drivers during the Windows installation , or are you trying to install the drivers afterwards ? It's also best to let Boot Camp Assistant make a fresh driver USB drive , downloaded from an Apple server at time of Windows installation .

I install the drivers after Windows has been installed. I do that because Boot-Camp Assistant takes forever to create the USB drive if it downloads the drivers to the same drive simultaneously.

I found a workaround though. I opened the drivers folder inside the Boot-Camp installation files, and installed all the drivers manually. (except NVidia drivers, since I install my own because of the upcoming 980 Ti.) After that I could install the Boot-Camp software, without the Mac shutting down.

Maybe it's worth the wait to let Boot-Camp Assistant put it all on one drive? Thanks guys

 

[Mejenborg]

I found a workaround though. I opened the drivers folder inside the Boot-Camp installation files, and installed all the drivers manually. (except NVidia drivers, since I install my own because of the upcoming 980 Ti.) After that I could install the Boot-Camp software, without the Mac shutting down

That worked for you? Weird, my mac pro still reboots..

I've figured as much as it is the boot camp nVidia drivers that maks my mac pro reboot. In a minute I'm going to try again with the "Automatic Restart on System Failure" to disable in startup settings in windows, to see what error really occurs.

 

[haralds]

That worked for you? Weird, my mac pro still reboots..

I've figured as much as it is the boot camp nVidia drivers that maks my mac pro reboot. In a minute I'm going to try again with the "Automatic Restart on System Failure" to disable in startup settings in windows, to see what error really occurs.

I initially used the native drivers for the flashed Gigabyte Radeon 7970 I am using. I later upgraded to AMDs beta drivers, since the card is properly recognized.

Works great!

 

[Mejenborg]

The graphics card that came with my mac pro is the GeForce GT 120, and every time I try to install nvidia drivers, whether it's by Microsoft Update, Boot Camp or nVidia's own utilities, the mac pro reboots..

 

[Synchro3]

Install first Windows 7, second Boot Camp drivers, then upgrade to Windows 10.

 

[fastlanephil]

I've had no luck getting the Windows 10 upgrade to do anything but immediately quit that showed up in Windows 7 on my 6.0 Bootcamp drive.

Maybe this will still work.

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-2768627/installing-windows-unsupported-mac.html

 

[ifraaank]

I got it working by deleting the Nvidia driver inside the bootcamp folder, as the installer then skips the driver. I then installed Nvidia Experience, and it works flawlessly.

 

[Mejenborg]

I got it working by deleting the Nvidia driver inside the bootcamp folder, as the installer then skips the driver. I then installed Nvidia Experience, and it works flawlessly.

I'm gonna try that!

Also, I had my Mac Pro EFI upgraded from a 4,1 to a 5,1. Maybe that's what making it acting up.. Well, I'll be the only one having issues with an EFI upgrade if that's the case.. So I'm going to try to downgrade it to a 4,1 again and see if that helps..

 

[IowaLynn]

Id blame the nVidia GT120 and not firmware.

Try slot #2 first before messing with firmware, then consider a newer GPU
[doublepost=1461534604][/doublepost]Also only the GPU in PCIe at first and only one drive.

 

[ifraaank]

I'm gonna try that!

Also, I had my Mac Pro EFI upgraded from a 4,1 to a 5,1. Maybe that's what making it acting up.. Well, I'll be the only one having issues with an EFI upgrade if that's the case.. So I'm going to try to downgrade it to a 4,1 again and see if that helps..

I'm on a 4,1 to 5,1 hack as well, so that should not be the problem

 

[Mejenborg]

Id blame the nVidia GT120 and not firmware.

Try slot #2 first before messing with firmware, then consider a newer GPU
[doublepost=1461534604][/doublepost]Also only the GPU in PCIe at first and only one drive.

The only reason I for now stick with the Nvidia GT120 is because of the EFI support. I've purchased an Asus GTX 980 ti strix, but unable to see any boot screen..

I think I have a friend with an other Geforce GT120, perhaps theres something wrong with mine in particular.. Or do you mean the graphics card version in general?
Alright, going to try slot two. I have no other PCIe cards and I've removed any other drives (in case I ****ed up in partitioning...)
[doublepost=1461539169][/doublepost]Okay, I don't know what to do next..

I've tried to manually install the drivers, by going in through the device manager and pointed to the driver files. The computer reboots, and I don't know why! I've even disabled automatic reboot if system error occurs to try to force a BSOD.. But nothing, reboots and back to square one..

This happens to both the boot camp geforce drivers and the newly downloaded geforce drivers.
[doublepost=1461539469][/doublepost]Just tried to insert the Asus 980 ti strix instead of the GeForce GT120.. Nothing happens.. Nothing at all.. Blank screen..

 

[Mejenborg]

I got it working by deleting the Nvidia driver inside the bootcamp folder, as the installer then skips the driver. I then installed Nvidia Experience, and it works flawlessly.

That did the trick! I was then able to install the GeForce drivers, my bet is that the intel chipset drivers weren't installed when boot camp tried to install graphics drivers.. Odd sequence if you ask me..

But afterwards I installed the 980 ti graphics card and removed the GT120 and blank screen, nothing.. I then thought of using remote desktop to see if there was anything wrong, and windows couldn't start the 980 ti.. So I installed the geforce drivers again and bingo.. after a reboot it worked..

And now I have a working 980 ti graphics card in both Windows and OS X. But, not simultaneously with the GT120. Only OS X can handle both graphics cards at the same time. So I'm not going to through out the old card.

I've only used like a week to figure out this problem! Geez! Now on to the unrecognised broadcom 802.11AC + Bluetooth!

Thanks a lot guys! Your help really did the trick!

 

[HHarm]

I had the same problem that one of the bootcamp drivers was causing. Though for awhile now I haven't installed the bootcamp drivers at all. Everything that I need "just works" even without them.

 

[ActionableMango]

And now I have a working 980 ti graphics card in both Windows and OS X. But, not simultaneously with the GT120. Only OS X can handle both graphics cards at the same time. So I'm not going to through out the old card.

That's a known problem. Nvidia's unified drivers for Windows no longer support both of those cards; their generations are too far apart.

Though for awhile now I haven't installed the bootcamp drivers at all. Everything that I need "just works" even without them.

I find the HFS drivers and Boot Camp utility to be fairly valuable. I believe the drivers also enable the special key functions on a Mac keyboard. Also, you might be unable to make system restore points and system images--that's something I would recommend you check since that's saved my bacon a few times. I suppose you could say all of that is nothing you absolutely need though.

 

[Mejenborg]

That's a known problem. Nvidia's unified drivers for Windows no longer support both of those cards; their generations are too far apart.

Yah, so I've read.. Really sucks.. So I might need to search for a newer and cheap mac EFI compliant graphicscard somewhere. Perhaps a radeon could do the trick..

 

[robeddie]

Install first Windows 7, second Boot Camp drivers, then upgrade to Windows 10.

The several times I have upgraded my windows 7 install to windows 10, I've always had to go back to that bootcamp software install package and run it in windows again and use the "repair" option, since bootcamp never works quite right immediately after the upgrade.

Other small bits of advice: I've installed windows 10 a couple different ways on my mac pro 4,1 (2009 model - ATI 5770 installed). Always I install windows first (either windows 7 or 10) then drag and drop the entire bootcamp software package onto the windows desktop first and install it from there (not from the usb drive). I doubt that affects compatability but it certainly speeds up the install process.

By the way, the install package I use is 5.1.5621 - which can be found here: https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1720?locale=en_US

 

[phillyboy82]

Is it possible to disable the GT120 in Windows and run your 980 Ti as the primary? That way you can have both cards installed still for boot screen support.

 

[h9826790]

Is it possible to disable the GT120 in Windows and run your 980 Ti as the primary? That way you can have both cards installed still for boot screen support.

To enjoy the boot screen, I think you need to connect the display to the GT120. (I am not 100% sure about this. Since my dual 7950 do not have this limitation. Any one of the card has Mac EFI, the other one can also initialise correctly and show the boot screen. However, I doubt if the GT120 EFI can make the 980Ti display the boot screen, I think it cannot)

If my assumption above is correct, once disable the GT120, the display will be no longer usable in Windows. So, the same display must also connected to the 980Ti in order to make it work.

Therefore, unless the display has a function that automatically give the GT120 priority, and auto switch to the 980Ti input when the GT120 single is lost. I couldn't think an automatic way to achieve this boot screen with 980Ti by GT120.

 

[phillyboy82]

That is why I am asking because most monitors have multiple inputs to them. I didn't mean for it to be automatic though, just feasible with a few button pushes. Sorry for the lack of clarification.

You would connect the GT120 to a spare monitor input, switch to that input when starting up, make your boot choice selection, and then switch monitor inputs to your more powerful card once Windows starts to load. Or unplug/replug your cable, but that seems more of a pain.

 

[ifraaank]

That is why I am asking because most monitors have multiple inputs to them. I didn't mean for it to be automatic though, just feasible with a few button pushes. Sorry for the lack of clarification.

You would connect the GT120 to a spare monitor input, switch to that input when starting up, make your boot choice selection, and then switch monitor inputs to your more powerful card once Windows starts to load. Or unplug/replug your cable, but that seems more of a pain.

I'm using my 980Ti and my GT120 both in the machine at the same time. The GT120 is deactivated in Win10, and no displays are connected to it. That means I won't get a boot screen either. I think the trick with using GT120 at boot to get boot screen would work, but as soon as you would go into OS X, it would be seen as two displays, and afaik there's no way to disable a display in OS X.

Another thing is that the "resolution manager" in win10 still sees the GT120 card as an external display, and then you'll have to choose "only show desktop on display 1" to make it work.

I don't get the boot screen, but I still leave the card in there for formatting purposes and stuff, and I don't want to keep taking out the card since I format fairly often...
Hope this helps

 

[phillyboy82]

Yes, that helps and is a detailed explanation; thank you for providing it. When you first setup Windows (or purchased the 980 Ti) did you have both cards installed, or did you have to disable the GT120 in device manager in advance before putting the 980 Ti in?