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Step-by-step Sierra on Dell Optiplex 780 Small Form Factor with Clover

karlic

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karlic
karlic
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An Idiot’s (My!) Guide to Installing Mac OS X Sierra 10.12.3 on a Dell Optiplex 780 Small Form Factor

 

Before you begin

 

What you will need:

  1. A Dell Optiplex 780 SFF (I did say it’s an idiot’s guide)
  2. A Radeon HD5450 Graphics Card (the on-board card is not supposed to work, although it did for me)
  3. A USB stick, at least 8GB
  4. The following downloads:

 

What will be useful:

  1. A computer with access to the Internet (preferably NOT the Optiplex in case you need to download something halfway through)
  2. A camera/phone for taking photos of settings
  3. Another USB stick of about 2GB or more.

Check BIOS version

  1. Shutdown the Optiplex 780 SFF
  2. Restart the 780 and watch the boot screen
  3. Look at the very bottom of the screen for, “BIOS Revision AXX”, where XX is a number
  4. If the number is less than 15, you need to update the BIOS
  5. Shut down the Optiplex 780 SFF.

Record BIOS settings (in case you break something later on)

  1. Restart the 780 and when Dell logo appears keep pressing F2 until you hear a beep
  2. Scroll through each of the BIOS settings pages and take a photo for future reference
  3. Shutdown the Optiplex 780 SFF.

 

Updating the BIOS (only do this if it is less than version A15)

  1. Download O780-A15.exe from here http://www.dell.com/support/home/uk/en/ukbsdt1/product-support/product/optiplex-780/drivers
  2. Download and install unetbootin from here https://unetbootin.github.io
  3. Insert a spare USB stick in a USB port (IT WILL BE ERASED)
  4. Erase and format the USB stick for MS-DOS
  5. Open Disk Utility 
  6. Select the USB stick
  7. Click on Erase
  8. Name = USB
  9. Format = MS-DOS (FAT)
  10. Scheme = Master Boot Record
  11. Click on Erase
  12. Click Done and quit Disk Utility
  13. If it fails the first time, click Done and do step 4. again (the USB stick was still mounted)
  14. Run unetbootin
  15. Enter your login password, when prompted
  16. Select Distribution = FreeDOS
  17. Select Version = 1.0
  18. Type = USB Drive
  19. Drive = [wherever your USB stick is]
  20. Click OK and wait for it to finish
  21. Eject USB stick and remove it
  22. Re-insert USB stick
  23. Copy O780-A15.exe to the USB stick (at the top level, not in a folder)
  24. Eject USB stick and remove it
  25. Insert USB stick into Optiplex 780 SFF
  26. Start the Optiplex 780 SFF and press F12 when Dell logo appears
  27. Select USB Device and press Return
  28. Select Default and press Return OR wait for it to time out
  29. Select FreeDOS Safe Mode and press Return
  30. Type C: and press Return
  31. Type in DIR and press Return. You should see O780-A15.exe
  32. Type in O780-A15.exe and press Return (NB. first is a letter ‘oh’ the second is a number ‘zero’)
  33. Press any key when prompted. (If you don’t have an ‘any’ key, just press Return) ;-)
  34. Wait for it to finish and restart
  35. When the Dell logo appears keep pressing F2 until you hear a beep
  36. Scroll through the BIOS settings and check they haven’t changed from those you recorded earlier.
  37. Shut down the Optiplex 780 SFF
  38. Remove the USB stick.

Setting up the BIOS for Hackintosh (Make sure you have a record of current settings)

  1. Start the Optiplex 780 SFF
  2. When the Dell logo appears keep pressing F2 until you hear a beep
  3. Click on Load Defaults
  4. Click on OK
  5. Click on Yes, if you’re asked about changing SATA settings
  6. Select (everything else stays the same):
  7. Settings/Drives/Diskette Drive/Disabled
  8. Settings/Drives/SATA Operation/RAID Autodetect / AHCI and click Yes
  9. Settings/Drives/SMART Reporting/Enable SMART Reporting
  10. Settings/System Configuration/Parallel Port/Disable
  11. Settings/System Configuration/Serial Port #1/Disable
  12. Settings/Performance/Intel SpeedStep/Enable Intel SpeedStep
  13. Settings/Performance/C States Control/C States Control
  14. Settings/Virtualization Support/Virtualization/Enable intel Virtualization Technology
  15. Settings/Power Management/AC Recovery/Last Power State
  16. Click Apply
  17. Click Exit
  18. Shutdown the Optiplex 780 SFF.

Creating Sierra install USB stick

  1. On a Mac, open the App Store, search for macOS Sierra
  2. Click Download on the macOS Sierra entry
  3. Wait for it to download (times vary, but when it prompts to begin installing, close it down)
  4. Format a spare USB stick with 8GB or more free space (IT WILL BE ERASED)
  5. Open Disk Utility 
  6. Select the USB stick
  7. Click on Erase
  8. Name = USB
  9. Format = Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
  10. Scheme = GUID Partition Map
  11. Click on Erase
  12. Click Done and quit Disk Utility
  13. If it fails the first time, click Done and do step 4. again (the USB stick was still mounted)
  14. Open Terminal
  15. Copy these lines and paste into Terminal:​sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Install\ macOS\ Sierra --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app --nointeraction
  16. Enter your login password and press Return
  17. Go and make a cup of tea.

Now you can begin

 

Make the USB stick Hackintosh ready

  1. Run Clover_v2.4k_r4012.pkg (the numbers will vary depending on when you downloaded it)
  2. Click Continue, Click Continue
  3. Click Change Install Location… <— YOU MUST DO THIS!
  4. Select Install macOS Sierra
  5. Click Continue
  6. Click Customize <— YOU MUST DO THIS!
  7. Select (all others are should be UNselected):
  8. Bootloader/Install boot0af in the MBR
  9. CloverEFI/Clover-EFI 64Bit SATA
  10. Drivers64UEFI/EmuVariableUefi-64
  11. Drivers64UEFI/OsxAptioFixDrv-64 <— There is NO ‘2’ in this
  12. Drivers64UEFI/PartitionDxe-64
  13. Click Install
  14. Enter your login password
  15. Click Install Software
  16. Click Close
  17. Run Clover Configurator (Vibrant Edition)
  18. Open config.plist
  19. Select Gui
  20. Select Language and change it to match your own
  21. Select Screen Resolution and change it to match your own
  22. Select SMBIOS and click the Magic Wand (right-hand side)
  23. Select the left-most icon
  24. Select iMac (10,1) - Core 2 Duo
  25. Select each of the (2) shake buttons
  26. Select System Parameters
  27. Click Generate New
  28. Select File/Save    
  29. Close Clover Configurator (Vibrant Edition)
  30. Copy config.plist to /Volumes/Install\ macOS\ Sierra/EFI/Clover/ 
  31. Click Authenticate
  32. Click replace
  33. Enter your login password
  34. Click OK
  35. Copy DSDT.aml to /Volumes/Install\ macOS\ Sierra/EFI/Clover/ACPI/patched/
  36. Click Authenticate
  37. Enter your login password
  38. Click OK
  39. Copy: AppleALC.kext, AppleIntelE1000e.kext, FakeSMC.kext, and USB_Injector.kex to: /Volumes/Install\ macOS\ Sierra/EFI/CLOVER/kexts/10.12/
  40. Click Authenticate
  41. Enter your login password
  42. Click OK
  43. Copy boot1h to /Volumes/Install\ macOS\ Sierra/ (this will only be used if you have problems)
  44.     Click Authenticate
  45.     Enter your login password
  46.     Click OK
  47. Copy Clover_v2.4k_r4012.pkg to /Volumes/Install\ macOS\ Sierra/ 
  48.     Click Authenticate
  49.     Enter your login password
  50.     Click OK
  51. Eject the USB stick Install macOS Sierra.

Install Sierra on your Optiplex 780 SFF

  1. Remove any disks other than the one you intend to install onto (prevents accidents)
  2. Install the HD5450 graphics card and other devices you intend to use (USB mouse, keyboard, etc)
  3. Insert the USB stick Install macOS Sierra
  4. Start the Optiplex 780 SFF and press F12 when Dell logo appears
  5. Select USB Device and press Return
  6. Select Boot OS X Install from Install macOS Sierra and press Return
  7. The screen appears to freeze, be patient
  8. Test your reading speed as the console text scrolls past ;-)
  9. Select Disk Utility and click Continue
  10. Select your target disk and click Erase
  11. Name = Sierra
  12. Format = Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
  13. Scheme = GUID Partition Map
  14. Click Erase
  15. Click Done
  16. Close Disk Utility
  17. Select Install MacOS and click Continue
  18. Click:
  19. Continue
  20. Agree
  21. Agree
  22. Select the Sierra disk and click Install
  23. After about 30 mins (during which the screen may go blank) the Optiplex 780 SFF will reboot and again after another 30 mins
  24. IF it hangs, switch off
  25. Start the Optiplex 780 SFF and press F12 when Dell logo appears
  26. Select USB Device and press Return
  27. Select Boot macOS Install from Sierra and press Return
  28. Select your country and keyboard and click Continue after each
  29. Click Continue
  30. Click Continue and Don’t Use
  31. Select Don’t Sign in, Continue, and Skip
  32. Click Agree and Agree
  33. Enter your details and click Continue
  34. Select your time zone and click Continue
  35. DEselect Send diagnostics & usage date to Apple and click Continue
  36. Click Continue
  37. Click Continue and press the key next to the Shift key, then click Done
  38. Open Terminal and type in 
  39. sudo spctl --master-disable
  40. and press Return
  41. Enter your login password and press Return
  42. Run Clover_v2.4k_r4012 from the USB stick /Volumes/Install\ macOS\ Sierra
  43. Click Continue, Click Continue
  44. Click Change Install Location… <— YOU MUST DO THIS!
  45. Select Install macOS Sierra
  46. Click Continue
  47. Click Customize <— YOU MUST DO THIS!
  48. Select (all others are should be UNselected):
  49. Bootloader/Install boot0af in the MBR
  50. CloverEFI/Clover-EFI 64Bit SATA
  51. Drivers64UEFI/EmuVariableUefi-64
  52. Drivers64UEFI/OsxAptioFixDrv-64 <— There is NO ‘2’ in this
  53. Drivers64UEFI/PartitionDxe-64
  54. Install RC scripts on target volume
  55. Install Clover Preference Pane
  56. Click Install
  57. Enter your login password
  58. Click Install Software
  59. Click Close
  60. Copy:
  61. /Volumes/Install\ macOS\ Sierra/EFI/Clover/config.plist to /EFI/Clover/
  62. /Volumes/Install\ macOS\ Sierra/EFI/Clover/ACPI/patched/DSDT.aml to /EFI/Clover/ACPI/patched/
  63. /Volumes/Install\ macOS\ Sierra/EFI/Clover/kexts/10.12/* to /EFI/Clover/kexts/10.12/
  64. Shut down the Optiplex 780 SFF and remove the USB stick
  65. Start the Optiplex 780 SFF.
  66. IF it hangs with boot0af: error, switch off and reinsert the USB stick.
  67. Start the Optiplex 780 SFF and press F12 when Dell logo appears
  68. Select USB Device and press Return
  69. Select Boot OS X Install from Install macOS Sierra and press Return
  70. Be patient
  71. Use the top menu to open Terminal
  72. Type in:
  73. mount
  74. And press Return
  75. Look for /Volumes/Sierra and note the entry to the left, which will be /dev/diskXsY, where X and Y are numbers
  76. Type in:
  77. cd /Volumes/Image\ Volume
  78. umount /dev/diskXsY
  79. sudo dd if=boot1h of=/dev/diskXsY bs=4096
  80. shutdown -h now
  81. where X and Y are the numbers from above and pressing Return after each line
  82. Remove the USB stick and start the Optiplex 780 SFF
  83. Enjoy your Hackintosh.
  84. I had to visit System Preferences | Sound | Output and select HDMI to hear any sound
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billg66
billg66
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Posted

Thanks so much for this! I just received an Optiplex 780 I purchased on eBay, and I'm about to embark on this process. Two questions: How much memory should I have, and will this work with the newly released 10.12.4, or should I stick with 10.12.3? Thanks again! I'm looking forward to this!

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billg66
billg66
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Posted

No problem, let me know if you get yours working... I'm still having problems with mine!

 

Wilco. I'm just updating the BIOS as I'm typing this. I'm waiting for the video card to come in before I tackle the actual Sierra Install. Probably by the weekend.

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billg66
billg66
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Posted

 

 

  1. Copy these lines and paste into Terminal:​sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Install\ macOS\ Sierra --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app --nointeraction
  2. Enter your login password and press Return

 

I've done this precisely, and the message I get in Terminal is "/Volumes/Install macOS Sierra is not a valid volume mount point." Install macOS Sierra is in the Applications folder where I downloaded it. Should I move it someplace else?

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billg66
billg66
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@billg66 There are other terminal commands out there, I found one on google that worked for me. I forget which one it was, but I know it didn't take me long to find a slightly different one.

 

Thank you, Sir. Figured out that I needed to replace the volume reference at the tail end of the command with the name of my local USB drive, and baddbing, baddaboom. Install drive created.

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billg66
billg66
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Posted

I'm a bit confused by this instruction on the actual installation:

 

 


42. Run Clover_v2.4k012 from the USB stick /Volumes/Install\ macOS\ Sierra

43. Click Continue, Click Continue

44. Click Change Install Location… <— YOU MUST DO THIS!

45. Select Install macOS Sierra

46. Click Continue

 

This seems to indicate that I should install Clover to the USB drive (which I have already done as part of "Make the USB Stick Hackintosh Ready") Is that a mistype? Should I actually be installing it to the Sierra drive on the Optiplex? That would seem to make more sense given this stage of the installation. Or am I missing something?

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flod
flod
Posted
Posted

I was able to install, and boot into Sierra up to step 65 in Install Sierra on your Optiplex 780 SFF above. From there on the internal drive with Sierra installed isn't seen by the system. I followed the remaining steps but got a "command not found" error when entering the unmount command in Terminal as noted in step 78.

 

Can anyone help?

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