Lenovo ThinkPad T420 with UEFI Only

[tluck]

@somez - 

 

well ok. so patched up the instructions to spell things out even more clearly for those on the 1st time through. thanks for the feedback.

 

fan: well you might want to wait awhile to let the system and drives settle down - usually there is a lot of indexing going on for awhile.  but for me when the system is idle with just the LCD, the fan runs at around 1950 RPM. with an external monitor +LCD, it runs the fan up to about 3560RPM

 

Yes - just install the updates like a real mac from the app store. the custom kexts are all in /Library/Extensions and will not get stomped on.

[Somez]

@somez - 

 

well ok. so patched up the instructions to spell things out even more clearly for those on the 1st time through. thanks for the feedback.

 

fan: well you might want to wait awhile to let the system and drives settle down - usually there is a lot of indexing going on for awhile.  but for me when the system is idle with just the LCD, the fan runs at around 1950 RPM. with an external monitor +LCD, it runs the fan up to about 3560RPM

 

Yes - just install the updates like a real mac from the app store. the custom kexts are all in /Library/Extensions and will not get stomped on.

 

Thanks for the guide update. By the way if you need any help with this guide or testing, etc. You can count me in. I would even make a donation if this community allows it which I'm not sure about though.

 

About the fan and the indexing. Spotlight indexing ended a few days ago just like iCloud's stuff. Activity Monitor is currently showing nsurlsessiond process using around 30% CPU and I see 2 other processes (kernel_task and cloudd) as well so let's see if this is going to be better with time.

 

Is there any way to disable the Clover selection menu during boot? It would be better just to boot into OS X directly. I can live with the Clover menu also, so I'm just asking.

 

Thanks a lot.

 

 

EDIT: Should I perform those 2 optional steps where we install Display Vendor IDs and also where we do something with the NVRAM? What can I benefit from these?

[tluck]

hmm. for me it idles about 98% 99% CPU - nurlsessiond seems high? is your iCloud all synced up? 

 

yes to boot straight into OS X, you can set a default volume name and then set Timeout to 0 (zero). you can still hit a key to get the GUI if you time it just right. 

 

the recommended option is to install a better display options so the LCD isn't so blue and colors look  more natural 

[trifero]

tluck, I received the Broadcom BCM94360HMB/ Azurewave AW-CB160H some days ago. I can say the wifi works natively 11ac,  but for the bluetooth you need some work as you can read in 

 

http://www.tonymacx86.com/network/104850-guide-airport-pcie-half-mini-v2.html

 

Anyway, this card, I didn´t know, uses the MHF4 connectors, so you need some extra antennas as in

 

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-x-40cm-15-7-MHF4-2-4-5G-Wifi-Antennas-for-BCM943602CS-BCM94360CS-AW-CB160H-/262183549640?rd=1

 

 This exceeds by so much the interest I have in a quickest wifi. Anyway, if you are interested it would be my pleasure to send the card to you.

 

Regards

[fenixke]

@fenixke - i glad you got it fixed and working.  i installed windows on the same HD that was formatted on OS X that has a 200 MB EFI. so maybe that was not exact issue.

I recall this same thing happening when i went to install windows. if you see can't install win because MBR (on a GPT disk) it usually means you made the 2nd partition with Disk Utility ExFAt or NTFS which converts your GPT drive with a PMBR (normal) into Hybrid disk with MBR instead. i may add some more explicit instructions on how to dual boot with GPT so both OS boot UEFI. I am curious if your partition windows is booting UEFI or MBR?

 

@tluck

 

200MB is enough for OSX - as you wrote - for formatting the partition. The problem was, that Windows only created a 100MB EFI partition by deafult if you format your disk with Windows installer.

 

For the first try, I formatted the Windows partition with Disk Utility under OSX to ExFAT so yes, it could be the issue as you mentioned. Altough under Win installer I tried to delete and recreate that partition, but it did not help either, it still recognized it as MBR.

 

For my second try I wiped the whole disk under Windows installer and formatted with the Windows install partitioner. I have created a GPT Windows USB installer, so it created a GPT partitioned disk with 100MB EFI partition and I created 2 more one NTFS for Windows and FAT32 for OSX. After that I installed Win10. Then I booted with Clover USB installer and tried to format the FAT32 partition. It failed because of the 100MB EFI size. So I booted into Windows and recreated the EFI partition and made it 400MB (more than enough ). After that OSX could format the FAT32 partition without problem to OSX format and the install went smoothly.

 

I hope I answered your question (I'm not sure if i understand it)

[karlamba]

Hi Guys again,

 

I have 2 additional questions/remarks:

1) When I boot my T420 hackintosh then my 'trackball' not working - only works the touchpad. To fix that I have to bring laptop into sleep (by closing the cover) and then bring it up again... - it works then...

Do anydobdy knows if this is normal behavior here or is there any way to fix this?

 

2) Thanks tluck for reminder about bluetooth - I've boot with Ubuntu Live DVD and now I have automatically bluetooth enabled on my hackintosh I've tested it with Android phone and windows phone - in both I can sent files to the phones but in the opposite way (from phone -> hackintosh) it is not possible. Is it also correct behavior and I need for example some additional tool installed on my hackintosh to be able to receive any files from android or windows phones?

 

Cheers!

[parcox]

Hi all,
 

I just bought AR5B195 which is a WiFi + Bluetooth Combo (AR9285+AR3011). I can confirm wifi is working fine since I already have AR9285 before. So these are my problem:

1. Bluetooth had to be turned on first on windows using tpfancontrol and then warm boot into hackintosh. 
2. Bluetooth will be not available after wake up from sleep while not charging, but if I plug my t420i into AC adapter, bluetooth is still available and working fine after wake up from sleep. 

This is really annoying since I used bluetooth mouse. Note that t420i does not come with bluetooth, but it has bluetooth expansion option. Unfortunately mine seems broken after I spilled water accidentally in the trackpad. I bought internal bluetooth dongle before and it was working.

 

my question is, can I turn bluetooth on without booting up into windows first and any clue on bluetooth state after sleep? Maybe DSDT hack?

[tluck]

@Fenixke - well you did. i know what you did and why you had problems. but you got working so alls well that ends well.

 

@parcox - there may be a dsdt hack to turn BT on. i don't remember what the Fn+F5 does - if it turns on/off just wifi or all radios via software for windows so maybe it could be modified for OSX.

odd that your BT works only when sleeping under power. there are some current during sleep settings that may address it? i have a weird thing with my camera not working after sleep. but my other T420 doesn't have this issue.  i was looking at this awhile back but gave up.

 

@karlamba - yeah i have seen the seem thing. about every other boot my trackPoint is not working on startup. trackpad is fine. but sleep/wake revives it. i am not sure whats going on. i tried older kexts and same thing. since i have SDD a reboot is only about 3 seconds so i just check if the red knob can move the mouse before i login.  i will ask RehabMan if he has any ideas?

[karlamba]

@tluck - 1 more observation from my side about trackpad... today I've boot with Recovery mode from HD drive... and it seems that trackpad is working very well at the beginning. The other thing is that normally when I boot my El Capitan normally the "touchpad" is working always but - if I "tap" on it then it is not recognized as Left button click whatever I do... During recovery mode this is also working like a charm... so what can be the cause? Maybe you can figure out it and have any idea? I can do some more tests...

[plympton]

Just a note - couldn't upgrade to 10.11.3 via the app store, but direct download worked like a charm.

 

The App store version would download, and then say it couldn't be verified.  Not sure what was up with that, but direct download of the DMG, install, reboot, etc, worked fine.  No kext changes.

[karlamba]

Is there any way to fix MBR to PMBR without repartitioning whole drive and reinstalling all from the beginning?

I want to install Windows 7 into the same disk as OSX... Do I need a special Windows 7 USB UEFI instalator prepared or I can just install WIN7 if it just boots and see all my currently created partitions? After this win7 install can I still boot OSX?

 

$ sudo gpt -r show disk0

       start        size  index  contents

           0           1         MBR

           1           1         Pri GPT header

           2          32         Pri GPT table

[tluck]

@karlamba

 

yes. 2 ways i know:

1) gdisk can convert the MBR to PMBR

2) Disk Utility -  erase just the ExFat or NTFS partition that caused it and reformat as OS X Extended  - it converts the MBR to PMBR.

 

i am guessing you are you trying to set up dual boot?!

[karlamba]

Exactly - I'm trying to set up dual boot with win7... I have currently installed El Capitan on the "first" partition (as we know not first in fact) and Win7 on the "second" half of the same HDD...
I've just booted from USB Win7 key prepared by - Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool - and I've successfully run the installation. I had defined before at the beginning of installation El Capitan (but then I've formated it by using disk utils to MSDOS just to have it) the partition which I've reformated by using Win7 installator now... and this is probably the cause that now I see MBR instead of PMBR I suppose?

 

In this case (I want to make dual boot now) - what should I do first? because I suppose it is not needed now to reformat this second partition to HFS if I want to install win7 there?

so I should choose option 1 and use gdisk to convert MBR to PMBR first and after that I can just install win7 and at the end just modify/add some files/config to the existin EFI partition?

[tluck]

well if there isn't anything on 2nd windows partition - meaning you did not installed windows yet,  then erase that partition via Disk Utility.

 

i tested this out today ...

 

formated a new disk into 2 OS X Extended partitions.

then started up the windows installer.  

i delete the 2nd partition by the windows tool

create new - says will create other items so ok.

then install windows on 2nd primary partition.

[trifero]

Exactly - I'm trying to set up dual boot with win7... I have currently installed El Capitan on the "first" partition (as we know not first in fact) and Win7 on the "second" half of the same HDD...

I've just booted from USB Win7 key prepared by - Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool - and I've successfully run the installation. I had defined before at the beginning of installation El Capitan (but then I've formated it by using disk utils to MSDOS just to have it) the partition which I've reformated by using Win7 installator now... and this is probably the cause that now I see MBR instead of PMBR I suppose?

 

In this case (I want to make dual boot now) - what should I do first? because I suppose it is not needed now to reformat this second partition to HFS if I want to install win7 there?

so I should choose option 1 and use gdisk to convert MBR to PMBR first and after that I can just install win7 and at the end just modify/add some files/config to the existin EFI partition?

I run windows 7 from a second hard drive. From my experience, it´s the best way to do it.

[trifero]

I can see there is a new Clover version, 3333. Can you see any problem to use your files in this one, tluck?

[karlamba]

formated a new disk into 2 OS X Extended partitions.

then started up the windows installer.  

i delete the 2nd partition by the windows tool

create new - says will create other items so ok.

then install windows on 2nd primary partition.

 

Sounds good but do you mean I should reformat whole disk drive or I can in my case just reformat second partition (dedicated for win7) and install win7 on it with no damaging my current Capitan installation on the first partition? and what about UEFI win7 usb boot? should I worry about it or just install win7 normally and make corrections EFI partition after all?

 

@trifero - I'm using second disk on my second laptop - Dell. The main problem is obvious - you need to have second disk drive... For T420 I want to finally have configured dual boot from 1 HDD - this is the plan.

[Zeridialous]

Whats the process to operate the system in closed clamshell mode? I have a USB keyboard and mouse connected along with external VGA display, but cant seem to wake the system once the lid is closed.

[gromalle]

Just curiosity... anyone has upgraded the CPU with a quad Core? I have read a lot through the web and it seems to have a serious heat dissipation problem.

 

Yes. Everything works well & fine (temp, no throttling, etc.), see my spec.

 

Also read and see benchmarks in my posts: #2174222 , #2174665

 

Do not listen to those who live by rumors and not based on own experience.

[tluck]

well I have been using dual boot from the same HD drive with OS X and Windows for about 4 years now...  2-3 on clover.  and since switching to UEFI, Clover makes this very simple as the UEFI loaders "live" side by side in the EFI folder.  Of course putting windows it own (2nd disk) certainly is a option.

 

@karlamba

- i outlined the general procedure  - in your case, just reformat the target partition (not the whole disk) setup as OS X - which converts the MBR back to PBMR .

- then start up the windows (UEFI version) installer and install windows as i already explained. 

it will put its loader in /EFI/Microsoft and will not stomp on /EFI/Clover

 

@trifero - sure upgrade to v3333 Clover is fine. the posted bundle is based on v3332.

 

Whats the process to operate the system in closed clamshell mode? I have a USB keyboard and mouse connected along with external VGA display, but cant seem to wake the system once the lid is closed.

well the system will NOT go into sleep mode when an external DP/DVI (digital monitor) connected and lid closed. OS X doesn't recognize the VGA as active - so goes to sleep. if you connect your external monitory via DP then you can shut the lid without it going to sleep. i bought several of DP converters -  DP to VGA (good for projectors etc), DP to HDMI (TVs etc)

[karlamba]

thx tluck for this info... I think the last question to this matter - to create UEFI installer will it be enough to use for example "Rufus" tool and windows installer should automatically detect that it runs in UEFI mode and will install his bootloader into /EFI/Microsoft folder partition?

[Somez]

Folks,

 

All tips are welcome. No matter what I do my fan does not go below 3200 RPM. Activity monitor does not reveal any processes that could be the root cause so I'm stuck. I'm on the latest BIOS (1.46). Can it be that the HWMonitor app is reporting incorrect values? Judging by it's sound the fan is above 2000 RPM which is said to be the idle speed.

 

Thanks.

[karlamba]

ok Guys - I've installed win7 as tluck suggested... but... now I have no option at boot to choose OS

how I can fix that and boot OSX again?

just boot from USB OSC inst and do "repair"?

I suppose that this stomp on /EFI/Clover somehow...

I still can boot via USB installer OSX and run El Capitan from HDD...

I know that fix will be easy but I don't want to make any mistake and install everything again... so waiting for your advice...

[tluck]

@somez - hmm weird. what does your idle CPU say? are you just using the LCD? what is

 

 

@karlamba -

 

yeah rufus is a good tool. 

 

however, for windows 10 I just downloaded the windows media creation tool to make my USB windows installer.   Then I set UEFI only in my bios, so it boots the USB in UEFI mode.

as we all probably know, the Win 7 pro license that comes with most T420 systems can also license windows 10 pro as well. i installed win10 by skipping entering the license key, and later it seems to read it from the BIOS SLIC table to activate automatically.

 

so just to validate the whole thing for myself - which i haven't down in a while - i created a "test" dual boot drive.

 

took a spare 120GB SATA drive

formatted it as GPT with disk utility.app

created 2 partitions OSX and Untitled  - set the 2nd sized to 48 GB with the dial. Note: this crappy new tool in El Cap cant create free space other wise i would do that for windows space.

installed OS X by USB - takes about 1 hour

installed Windows10 by USB - takes about 1 hour - Note: just have 1 USB and 1 HD in place (otherwise the installer can get confused)

select custom install

selected the 48 GB primary partition

deleted this partition - which is OSX formatted

created a new partition - which then made the MSR and Primary partitions (if there was more space I think it would also make a Windows Recovery partition)

 

here is what it looks like now with gtp:

osx made the recovery partition 3

windows made partitions 4 and 5 

 

$ sudo gpt -r show disk7

      start       size  index  contents

          0          1         PMBR

          1          1         Pri GPT header

          2         32         Pri GPT table

         34          6         

         40     409600      1  GPT part - C12A7328-F81F-11D2-BA4B-00A0C93EC93B

     409640  139066424      2  GPT part - 48465300-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC

  139476064    1269536      3  GPT part - 426F6F74-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC

  140745600       1152         

  140746752      32768      4  GPT part - E3C9E316-0B5C-4DB8-817D-F92DF00215AE

  140779520   93661184      5  GPT part - EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7

  234440704        909         

  234441613         32         Sec GPT table

  234441645          1         Sec GPT header

 

$ sudo gpt -r show -l disk7

      start       size  index  contents

          0          1         PMBR

          1          1         Pri GPT header

          2         32         Pri GPT table

         34          6         

         40     409600      1  GPT part - "EFI System Partition"

     409640  139066424      2  GPT part - "OSX"

  139476064    1269536      3  GPT part - "Recovery HD"

  140745600       1152         

  140746752      32768      4  GPT part - "Microsoft reserved partition"

  140779520   93661184      5  GPT part - "Basic data partition"

  234440704        909         

  234441613         32         Sec GPT table

  234441645          1         Sec GPT header

[karlamba]

eh... and it just worked for you as it is? because I did this:

 

1. I had El Capitan installed - and during its installation I have created additional partition for future win7 install

2. I recreated this win7 partition in disk utility app and format it as OSX too - it fixed partition table as you said and I have PMBR... so it is OK

3. I've started win7 installation and deleted this win7 partition... then created new one which also created an additional windows partition as we know. I've installed successfully win7 and...

 

it just booted but now I can't run OSX without my USB stick with OSX installation - so something is messed up...

 

so now I'm trying to figure out what will be the best aprouch to fix this:

1. recovery OSX from recovery partition?

2. or just boot OSX using USB but from HDD and reinstall clover?