White screen of death and computer halts with ATI 4870 in Boot Camp

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White screen of death and computer halts with ATI 4870 in Boot Camp

Hi!

I have just received the ATI Radeon 4870 for my Mac Pro (Early 2008)and have upgraded my Leopard to 10.5.7 and works fine on the Mac side. When I reboot and hold the command key I can see my MAC and my BOOT CAMP 2 options as always before. When I click on boot camp I get a white screen with a black frome around it and there is NO hard disk activity and nothing happens no matter how long I leave the computer alone. Before I had no problem booting into my boot camp loaded with vista 64 bit. I have another partition with parallels and that is fine but not this boot camp partition.

I am using ONLY this card in the system. I removed the NVIDIA card.

ALso I tried putting in my Vista 64bit DvD into the drive and rem=booting and see the option when hold the option key to go into MAC,WINDOWS,DVD.... When I select DvD and computer adjust to work in a windows enviroment again the system halts. SO I believe it has nothing whatsoever to to do with drivers inside Vista. It would have to be something that needs upgrading for bootcamp to allow for this video card to work on Bootcamp?

Again I have the latest updates of the OS.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for all your time!

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.7)

Posted on May 14, 2009 6:11 PM

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Answer 1

CorkyO

Level 1

45 points

May 14, 2009 7:29 PM in response to Umanami

Umanami,

I don't know enough about EFI initialization, but I would probably try the following:

1 - Swap back to old card

2 - Boot into Vista

3 - Uninstall video drivers

4 - Uninstall video adapter in device manager (if allowed)

5 - Shut down machine immediately

6 - Swap in new card

7 - Boot into Vista to test functionality

If it fails, swap back to old card and boot to Vista / replace working nVidia drivers.

Typing from iPhone and you seem capable, so I will leave it at that.

Good luck!

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Answer 2

Umanami Author

Level 1

0 points

May 14, 2009 7:35 PM in response to CorkyO

Thanks for that part of advice and will try BUT my problem with that theory is that I put in a vista dvd as if was going to re-install bootcamp and the second i clicked on the DVD I got the system halp. So there is nothing related to Vista drivers I believe. It is from the boot camp selection screen to the second I select anything windows related I get instant white screen and no HD activity. So it not even see there a card in there.

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Answer 3

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

May 15, 2009 1:59 AM in response to Umanami

It may have something to do with something but the problems with booting from DVDs is more likely NVRAM.

CAN you boot into Vista? can you do a Safe Boot?

Is Vista on the same or a different hard drive as the one OS X is on?

If you boot from Vista DVD have you tried doing System Repair?

Have you zapped PRAM from cold start?

Have you run Disk Warrior booting off a backup or emergency hard drive for OS X and repaired your OS X drive / partition?

The 4870 works so it is getting power. It is in the first slot. And you don't have a Nvidia card also in there, as two don't get along.

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Answer 4

Umanami Author

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May 15, 2009 4:14 PM in response to The hatter

I have had a working Vista 64bit on bootcamp for the last year and more. All I did was open the box for the 4870 and replace the nvidia. Same slot as was from factory, the first slot. put on the case and loaded to mac with ZERO problem. Next I turned of the computer and turned it on holding the command key and selected my Windows partition as had done for years BUT it instantly goes to white sreen and no activity.

Normally after a moment you would get a black screen and a message about RAID and so on followed by Vista loading.

I tried the dvd just for a test if can even attempt to re-install bootcamp.

It must be getting power because it works fine in mac. Both power cords are plugged in and I have removed and re-inserted the card 3 times now AND I have replaced the NVIDIA and am currently typing this from my bootcamp vista 64bit so my partition is not a problem.

Vista is on the same HD but as I said I have never had a problem.

I can't see why doing nothing more than changing the video card would suddenly just make system stop working. This is an upgrade.

I not zapped PRAM...and not sure how.

I haven't run Disk Warrior because everything works GREAT when NVIDIA in there.

I can't boot from a Vista dvd to attempt a system repair because instant white screen with a dvd in there too. And as I said it works perfect with nvidia in there.

Any more ideas anyone???

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Answer 5

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

May 16, 2009 3:01 AM in response to Umanami

Normally you have to do things to Vista when swapping graphics cards ahead of time.

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Answer 6

Umanami Author

Level 1

0 points

May 16, 2009 3:50 AM in response to The hatter

I reformatted the HD and tried starting from scratch as if just bought the computer and STILL just halts right at the point it reboots self from boot camp installer to install windows. When swap back to the old NVIDIA again no problem.

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Answer 7

Umanami Author

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May 17, 2009 5:36 AM in response to Umanami

I went to the Mac shop and they said the card is set up to work on the Mac side and isn't their problem!! Also they said there isn't any drivers to update bootcamp to recognize this card yet but maybe someday release them. So I wasted $400 on a card from mac that is useless.!!!

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Answer 8

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

May 17, 2009 6:09 AM in response to Umanami

There is no need to use Boot Camp when it comes to Vista or later.

People have found that not all Windows discs (CD and DVD) are created equal.

Boot Camp doesn't do anything. And you don't want to use Apple ATI drivers anyway.

I've had trouble with Vista. Sometimes it was the firmware on the hard drive; thought my Apple 7300GT was to blame at one point and bought eVGA 8600GTS. Swapped keyboard and mouse. Pulled Sonnet Tempo PCIe SATA card; pulled Aaxeon PCIe FW800. All to eliminate BSOD that occurred after Vista was installed and had done its first major update.

Some people get BSODs after installing Apple Boot Camp.

Too late to RMA? I'd say that 'shop' is dishing out some fud.

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Answer 9

Umanami Author

Level 1

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May 17, 2009 6:17 AM in response to The hatter

I just want to access my Vista that used for last 2 years to play games and I can't see another way to do it. Second click on it the system halts. They said it is bootcamp drivers maybe. And none exist.

I can use parallels fine but my games need dx10 and power to run.

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Answer 10

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

May 17, 2009 7:07 AM in response to Umanami

CorkyO recommended what I would do: install old card, uninstall any graphics drivers and delete them, and use Driver Sweeper as well. So that there is nothing there.

If you have a raw unformatted drive, pull everything else and leave that in.... as if it was a PC and starting for the first time.

Don't use Boot Camp Assistant.
Don't put Windows on the same drive as OS X.
Do try Windows 7.7100 RC 64-bit.

Apple has not posted a link to graphics drivers since early 2008.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1442 - "Not found" and WAY out of date (167.xx) which would be foolish and obviously would not support Vista or 4870.

I would pull the Vista drive for another reason, too, so you can start fresh and import or access the files on it later.

Vista is sensitive to the presence and drive position of where the drive and OS was, the master boot record and such which I confess to not fully understanding.

Which is another reason to install Windows with no other hard drives present.

You keep saying you used COMMAND rather than OPTION key to restart into Windows, so figure typo/slip.

I would RESET SMC and ZAP PRAM/NVRAM. Force the device tree to get rebuilt. And that is important to OS X - suppose to do so but the G5s it never worked properly on its own.

There is a reason why people that play with graphics cards and drivers use Driver Sweeper, it works, and it is essential at times.

Early boot is under the control of EFI. I don't know what if anything Apple does (I don't trust the firmware updates that were suppose to provide better Windows compatibility only to learn it was mostly for XP and not Vista, and that it added a full 30 seconds to my boot routine into Windows - where EFI + Boot Camp does make Windows think there is a traditional BIOS.... my best summary guess.

Work with the only factual symptom: pulling one card and putting in 2nd is causing a problem.

EVGA Guide to troubleshooting graphics drivers and cards:
http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.asp?m=396474

Latest ATI Catalyst Vista/Windows 7
http://downloads.guru3d.com/ATI-Catalyst-9.5-Windows-7-

GURU3D Driver Sweeper
Driver Sweeper 2.0 beta (I'd use this instead.)
Driver Sweeper forum:
http://forums.guru3d.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29

GPU-Z (latest)
http://downloads.guru3d.com/GPU-Z-0.3.4-download-2073.html

http://downloads.guru3d.com/

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Answer 11

Umanami Author

Level 1

0 points

May 17, 2009 7:53 AM in response to The hatter

Thanks for the info. I will need to take some time and go through those steps. I have a HD I don't need and can pull out my OS X drive and just put a blank HD and let the system act like a new windows system from scratch. I will need to pre format the drive with fat 32 and let the windows installer re format it as ntfs right?

Also I was lost with what you said about:
"I would RESET SMC and ZAP PRAM/NVRAM. Force the device tree to get rebuilt. And that is important to OS X - suppose to do so but the G5s it never worked properly on its own."

If I use a fresh HD I wound need to use programs like Drive Sweeper?

EFI is basically the cmos of the system?

I I am able to format the system with just its single HD in there once I put my Mac OS HD back in and put the windows formatted on in drive bay 2 I will need to hold the key at start to get the boot camp option as always right?

Also it is easy enough to get a copy of Windows 7?

Thanks for all your time!

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Answer 12

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

May 17, 2009 8:56 AM in response to Umanami

Download Windows 7 RC from Microsoft

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/default.aspx

You don't need to do any formatting, if you do, boot from DVD or another drive, change the PARTITION Options to "Master Boot Record" first in DU tab, then "MSDOS/FAT" and shutdown.

You will need to boot from Vista or Windows 7 DVD once after your 2nd install. Not sure what it will do. That way you may test both if lucky.

Fresh install, no need to Driver Sweeper, just if you want to retry your Vista install with your OLD card and SAFE BOOT and uninstall etc.

Zapping PrAM is an old troubleshooting feature. Cold boot and hold down 4 keys while it boots and then reboots 2-3 times while the sound "bong" goes off - if it is LOUD then you can release the keys and use OPTION key to boot. (Reset the default, as that clears the name of the drive you boot from).

command option p r are held down together from power on cold boot.
http://www.geocities.com/texas_macman/pram.html
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=2238

EFI is Extensible Firmware Interface
Replaced the older Open Firmware of PowerMac era
And yes, it is the 'cmos' of today's Mac.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/930061
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/firmware/efibrief.mspx#E2B

Windows Vista will longer boot if you installed an older version of Windows:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919529

And Boot Camp, to me, sure can mess things up, so I never use it.

Every piece of hardware has a "name" or alias, an entry ID, and when that is not working it is like trying to find a book in a library, only it wasn't put back on its shelf; or the number in the card catalog. Same as having a file on hard disk with a corrupt directory. So clear NVRAM.

Try clearing NVRAM before you do more.

When you download Windows 7 and burn the ISO to DVD, you should be able to format, repair etc booted from there. Just use 'C' or OPTION to boot from DVD.

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Answer 13

Umanami Author

Level 1

0 points

May 18, 2009 7:11 AM in response to The hatter

I will just have to give up! Will try and return the card or toss it out and eat the $400.

I downloaded Windows 7.

I took out ALL drives but a brand new drive with no OS on it and put it into the first drive bay. I cleared the NVRAM by holding down the 4 keys and as ALWAYS before from day one with the problems once hold down either "C" or OPTION key to boot the dvd it instantly halted system and a white screen. With Windows 7 dvd and Windows Vista and even tried my old XP. So it is 100% something screwed with Mac attempting to do anything with another OS but Mac OS. What is odd is the card is sold on their store as an upgrade and can also order with the new systems as an option. Bootcamp and the ability to have multiple OS's is a major point of having the system.

I am typing this from Vista now using my old video card no problem.

As I mentioned I called US tech support and they had no answer AND I went to the Mac shop and the tech guys couldn't help. They just said Maybe... GRRRR MAYBE Mac wanted to make it work on Mac side first and maybe someday worry about the bootcamp aspect.

I have yet to find anyone else with this problem which is also odd.

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Answer 14

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

May 18, 2009 7:30 AM in response to Umanami

It is a bad card, no iffs ands or butts.

There are people running Vista x64 and 7 RC on Mac Pro.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=696065

Maybe the card has to be Japenese version (just kidding!).

This is probably crazy talk, but rather than eat it, try it in a PC handy? And last resort - I think it should be replaced - would be to flash the thing.

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Answer 15

Umanami Author

Level 1

0 points

May 18, 2009 7:49 AM in response to The hatter

I have the Japanese one I think....Probably shipped from USA but came in a Japanese box.

I don't have a PC to test it on... Will just return it I guess for now and maybe if a massive update for the Mac Pro buy it again or buy an NVIDIA of they come out with one.

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