Black Screen on fresh install-GTX 260

[macguy4u]

Hey All

I have a EVGA GTX 260 video card and I'm pretty sure I know what is going on but I dont know how to fix it.

If I have to do a fresh install of OSX or a restore from time machine- When I reformat my hard drive and I have the GTX 260 in the slot -once the install screen starts to come up- the screen goes black.

Now I have a ATI 4890 card that I have to put in there so I can install see the screen and install OSX - I would leave the ATI card in but I have a ASUS Rampage Gene II board and they dont like each other. The GTX card plays better with Adobe products and FCP.

Once I get OSX restored -I can put the GTX 260 back in and everything is fine.

I was thinking of changing to a 9800 GT card because I need to free up some space in my case and want to go to a single slot card.

If I change to a 9800 GT card -will it make the screen go black if I have to reinstall again? Is it just the 260 or all NVidia cards do this.

Any fixes

Matt

[aquamac]

To avoid this, you need to create working strings. The best setup is to have a bootable USB boot drive that helps if something goes wrong, you can remove the USB dongle, plug into another mac and fix. I think if you remove either GeForce.kext or NVDAResman.kext, you should see your desktop and end your black screen blues, but of course you will not be able to get QE or CI until they are restored with working strings.

[macguy4u]

Hey Aqua

ok im not sure i understand -how can you remove some KEXT if your doing a new install and the screen goes black. The ASUS Rampage Gene II i dont think really likes Nvida Cards at fresh installs-

Every time I put the ATI card in -the screen pops right back up.

also what did you mean by removing the usb dongle and using another mac to fix.

Im still learning here

thanks

Matt

[macguy4u]

HEy Aqua --any more help on this ??

thanks

Matt

[aquamac]

Take out your hard drive, plug into a working mac, then delete the kexts that I described or use a card other than a GFX 200 card as they all give a black screen unless you have working strings. Do you have a 7 or 8 series card to try?

[macguy4u]

Hey Aqua

No I dont have a 7 or 8 series to use -I was thinking of getting a 9800 GT EVGA card.
will a 9800 GT work?

Basically heres what happens-and you probably know this -but lets say I have a brand new HD and I go to install OSX on it -well when the MyHack bootloader runs and on the OSX disc I choose my language I want to use as the install and after I click next - Black screen appears.

So if I have a new HD -there wouldnt be anyway those KEXT are loaded yet-see what I mean-

So if I had a 7 or 8 series NVidia card I would get the black screen?

And besides the 7 or 8 series --would the 9800 GT not give me a black screen either?? thats what I really want to find out

thanks for your help

Matt

[aquamac]

Hi Matt,

I cannot remember if the 9 series is affected by the black screen problem. Do you have a real mac at all, a desktop or laptop?

[macguy4u]

Hey Aqua

Yes I do --I have a 2008 MAC Book Pro

Why?? whats up

[aquamac]

This is what I would do in your position:
Install snow Leo by plugging in your hard disk via USB on your real Mac. You can buy a USB caddy pretty cheaply. Install Chameleon to that drive also and set your com.apple.boot.plist to use GraphicsEnabler. Install the minimum amount of kexts that you need, I can make you an installer if you want but you need to get OSX onto the disk in the first place.

[macguy4u]

Hey Aqua

Ok here is the real problem- I have some software that I use for video editing that been giving me issues. I am trying to track down the "bug" and that may be the OSX version.

So I am guessing and testing what is working and what is not right now- So in order to avoid changing the video cards out every time or changing the HD - I need to find a video card that I can leave in the machine in "CASE" I have to reinstall OSX like 5 times in a row.

Ok I have found a 8800gt for $100 -Im thinking about putting that in my machine.

you think the 8800gt will "not" give me the black screen right after I select my install language.

MAtt

[aquamac]

Hi,

Yes you will be OK with a 8800 GT as it will not give the black screen at boot and even if you have no injector/strings in position you will get basic VESA resolution.

[macguy4u]

Thanks Aqua

Last question -Why is it you get a black screen with some cards and not others?

[aquamac]

I'm not 100% sure on that, maybe on later cards the frame buffer is in the mac rom whereas earlier cards have it in the kext to give basic VESA display. I am sure someone will come along and explain this better. The problem seemed to start with 9 series then also on 200 series. if you can work out strings for your card on 7 or 8 series, then you will not have a problem with later cards. The best way is to install Vista or win 7 and get the location path of the graphics card slot. Once you have that you are set up.