Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Level 1

43 points

No SATA drive after booting into Windows (BootCamp 5.0)

One of my DVD burners has failed in one of my 2008 Apple Mac Pro's. I pulled the drive out (it was PATA/IDE) and replaced with a new LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray Burner. I had to pull the fan out (temporarily) and run a new 24" SATA cable (with right-angle connector) from one of the two extra SATA ports (on the motherboard) to the new actual SATA drive, and also install a MOLEX to SATA power connector.

I managed to get the drive installed (and working). I now at least have a Blu-Ray burner in my 2008 Apple Mac Pro (with OS X 10.8.3 Mountain Lion).

The problem seems to be with when I boot directly into Windows 8. When I boot into Windows 8, the two ports on the motherboard are disabled and the latest BootCamp 5.0 drivers don't seem to support the two SATA ports on the motherboard (they seem to be disabled). So when I boot directly into Windows, my LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray drive disappears.

I really wish Apple would have just "done things right" from the very beginning and took the time to write decent BootCamp 5.0 drivers that supported the two SATA ports on the motherboard, so that users who need to replace their old/dying/aging PATA drives could easily replace them with SATA drives and use the two SATA ports on the motherboard.

Also it would have been nice if Apple would have taken the time to write good BootCamp 5 drivers (for Windows 8) that support booting from the two SATA ports on the 2008 Apple Mac Pro motherboard.

I've heard of many people that have tried installing RAID Controller Cards (from OWC) in their 2008 Apple Mac Pro to upgrade their four hard drive caddys from SATA II (3Gbps) to SATA III (6Gbps) but unfortunately the RAID Controller Cards don't seem to be bootable and the only option is to install a fifth (bootable) hard drive into the Apple Mac Pro and this is normally done by installing a bootable SSD drive into one of the DVD-drive bays. Unfortunately if you use a SATA SSD drive (which most SSD's are SATA) and then use one of the two SATA ports on the motherboard to connect it, then you go back to having the problem of not having a boot drive when you boot directly into Windows 8 (since there are no BootCamp 5 drivers for the 2008 Apple Mac Pro that support the two SATA ports on the 2008 Apple Mac Pro motherboard).

This seems to be a never-ending problem, and we have twelve 2008 Apple Mac Pro's (along with an office full of 2008/2009/2010/2013 Apple Mac Pro's) and we're getting extremely frustrated with Apple's lack of support in BootCamp 5.0 drivers for the 2008 Apple Mac Pro (and the two SATA ports on the mainboard).

Please fix this problem, and please update the BootCamp 5.0/5.1 drivers (for 2008 Apple Mac Pro users) and please support the two SATA ports on the Apple Mac Pro mainboard, and please make those two SATA ports on the motherboard bootable and usable in both Microsoft Windows 8 and in OS X 10.8.3 Mountain Lion. Please update the BootCamp 5.0 drivers to support the two onboard SATA ports in Windows 8 (so that my Blu-Ray burner is viewable/usable in Windows 8).

Mac Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3)

Posted on Aug 11, 2013 12:10 PM

Best reply

nextech Author

Level 1

43 points

Posted on Aug 11, 2013 12:27 PM

I'm extremely disappointed that Apple neglects their Apple Mac Pro users/buyers. This seems to be a problem that has been dating all the way back to 2008-era, and Apple still has not fixed the problem.

Here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1394482?answerId=6604426022#6604426022

I would have expected during the past 4-5 years that Apple would have at least took the time to release updated BootCamp drivers to support the two onboard SATA ports, so that 2008 Apple Mac Pro users could at least use (and boot from) SATA devices using the two onboard SATA ports in OS X 10.8.3 Mountain Lion and Windows 8.

It's rediculous that we can't even use (or boot from) a modern Blu-Ray burner (SATA) in the Apple Mac Pro.

Apple, please release updated BootCamp 5.x drivers that support the two SATA ports on the 2008 Apple Mac Pro motherboard, so that users can at least use their SATA devices in Windows. We've been waiting for years for Apple to FIX the problems with the Apple Mac Pro and I'm really disappointed in the lack of support Apple has given its users.

This is a critical need, please take the time to write the updated BootCamp 5.x drivers and please support your Apple Mac Pro users.

It's not rocket science and it's not that hard to write/update the latest BootCamp 5.0 drivers to support the 2008 Apple Mac Pro and support the two onboard SATA ports on the 2008 Apple Mac Pro so that users can use those two SATA ports in both the latest OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion / OS X 10.9 Mavericks and also in Windows 8 (using the latest updated BootCamp 5.x drivers). Please release new updated BootCamp 5.x drivers for 2008 Apple Mac Pro users that support the two onboard SATA ports on the 2008 Apple Mac Pro.

View in context

16 replies

nextech Author

Level 1

43 points

Nov 1, 2013 2:05 AM in response to nextech

Apple,

Please release a 2008 Apple Mac Pro (3,1) EFI firmware update that ENABLES AHCI, for other operating systems (other than OSX) so that users can run Windows 8 with AHCI, natively!

See here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1739094?answerId=8302263022#8302263022

This has been going on for almost 5 years now, and there are hundreds of thousands of posts asking Apple to please release a EFI firmware update that will put the 2008 Apple Mac Pro (3,1) using "AHCI" (PCI vendor ID 2681).

The ESB2 southbridge supports 3 different modes:

- Legacy IDE (as PCI vendor id 2680)

- AHCI (as PCI vendor id 2681)

- RAID (as PCI vendor id 2682)

So that all six SATA ports will be enabled in Windows 8, and all six SATA ports will use AHCI.

Our Apple Mac Pro's are crippled when they run any other operating system (other than OS X), because Apple still hasn't released an EFI Firmware update that will enable AHCI for all six SATA ports on the 2008 Apple Mac Pro (3,1).

Please do this, and please release a new firmware update that will enable all six SATA ports and enable AHCI on all six SATA ports (for Windows 8, and other operating systems).

We shouldn't have to go through crazy nonsense trying to patch MBR's, and doing all kinds of hacks/tricks just to get AHCI working on a Apple Mac Pro, and Apple really needs to just release an updated firmware for the 2008 Apple Mac Pro that enables AHCI in the firmware, so that users can use the two additional SATA ports on the motherboard, and also use AHCI features (higher speed, etc.).

See here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1739094?answerId=8302263022#8302263022

See here: http://forum.onmac.net/showthread.php?t=2739

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------

Here is the process that I had to follow in order to get AHCI enabled on my 2008 Apple Mac Pro (3,1):

I just want to make the process clearer for others as I had trouble understanding exactly what to do:

1) Follow the Steps on this page except Step 8: http://www.ithinkdiff.com/how-to-enable-ahci-in-windows-8-after-installation/

2) Restart and go into the Mac side of your computer

3) Follow this guide: http://www.adminsehow.com/2012/10/how-to-enable-ahci-support-for-windows-on-an-i mac-macbook-or-etc/

3a) To copy over the "patchedcode.bin", make sure you boot onto an external USB key or DVD. I used the reinstall Mac OS X DVD that came with my computer.... loaded this but didn't install. Just accessed Terminal using the drop down menus at the top.

4) When I rebooted into Windows 8 for the first time, my computer wouldn't load. Error screen during startup. Had to reboot.

4a) On the third boot of Windows 8, it offered to do a "roll back" for me. I did this. Still didn't work ie. couldn't boot Windows 8.

4b) Luckily I had Parallels on the Mac side. I loaded my Bootcamp install of Windows 8 via Parallels on the Mac side. Because I did a roll back, I had to make the necessary registry changes again outlined in http://www.ithinkdiff.com/how-to-enable-ahci-in-windows-8-after-installation/

5) Then I rebooted back into Windows 8 and it loaded this time for me. Thank goodness. Now AHCI is working!!!

Now my SATA Blu-Ray drives are usable! 🙂

No SATA drive after booting into Windows (BootCamp 5.0)