Thread: Black Screen on Boot 9800GT

I have two builds (Server and Client 10.6.1). Both were built with a gtx260 which always gave a display even when strings were incorrect or whatever.

I have put a 9800GT in there as a permanent card.

Get boot screen - Grey Apple in a decent resolution all looks good.

Then screen goes black and stays black. Put both builds onto my laptop (via usb caddy) and removed the EFI string for gtx260 - Tried it with just graphic enabled = Yes.

then tried putting the original plist file I had which had a generic screen res with no specifics to card.

finally I booted up on the laptop into the OS - ran EFI studio and put in the 9800GT 1024mb (mine is a 512mb but thought it should still work for resolution).

No difference. Both builds I cannot get booted up past the balck screen.

So whats the normal procedure to diagnose and hopefully fix this. I have found a hex string for a 9800 512mb
Tried that no difference. also note that once I get black screen fans drop down a bit but all still run. Disk is still doing something.

Ran ARD and VNC - they can see the mac but it is in unknown state and cannot connect. I'll run the installer again and put the DS4 DSDT over to it see if that helps but any ideas really welcome.

I had worked on my last build for a while to get it running really well. All I need is to get the card swapped to this 9800 .

Thanks

I am having a similar problem with my 9800GT, except not on boot. It works fine on boot, but thereafter if I attempt to switch resolutions (e.g., a game that wants to run full screen) I get the black screen of apparent death. What fun.

I used the LifeHacker guide to installing (hack free) and the Halloween Edition of the Stella Rolla installer package.

from another post....

but to solve your Video problem, I adress the procedure how to do this here....

http://efixusers.com/showthread.php?t=478

Are you using Asere's dsdt and have GraphicsEnabler=no? And using a string? What is your ABLN keyword? If you have a string, GE=n, and your ABLN=0x4F I may have an answer for you. But I do not want to get into it, if you don't; it may confuse things even further.

Let me know. __________________

Well thanks - You indirectly pointed me to the problem.

I didn't know how to compile and decompile DSDT's (but do now - lot easy that it sounded).

So opened my DSDT and couldn't find ABLN anywhere - even with search. I did notice though it had an 8800gts in there so obviously in all the moving installing reinstalling it had put a different DSDT in there which was fine with the 260 but not the 9800.

SO - Went to Asers thread - downloaded berlindude DS4 bios 9.
Used the plist asers recommended to start with.

Booted - System profiler shows 512mb 9800GT !!!!

Cinebench 6327 - not bad at all.

So simply just moved the correct files across - Sometimes you can just get a bit lost in frustration and backtracking and trying stuff that may have worked before may not work with a different card.

Thanks for getting me to look at DSDT's and understanding a little more.

Now have a running system

Originally Posted by elmangomez

from another post....

but to solve your Video problem, I adress the procedure how to do this here....

http://efixusers.com/showthread.php?t=478

Are you using Asere's dsdt and have GraphicsEnabler=no? And using a string? What is your ABLN keyword? If you have a string, GE=n, and your ABLN=0x4F I may have an answer for you. But I do not want to get into it, if you don't; it may confuse things even further.

Let me know.

I'm actually now using the Lifehacker install plus the Stella Rolla "Halloween Edition" setup, but I installed the Asere custom DSDT for my motherboard (DS4P, F9a bios). I decompiled the DSDT and changed to 0x4F, and recompiled. Tried a string and GE=n. Thing is, the problem remains exactly the same.

I'm 99.9% functional. Boot great, etc. I just can't switch resolutions on the fly. The strange thing is that after I change the resolution and get the screen of death (black if attempting full screen, blue if attempting to change resolution in SL) -- and press sleep -- I get the resolution back for the briefest fraction of a second before things go to sleep.

I've got it working all ways ... and the problem is always exactly the same. I've tried different strings (all G92) but the problem never really seems to change.

Thoughts?

Hey Plat - I did exactly the same as I started learning this thing.

Lifehacker and stella rolla. Took aseres complied DSDT but also copied and pasted his plist code.

Just tested it with resolutions and it works ok.

The only issue I have noticed so far is what I believe people call the cmos reset ?? or RTC ??

I have two drives (server and client) and today booted up and saw boot options. Have to choose default or last know good etc.

Selected last known good and got the no entry sign.

Booted my cmos up and yes it's all reset. No 64bit and AHCPI disabled.

The last piece of the puzzle with the string and 0x4F, is that the PCI number has to be set right in your string... I will need to update my guide to reflect this.... But I need to review the procedure beforehand... Can you post your entire string here? I waant to triple check.

Hi Elamn - Mines all working now so I have success on a 9800GT and 260GTX.

Do you need my info or the other posters. ?

Happy to help if you want any info for a guide to confirm process.

Finally do you know about the reset cmos or RTC ???? is it called on SL. What should I search for ? - I am happy trying to fix this all myself now so I've progressed in the last few weeks and am getting the hang of this.

Works on both SL server and client 10.6.1 btw.

Hey Badger,

The CMOS fix has long been fixed in Asere's ready-made DSDT's ..... but if you don't want to start with a new dsdt... I believe you have to change...

Code:

Device (RTC)
{
  Name (_HID, EisaId ("PNP0B00"))
  Name (_CRS, ResourceTemplate ()
  {
     IO (Decode16,
     0x0070,             // Range Minimum
     0x0070,             // Range Maximum
     0x00,               // Alignment
     0x02,               // Length    <----------------   The 0x04 Value corrected to 0x02 to avoid the corruption of the CMOS.
     )
   })
}

EDIT - Just to confirm I had wrong DSDT in place.

Using Aseres patched DSDT and the code he gives for the apple plist I get full functionality on both a 9800GT and had a GTX260 working.

Support Asere and his work donate. Thanks Eleman for your help - I have learnt a fair bit this week and have a sweet backup system ready to go if ever needed.