Unable to install Mountain Lion on Mac Pro 4,1

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Unable to install Mountain Lion on Mac Pro 4,1

I originally wanted to do a Clean Install on my Mac Pro 4,1 (Early 2009 - Single Quad).

1ST BRICK WALL: After running Install OS X Mountain Lion.app in Lion, it reboots to a Grey Screen/Prohibitory (Circle Cross Line) Screen. Resetting PRAM did not resolve issue.

Ok, how about a USB Thumb Dive Install...

2ND BRICK WALL: After booting off a Mountain Lion Install USB drive, none of my internal hard drives show up in the "Select Destination Drive" (i.e. no drives mounted).

I tried both methods with 2 different hard drives (1 Solid State Crucial M4 and 1 Stock Platter Drive)

Anyone else have similar problems? Any suggestions?

P.S. I have a "Apple Store" ATI Radeon HD 5870 installed.

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Aug 29, 2012 7:44 PM

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Answer 1

Linc Davis

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Aug 30, 2012 6:09 AM in response to VernP

Assuming you have backed up all your data, boot from the USB drive and partition the drive you want to install on with the default options (one data partition, GUID partition table.) Try the installation again.

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Answer 2

Linc Davis

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Aug 30, 2012 6:10 AM in response to Linc Davis

In case it's not obvious, partitioning will wipe out all data on the drive.

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Answer 3

VernP Author

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Aug 30, 2012 6:36 AM in response to Linc Davis

@Linc, the internal drives do not show up when I boot from the USB. They do not mount. They do not show up in the Disk Utility.

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Answer 4

The hatter

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Aug 30, 2012 6:51 AM in response to VernP

m4's need firmware update for one

there is a utility out that creates a proper lion/ml instal usb thumb drive, 8GB needed

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Answer 5

VernP Author

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Aug 30, 2012 7:17 AM in response to The hatter

@hatter, M4's firmware is 000F, which is the latest. Yes, I made a proper ML USB Install drive.

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Answer 6

Linc Davis

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Aug 30, 2012 8:40 AM in response to VernP

Try removing all but one of the drives and see whether the remaining one shows up. One bad device could lock up the bus.

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Answer 7

VernP Author

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Sep 4, 2012 8:46 PM in response to Linc Davis

@Linc, I tried all combinations of hard drives, single m4, single stock, still none showing up in Mountain Lion USB Installer.

Tried burning ML to DVD, no luck.

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Answer 8

Linc Davis

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Sep 4, 2012 9:04 PM in response to VernP

Sounds like a hardware fault. Take it for service.

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Answer 9

Sep 10, 2012 10:54 AM in response to VernP

I have exactly the same problem on my Mac Pro 4,1. I have found that although the internal hard drives do not show up in DU when booted from the ML installer USB, external HD's do show up so I could install Mountain Lion on one of those and clone it back to an internal HD if I get desperate.

@VernP Have you had any luck in finding a solution yet? I phoned Apple support only to be told that it may be a hardware fault but the HD's show up in DU under Lion. And they must have shown up under the Lion installer also.

Might be a bug in the ML installer.

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Answer 10

Sep 10, 2012 11:01 AM in response to VernP

There have been some anecdotes of inability to install 10.8 Mountain Lion if there is no pre-existing Recovery_HD anywhere. Exact details are difficult to come by.

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Answer 11

The hatter

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Sep 10, 2012 11:04 AM in response to VernP

and do remove everything non essential.

amazing what OWC PCIE SSD controller or RAM can do.

one person's iPass cable was semi loose

ML also seems to recognize or has tighter memory specs

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Answer 12

VernP Author

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Sep 10, 2012 9:24 PM in response to Pete_B100

@Pete_B100, thank you for a different direction. I was able to start an install with the drive in an external USB bay. However, I could not get it to boot ML inside the internal bays. This got me thinking...

SOLUTION: This was an error on my part. I bought my MacPro 4,1 without the WiFi card in it. Around the time I bought it, I had a Mac Mini that I was using for parts. I took the WiFi card (Model No. AR5BXB6) out of the Mac Mini and put it in the Mac Pro. Worked like a champ for SL and Lion. While I was in there yanking out drives, I decided to yank that out. The hint was that the ML USB boot could not see my WiFi card. After I took it out, it was operating like it should. I was able to do a Clean Install of Mountain Lion on my Crucial M4 SSD with no problems.

Thank you all for your help and suggestions!

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Answer 13

The hatter

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Sep 11, 2012 2:46 AM in response to VernP

thus is 2nd time an older wifi card and ML, have to remember to keep asking, and play 20 questions

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Answer 14

Sep 11, 2012 11:42 AM in response to VernP

Glad you got it sorted.

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Answer 15

Sep 23, 2012 10:48 AM in response to VernP

i having the exact same problem has you with an identical machine, i can't get ML installed, i've also added a wifi card later, is time to remove it and see what happens

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