Update 10.8.2 from 10.8.1 fails with MacPro 2009 and ATI HD 5870

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Level 1

8 points

Update 10.8.2 from 10.8.1 fails with MacPro 2009 and ATI HD 5870

I tried to update my Mac Pro 2009 from 10.8.1 to 10.8.2, after the download and install of 10.8.2 my mac completly hang in a white screen mode with broken graphics. No chance to fix that - i nearly tried everything. All hardware is okay, as i went back to 10.8.1 from a cloned drive.

Yes, the configuration of my mac is complex, here is a list:

Mac Pro 2009 2x 2.66 GhZ Quad-Core

96 GB RAM - 3x 16GB + 3x 16GB

ATI RADEON HD5870 1GB

Apple RAID Card installed (with 4 drives raid 5 attached)

Apple Fibre Channel Card installed (2x 4GB Fiberchannel)

Monitor NEC PA301W

Booting from a Crucial M$ 512MB SSD

Again: All works perfectly fine on 10.8.1.... As I went back through a cloned drive.

BUT it`s impossible to boot the machine even from an attached (firewire) clean installed 10.8.2 (i tried that too)

10.8.2 worls perfectly on my the Mac Book Air, no prblems upgrading at all- BUT did anybody know of a bug - especially related with the ATI HD 5870 in an MacPro 2009 ?? I repeat myself, all works perfectly great on 10.8.1 but there is as of now no chance to go up to 10.8.2 without getting a white blank screen.

So please, did anybody had the same problems with the ATI 5870 ? Or with the Apple Raid Card or Aplle Fibrechannel 2 Port Card? Is it the combination within my Mac Pro?

I would really appreciate any tipp, help or support !

Thanks!!!

Mac Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), Upgrading from 10.8.1 to 10.8.2

Posted on Sep 20, 2012 5:20 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

belkins8

Level 1

5 points

Sep 20, 2012 6:48 AM in response to Mlenny

I am having the exact same machine behaviour, except I get (2) white screens of death. The Mac Pro runs perfectly on 10.8.1, but absolutely will not boot on 10.8.2. I also thought the issue was video related, because of the way my dual Apple Cinema Displays were acting, but I can't prove it directly.

My configuration is a little off of yours, so it's not a direct comparison:

Mac Pro 2012 2 x 3.06 GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon

128 GB RAM 1333 MHz DDR3 ECC (4x 16GB + 4x 16GB)

ATI Radeon HD 5770 1024 MB

No Apple RAID Card, using SW RAID 1 (2x 480 SSD)

ATTO Fibre Channel Card (2x 8GB Fiberchannel)

Monitors Apple Cinema Display - Dual

Booting from RAID 1, OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G, 480 GB SSD

I reset NVRAM / PRAM, tried disconneting the dual monitors going to one, unplugging the FC from the SAN, swapped out HDD and rebuilt the RAID 1 mirror, down to a single HDD, and still no luck. Keeping in mind "everything" worked perfectly under 10.8.1.

LOL...I also upgraded 10.8.2 on (5) MacBook Airs and (2) MacBook Pros, perfectly, but chose to do the Mac Pro last...busted. I'm just glad you mentioned you tried a 'clean' install of 10.8.2 and it failed, that was my next step.

All I can say is, thank goodness for CCC and good backup practices.

Thanks,

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Answer 2

Mlenny Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 20, 2012 8:41 AM in response to belkins8

Thanks for the reply ... that helped my a lot that i`m not the only one.

As written a clean install on an external harddrive with 10.8.2 didn`t help at all. so it`s definatly a problem of 10.8.2 as i`m writing this post from 10.8.1 and everything works perfectly as before. So right now I see no way to step up to 10.8.2 with my configuration.

A friend of mine with an Mac Pro 2008 and an ATI 1GB Card had no problems upgrading to 10.8.2.. but his Mac Pro 'lacks' a my Apple Fibrechannel Card AND the Apple RAID Card - also less memory... (but 96GB nor 128GB RAM should be a reason) Strange, Strange that bug all. I also tried nearly everything I can imagine no way to boot into 10.8.2

Did you REMOVE your Fibrechannel Card? Or just unpluged the SAN? That would be my next try.... But right now I`m a bit sick of testing all that, again as 10.8.1 runs perfectly. It`s also NO DVI or DISPLAYPORT thing, I tried both, same behaviour.

Yes THANKS to CCC :-) going back to normal.

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Answer 3

belkins8

Level 1

5 points

Sep 20, 2012 8:57 AM in response to Mlenny

I only disconnected the FC from the SAN. I ran out of time, or would have removed the card. And yeah, it's not a DVI vs MiniDP issue. Although it still feels like a potential video driver conflict, based on the 10.8.2 update itself and what it modifies in the process.

You might also check http://www.tonymacx86.com/209-os-x-10-8-2-update.html

...for additional troubleshooting / tools...

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Answer 4

Mlenny Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 21, 2012 11:24 AM in response to belkins8

Upgrade FIX:

Update from 10.8.1 to 10.8.2 now WORKED IF I REDUCED THE RAM TO 48 GB - 3x 16GB on one bank (from 96GB 6x 16GB ) ...

No trying to find out if 64 GB are working, and where there is a possiblke bug or limit...

so that config is working now:

Mac Pro 2009 2x 2.66 GhZ Quad-Core

48 GB RAM - 3x 16GB

ATI RADEON HD5870 1GB

Apple RAID Card installed (with 4 drives raid 5 attached)

Apple Fibre Channel Card installed (2x 4GB Fiberchannel)

Monitor NEC PA301W

Booting from a Crucial M$ 512MB SSD

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Answer 5

Mlenny Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 21, 2012 11:58 AM in response to Mlenny

After successfully installing 10.8.2 from 10.8.1 - which never worked with 96 GB (6x 16GB) on my Mac Pro, it worked perfectly with reducing the RAM to 48 GB. See posting above.

After the 10.8.2 Update I added again 16GB to a total of 64 GB - WORKED!

Then I tried it again with all 6x 16GB (3x 16 + 3x 16Gb) FAILED ... again the same frozen broken screen on 10.8.2 - whitch works PERFECTLY under 10.8.1 (!!)

Last not least I added 1x 16GB more, so right now I have 3x 16GB on Bank 1 + 2x 16GB on Bank 2 - in total 80GB and it WORKS!!!

The memory is fine ! as i changed the different RAM Modules, so it`s NOT a defective RAM Module. For me right now the solution is either to run 10.8.2 with 80GB OR 10.8.1 with 96GB.

I guess this really has to be a BUG, or has anybody else another idea WHY 96GB RAM work on 10.8.1 and (in my case max. 80 GB RAM) work only in 10.8.2?

Maybe this solves some problems for other with >64GB RAM installed when they want to upgrade from 10.8.1 to 10.8.2 .... If you can run your system with more than 80GB PLEASE let me know. Right now I have at least one spare 16GB module.

so that config is working now:

Mac Pro 2009 2x 2.66 GhZ Quad-Core

80 GB RAM - 3x 16GB + 2x 16GB

ATI RADEON HD5870 1GB

Apple RAID Card installed (with 4 drives raid 5 attached)

Apple Fibre Channel Card installed (2x 4GB Fiberchannel)

Monitor NEC PA301W

Booting from a Crucial M$ 512MB SSD

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