Installing Mac OS on MacBook. How to install an old version of OS X from a flash drive

The operating system from Apple is deservedly considered exemplary. And indeed it is. The combination of perfect appearance and amazing performance has always made the Mac OS much better than the brainchild of Bill Gates. And this is not discrimination at all, but a statement of fact. Microsoft operating systems have always lagged behind Macs in terms of design and performance. One fine day, Apple decided to switch to Intel processors. From now on, it became possible to install a Mac on a regular PC. However, not all so simple. Installing a Mac on a PC or laptop can result in a severe nervous breakdown, because not all hardware is supported by a Mac. And getting it under it is very problematic. But we'll try anyway. So, here are instructions on the topic “Installing Mac OS on a laptop.”

What are the risks when installing on a PC?

There are a lot of risks, because this operating system is not intended for our wooden computers.

• First, some "vital" PC components may not be working. Whether they will be able to launch or not is unknown.
• Secondly, installing Mac OS on a PC or laptop is accompanied by an increased consumption of nerve cells, which can lead to equipment failure (you won’t install anything the first time).
• Third, installing a Mac on a computer other than the original Mac is a punishable crime. But if this doesn’t scare you, then go ahead.

And using a laptop always comes with risks - laptops for the most part are problematic devices for Macs. While on a PC you can somehow change the configuration to a compatible one, this trick won’t work with laptops. A full-fledged launch of a Mac on laptops is only possible with the help of numerous “crutches”. And the more “crutches” there are, the more unstable the system will behave. So, do you still want to try installing Mac on your laptop or PC? Then let's continue.

What you need for installation

First you need a computer with a compatible processor. Without this nothing will work. At the moment, processors from Intel Core and Atom families are supported. The processor must support Ivy Bridge and the SSE instruction set. If you do not have such a processor, then it is better to immediately abandon this idea. Now about the owners of AMD processors. Theoretically, you can get a Mac to work on these processors, but stability is not guaranteed. Moreover, the probability of frequent crashes and reboots is very high, because AMD is in no way designed for the Mac.

If your laptop has a suitable configuration, then you can begin preparing a USB drive for installing the operating system. It is recommended to have a flash drive with a capacity of 16 gigabytes or more (in most cases, an image of the installed system will be deployed onto a flash drive, and it “weighs” about 10 gigabytes). And the last thing you need to stock up on is free time and patience: installing Mac OS on a laptop from a flash drive (if you are doing this for the first time) will take 4-6 hours and will waste your nerves. The installation itself will go quickly, but not everything works out the first time. And setting up the system takes a lot of time. So, let's go.

Preparing a flash drive and distribution image

Since we will be installing the original Mac with some minor crutches, we will first have to download the system image from the App Store. At the moment, the most sane version is Mac OS X Yosemite. We will install it. As practice shows, the best option for creating bootable media is to create it from under the installed Mac OS. But not everyone has it on hand. This means you need to install it on a virtual machine (at least) and make bootable media underneath it. Let's assume that Mac OS is installed on the machine. What is the next step?

The next step is to download special programs (crutches) that will help deceive the system and make it believe that it is being installed on an Apple computer. These programs are called UniBeast and MultiBeast. Next, format the flash drive in Mac OS X Extended (journal) format. Then we launch UniBeast and click the Continue and Agree button everywhere until we get to choosing the OS version. Here we select our distribution and enable support for Support). After that, click Continue and Install. The image will be recorded within half an hour. Now we move on to the next step of the instructions “on a regular laptop”.

Before installation

There are a few useful things that you should know before starting the installation. First of all, we will have to tinker a little with the BIOS (if you do not disable some of its options, the installation will fail). So, go to the BIOS and disable AHCI support completely. Then we turn off the discrete video card (for those with Optimus), because it won’t start, no matter how much you dance. Well, we put booting from a USB drive in first place. Everything seems to be fine with the BIOS. Some may ask how to install Mac OS on an ASUS laptop if you cannot disable the video card in the BIOS. Answer: Just don't turn it off. It won't start on its own.

It will also be useful to check the memory and disk for errors before installation. "Mac" is a very capricious system. The slightest mistake can lead to dire consequences. Do you need it? If there are no errors, then you can begin the installation process by first inserting the flash drive into the slot on the laptop. Yes, don’t forget to reset the BIOS settings to standard before disabling AHCI and the video card. Believe me, it will be better this way.

Installation

First the Chameleon shell is loaded. She suggests choosing the method or from the hard drive. We select the boot method from a flash drive, but with the installation log displayed. This will make it easier to understand what kind of error occurred (if it occurs) than in graphical mode. After loading the necessary kexts, the Mac OS installer will load. Now you need to format the partition. Select "Disk Utility", the desired partition and format it in "Mac OS X Journaled". Click “Next” and the installation process begins.

If nothing crashes anywhere, then after creating an account you will be thrown straight to the desktop of the installed system. If the installation has stopped for some reason, it is important to find out what the reason is. In most cases, the installation is stalled due to the video card. Then you need to restart the laptop and, when choosing to boot from a flash drive, enter the GraphicsEnabler-Yes key. After this everything should go as usual. Many people are interested in how to install Mac OS on an Acer laptop with hybrid graphics. Answer: exactly the same. By disabling the discrete video adapter.

After installation

If the installation went off without a hitch, then it’s time to start setting up the installed system. This is absolutely necessary. If this is not done, then after a reboot the system simply will not start due to the lack of necessary kexts. To set up a Mac, you need to run the previously downloaded MultiBeast utility. She is the one who will help us with the setup. How to install Mac OS on a Lenovo laptop and then configure it? Similar. Although there are some features with Lenovo that will be useful to know. Some models are equipped with Wi-Fi transmitters that do not work under a Mac at all (BCM 4313). Only replacing the adapter will help here.

If we don’t have Lenovo, we continue setting up. MultiBeast requires us to select the drivers needed for our laptop. In addition, you need to select the DSDT sheet of the Apple laptop that best matches ours in terms of characteristics. Then all you have to do is click on the Build button, then Install. After installing the required kexts on the system, you need to restart the computer for the changes to take effect.

What you absolutely should not do when using a Mac on a laptop

First, don't try to update your operating system using the Apple store. Since each new version requires its own kexts, your computer simply won't turn on after the update. Secondly, if everything is working fine, don't try to experiment with kexts. Due to lack of experience, you will crash the system very quickly. You will have to again refer to the instructions “How to install Mac OS on an HP laptop” (or whatever kind of laptop you have). Thirdly, never use NTFS for the second hard drive partition. It is not supported on Macs. And the programs that provide such support work unstable on Hackintoshes. Therefore, it is not worth the risk.

The process of cleaning Mac OS from unnecessary garbage using special programs is also something that should not be done. Remember, Mac is not Windows. There is no registry! And there is nothing to litter there. And programs like CleanMyMac can seriously damage the system. Next, don’t expect powerful software packages like ProLogic to run for you. As a rule, they have serious problems running on non-native Macs. You can simply kill the operating system. Well, do not install programs from unknown sources. Of course, there are few viruses for Macs, but they are very tough and can kill your system in one or two seconds.

What to read to familiarize yourself with the principles of installation and configuration

To understand how to install Mac OS on a laptop, some study of the hardware is required, because, as practice shows, no one can install the system with half a kick. Some mistakes are bound to happen. And it’s good if they’re not serious. In order not to fall asleep at the first funny mistake, you need to read information on hackintosh forums. These comrades have already eaten the dog by installing Macs on a PC. If anything, they can even help with some problems. Although they don’t really want to understand it.

There are also many resources that explain in detail how to install Mac OS on a laptop. It also describes ways to solve the most common errors. Finding these resources is very easy. Some craftsmen can even configure DSDT and kexts for you. Of course, for a fee. But it’s better to understand the installation and configuration process yourself. Moreover, it is not so difficult.

Which distributions should you not use?

Under no circumstances try to use distributions that are already prepared for installation on a PC. As a rule, they are very crooked, because they tried to make a universal one out of an individual system. But this doesn’t happen. It’s better to find out for yourself how to install Mac OS on a laptop and create a distribution kit for your machine from scratch. Stability will be much higher.

What to do if installation fails

If you have thoroughly studied all the information about how to install Mac OS on a laptop, studied all the errors and know how to fix it all, but you still can’t install it, then this means that your laptop is absolutely not suitable for a Mac. Switch back to Windows; you won't succeed with a Mac.

Conclusion

This instruction is not a reference one. It describes an approximate algorithm for installing Macs on laptops. The exact steps depend on your laptop model and configuration. So you will still have to read additional information. Take heart, future poppy growers - and everything will work out for you. Just remember to strictly follow the instructions “How to install Mac OS on a laptop.”

Hackintosh(or OSx86) is a project related to running the macOS operating system on personal computers with x86 microprocessors.

This trend began in 2005, when Apple officially announced a complete transition from the PowerPC platform to x86. In fact, since that time, Macs at the hardware level have ceased to differ from most Windows computers.

Entire communities of hackers are working to adapt and optimize their own builds of macOS, which can be installed on computers with suitable components.

Initially, the list of supported hardware was quite meager, but over time, Apple began to use various components, including their support in the system, and developers learned to run popular modules using so-called kexts (analogous to a driver).

What was Hackintosh like at its inception?

About ten years ago, I myself was closely interested in this topic, tried and experimented with installing macOS on an old home system.

I had to do a spot upgrade, burn different assemblies onto dual-layer DVDs, and spend hours selecting kexts for the installed PC components.

The impression left is twofold. On the one hand, the Apple operating system seemed like a breath of fresh air after continuous work with Windows. Easy and pleasant interface, application in the form of a single file without the need for installation, absence of a system registry and, as a result, harmful viruses.

On the other hand, to work comfortably, I had to go through one system assembly after another for several days in a row, regularly experiment and deal with emerging problems.

At that time, my hardware did not allow me to achieve stable operation of macOS. I was lucky enough to see a real Mac and the way the operating system worked on my system unit did not stand up to criticism.

What has changed today

Now that I have a suitable filling in hand, I decided to return to the hackintosh topic again. Before that, I worked for more than five years MacBook Pro And Mac mini, have studied macOS well and already know how the system should ideally work.

Today, assembling a system unit for a Hackintosh is not a problem at all. There are dozens of suitable components for each position, and you can even find the perfect components that Apple uses in the Mac mini, iMac and Mac Pro.

Enthusiasts from all over the world have long been assembling desktop computers for Hackintosh and getting greater performance for the cost of a Mac or a similar computer several times cheaper.

Things are a little different with laptops.

Why hackintosh on a laptop?

Users who are trying to run macOS on laptops can be divided into two groups.

Some need the Apple operating system for development. It is impossible to write applications for macOS or iOS from Windows, and working on a virtual machine has many limitations.

Others just want to get laptop with macOS for work cheaper than MacBook.

The former are less limited in choosing a model, because they can easily survive the failure of one or more components. For example, problems with the operation of a webcam or card reader will not worry much about a programmer writing an iOS application.

For the latter, for comfortable work, they must carefully choose a laptop on which they can run all the hardware without exception.

There is no third option given here. There is no talk of any serious work with graphics or video editing on a laptop with a Hackintosh. It is not yet possible to run a discrete video card normally.

All existing options have too many nuances and disadvantages. Hackintosh for graphics or video - only stationary.

Otherwise, you can get suitable analogues MacBook/MacBook Air/MacBook Pro 13″.

What to look for

If you are choosing a laptop for trouble-free running of macOS, experts recommend choosing the ASUS Vivobook X-series or ACER Swift 3.

Both models are almost ideal for installing a Hackintosh; you can flexibly choose the parameters to suit your needs. Judge for yourself: you can get such a laptop for 67 thousand.

It will clearly outperform the basic 13-inch model for 90 thousand and will even compete with the most charged 13-inch model for 140 thousand rubles.

In this case, the user will have a full set of ports and will not have the controversial touchpad. And don’t forget about discrete graphics, which will work great under Windows, for example, for games or video editing.

If you choose a model for development, and be prepared for the fact that some components will not start, then you can choose either a stylish ultrabook or a powerful gaming machine.

In fact, all that matters is the presence of a suitable processor, everything else is solvable (almost).

What may not start

Video card

I already talked about discrete graphics above. It's better not to count on it when working with Hackintosh. Either immediately select a model with integrated graphics only, or completely disable the discrete card for macOS.

The third option promises long hours of dancing with a tambourine and rather illusory prospects.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

This module is at risk. Most likely you will have to either buy an external USB unit or change the internal board.

This is not difficult to do; suitable modules are sold on the same AliExpress and change in 10-15 minutes. Moreover, after installing such a block, it will almost always be possible to launch all the pogrom features like Handoff, Continuity, etc.

Card reader

It is quite problematic to replace a memory card receiver, and the chances of running the original one are about 50/50. If this is one of the main requirements, it is better to immediately select a model with a 100% suitable block.

Type-C and HDMI

Another place for potential problems to arise. Modules may have a specific connection scheme, which will make them impossible to work on macOS.

For example, an image via HDMI on laptops with discrete graphics may be output through a powerful card, which in turn may not run in a Hackintosh.

Touchpad

Of course, even the most suitable laptops for Hackintosh will not be able to achieve the same clarity and smoothness of the touchpad as on the MacBook. The touchpad will either just work or refuse to start at all.

In any case, you should be prepared to use the Magic Mouse or Apple Trackpad.

Webcam

Problems here arise quite rarely, but it happens that the connection method does not allow the module to work in macOS.

For example, I encountered the following problem: the camera in macOS stopped working after replacing the Wi-Fi module. It turned out that the new unit for wireless data transmission has a couple of additional contacts and, when loading, intercepts part of the signal, preventing the camera from starting.

The solution is trivial - carefully seal the excess contacts with tape.

Once again, I repeat that the problems described in this section can be avoided if you choose a device specifically for your hackintosh wisely.

What will work

Everything else will work without problems.

The keyboard starts up (even with a numeric keypad), the buttons clearly work to adjust the brightness and volume. You can even turn on the backlight and smoothly adjust it using the function buttons.

On my ASUS in Windows with proprietary drivers there are only 4 gradations of key backlighting, but in a Hackintosh the glow can be changed within 10 positions.

The system can correctly fall asleep and wake up, and reliably display the battery charge (there are problems with this on some models).

The display, processor and storage work great. On the latter, you need to enable TRIM.

Software features include iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime, Handoff. AirDrop works with minor interruptions (but who really uses it?). Of course, there are no problems downloading applications from the Mac App Store and exchanging program data via the cloud.

Even system updates can be installed without problems. It is recommended that you take your time with security updates only. It’s better to wait a couple of days after the release for a reaction on thematic forums.

The main thing I was afraid of from my past experience was poor system performance. It turns out that all this is far in the past.

Now my ASUS perfectly passes itself off as a MacBook; in everyday tasks, the difference with the original Apple laptop is not visible at all. The only serious drawback is the lack of a great Apple touchpad.

How to install hackintosh on a regular laptop

The main difficulty that discourages many from installing Hackintosh is the need to spend a long time studying sites and forums, dealing with images and kexts.

The installation process itself looks something like this:

1. We will need a blank flash drive of 8 GB or more, a bootloader, and the operating system image itself (you’ll have to look for it yourself).

2. When macOS is deployed to the flash drive, the first most difficult process will begin. We need to get the system to run on our hardware. To do this, you will have to constantly add patches and fixes to the bootloader.

Everything you need can be found in one of the largest hackintosh communities

They will be happy to tell you about the features of the Mac OS operating system and how it can be installed on a regular PC.

Historically, most people who would like to work with the Mac OS X operating system are exposed to a number of myths about both the operating system itself and the Macintoshes themselves. Before we talk directly about installation, let's dispel the most common myths.

1. Mac OS X can only be installed on computers with compatible processors and chipsets from Intel and video cards from NVidia, and most of the peripherals will not work.

Yes, it was once like that. But progress is an unstable thing in a good way. More and more new drivers are constantly being released, and the amount of hardware compatible with Mac OS X is constantly growing. Now Mac OS X can easily be installed on a computer whose processor only supports SSE2 (preferably SSE3), for example, AMD or Intel. Almost all new video cards support various types of hardware acceleration (GL, Quartz Extreme, Quartz 2d, Core Image, 2). That is, I think it is clear that too unaffordable demands will not be placed on your computer.

2. Installing Mac OS X is very difficult

In fact, everything is somewhat different. Installing Mac OS X is no more difficult than Windows if you choose the right texts and fixes.

3. Mac OS X will not be able to function on the same physical disk with Windows.

How could it? There are 2 options:
- Windows bootloader + chain0
- Acronis OS Selector

So let's get down to business.

Step 1. Preparation.

First, you need to check your computer to make sure it meets Mac OS X requirements.

The minimum requirement is to have a processor that supports SSE2. This matter can be determined using the CPU-Z program. It can be easily downloaded from the Internet.

RAM must be at least 256 MB and the more the better.

The video card should not be very ancient - AGP or PCI-E starting from GF4

You must clearly understand what and why you are going to do.

Be prepared for your first installation of Mac OS X to take 4-6 hours of your time.

Many people recommend downloading and burning Hiren’s Boot CD. If there are partitions in NTFS format on the same disk where you are going to install Mac OS, then it will be better if you convert them to FAT32, since when creating a partition an error may occur and the file system will become unreadable. There is an alternative option - to transfer the data to another physical disk or even to a flash drive.

In general, print this text before installation to be sure that you have not forgotten anything.

Step 2. Download the installation disk image.

First of all, you need to decide on the version of Mac OS X: at the moment the latest is 10.5. Since our task is to familiarize ourselves with the system, it is advisable to install version 10.4.6 or 10.4.7, since they install with less difficulty. Then you can update the system using combo-update. Next, go to rutracker.org and write something like this in the search bar: Mac OS X 10.4.6. Find the installation disk image.

If the file is in ISO format, you can easily burn it to disk, but if it is in DMG format, you will also have to download the DMG2ISO program and convert the file to ISO.

Step 3. Burn the image to disk

To create a bootable disk, you will need a blank disk and Nero or Alcohol 120% program. We think you can handle the recording process on your own. After burning, if you open the disk on a Windows computer and see that it is empty or contains only a couple of small documents, do not be alarmed, this is how it should be.

Step 4. Installation.

We insert the disk into the drive and reboot, naturally before setting boot from the optical drive as priority in the BIOS. When you see a message about starting installation from disk, press F8, or wait a couple of seconds and enter the “-v” parameter. If you do not do this, the graphical installation mode will start. Of course, this is beautiful, but we need text mode, since only in it can we see installation errors.

There are two most common mistakes:

“system config file ‘/com.apple.Boot.plist’ not found” – the Mac OS X distribution turned out to be “crooked” and you will have to download another one;

“Still waiting for root device” – there is probably a problem with the hardware, possibly incompatibility.

If the preload went smoothly, you will see a blue display with a cursor in front of you. You will be prompted to select a language. Choose which one you like from those offered. Click on the arrow and a menu appears at the top. In it, select Utilities -> Disk Utility and format the partition in which we will install the operating system, of course in the Mac OS Extended journaled format.

It sometimes happens that Disk Utility cannot format or mount a partition. No problem - this can be done with Acronis. How exactly? We select manual mode for working with partitions in Acronis Disk Director Suite and create a FAT32 partition. Next, in the partition context menu, change the partition type to 0xAFh (Shag OS Swap). Acronis will worry that all data will be destroyed. We reassure him, since we don’t have any data there anyway. Apply and reboot.

After successful formatting, click “continue”. A license agreement will appear, after which we select the previously prepared partition for installation. Click “continue”. Click “settings” (Customize) and select components to install. Particular attention should be paid to kexts and patches, namely, you need to install only those patches that are needed specifically for your system. You don't need anything extra. Under no circumstances install patches for SSE2 and SSE3 at the same time. You only need the one that suits your processor. Click “continue”. The preparation and verification of the disk will begin. Once the installation is complete, the computer will automatically reboot.

Step 5: Complete installation.

After a reboot, there are two possible outcomes - good and bad. If good, the system will boot normally (especially if you are using Acronis OS Selector). In the worst case scenario, you will see a b0 error message. In this case, we boot from Hiren’s boot CD and, using Acronis Disk Director, make the partition with the freshly installed operating system active. Let's reboot.

The system will boot and prompt you to enter various information - dutifully enter everything except the Mac ID, leave it blank, otherwise the system may start to freeze.

If you did everything correctly, the desktop will load. Hooray!

READ ME PLEASE

If you CANNOT unzip files onto a flash drive, please step away from the keyboard and urgently read the book “Computer for Dummies: A Detailed Guide on How to Use a PC”!!!

1. All files are uploaded to MEGA. Those who are having problems with it have re-uploaded it to the torrent in the comments.
2. Please don't ask me about installing Macs on laptops. I ask you to. Please. This is a very hemorrhoidal process. Install Ubuntu and connect the Mac theme. You will get the same experience
3. I rarely answer on Habré, write to VK for all questions.

This manual/guide/etc was written for those who are too lazy to piece together this or that information about installing a Mac on a PC, everything is clear and straightforward.

To begin with, before actually installing the system itself on a PC, we need to decide whether we need it or not, since the system itself is very specific in terms of installation and configuration, unless, of course, you have an Apple device. There is no point in explaining that deploying a system that was not originally planned for desktop PCs is a complex matter and it can take anywhere from 2 to N hours, depending on the compatibility of the hardware.

Now, let’s figure out what Hackintosh is: the word “hackintosh” was formed from the merger of two words “Macintosh” and “Hack”, which essentially means “hacked Mac”, although there is nothing to do with “hacking”.

In this guide, we will look at creating an installation flash drive from Windows (since this is the most popular system among “beginner hackintoshers”), installing the system on a blank disk, kernel extensions for your hardware and, in fact, installing and configuring the bootloader (it is at this point that many and problems arise)

CPU: Intel Core i5 4460 3.2 GHz (Haswell)
Memory: 16 GB Crucial Ballistix Sport
Graphics: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2048MB
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H81-S2V (UEFI Bios)

I would also like to point out that in this article we work with NVidia video cards and UEFI BIOS.

Well, let's go.

Step 1. Iron assessment and analysis

Yes, despite the fact that Hackintosh runs in one way or another on almost any configuration, it always does it differently. Therefore, it’s worth immediately analyzing our hardware.

Processors

So, let's start with the fact that on machines with AMD processors the system WILL NOT work(it is very difficult to call the dying state of agony in which she will arrive “work”). Yes, in fact, you can install a custom kernel, reflash it, and so on, but there’s no point in reinventing the wheel if it breaks anyway. The system runs without problems on Intel processors, starting with Core i3 (we are talking specifically about macOS Sierra 10.12; previous releases can also run on Core 2 Duo and Pentium processors). In my case, the i5 4460 stone fell out (4 cores, 4 threads, turbo boost up to 3.4 GHz).

ACHTUNG 2

Problems are observed on socket 2011-3 processors, in particular on the X99 chipset. Usually it appears due to too many bells and whistles on the motherboard.

Video cards

Next, let's decide on the graphics. If you use integrated Intel graphics (in my case it's HD4600), then most likely you will need a separate graphics factory (although they can start natively).

List of supported Intel graphics cores

Intel HD 3000
Intel HD 4000
Intel HD 4600 (laptops)
Intel HD 5000

Radeons (AMD) start, but again with a bang. For example, new cards (RX-4**), as well as the well-known R9 380 or R9 380x, can simply display the loading in a black screen.

List of exactly supported AMD cards

Radeon HD 4000 series
Radeon HD 5000 series
Radeon HD 6000 series (Preferably 6600 and 6800)
Radeon HD 7000 series (Preferably 7700, 7800, and 7900)
Radeon R9 200 series (R9 290 does not start)
Radeon R9 300 series (There may be problems with the R9 380. I haven’t personally tested it, but judging by the reviews on Reddit with these cards There is Problems)

In this manual we will not consider the AMD graphics plant, since it all comes down to framebuffer patches and Device ID changes in the bootloader (which is individual for everyone). More information about AMD cards here: click (English).

The situation is completely different with cards from NVidia. Almost everyone gets turned on, with the exception of some especially gifted ones. Problems are observed in the 10th episode, but, most likely, they will not appear soon. Everything is already normal. On GTX cards, the graphics start up with half a kick, GT cards are also not lagging behind, although there are some exceptions.

List of working NVidia cards

GeForce 7000 series
GeForce 8000 series
GeForce 9000 series
GeForce 200 series
GeForce 400 series
GeForce 500 series
GeForce 600 series
GeForce 700 series
GeForce 900 series
UPD 14.05 Geforce GTX 1000 Series

I'm more than sure that you will find your card in the list.

Network Controller

I think there is no need to chew on how you can identify your network card...

Newby guide

Open the Task Manager → performance tab → Ethernet (Windows 10), there will be a network connection in big black letters.

By the way, you can also look in the BIOS

One way or another, we will not dwell on this in detail. In any case, you will have to install a network card, so I will simply provide a list of supported network cards.

Network cards

Intel Gigabit

5 Series – 82578LM/82578LC/82578DM/82578DC
6 and 7 Series – 82579LM/82579V
8 and 9 Series – I217LM/I217V/I218LM/I218V/I218LM2/I218V2/I218LM3

Realtek

RTL8111, 8168, 8101E, 8102E, 8131E, 8169, 8110SC, 8169SC
RTL8111/8168 B/C/D/E/F/G
RTL8101E/8102E/8102E/8103E/8103E/8103E/8401E/8105E/8402/8106E/8106EUS
RTL8105/8111E/8111F/8136/8168E/8168F

Atheros

AR8121, 8113, 8114, 8131, 8151, 8161, 8171, 8132,8151, 8152, 8162, 8172
AR816x, AR817x supported

Broadcom

BCM5722, 5752, 5754, 5754M, 5755, 5755M, 5761, 5761e, 57780, 57781, 57785,5784M, 5787, 5787M, 5906, 5906M, 57788, 5784M

Marvell

88E8035, 88E8036, 88E8038, 88E8039, 88E8056, 88E8001

Killer

E2200

Memory

There are no restrictions. The system runs on two gigabytes. Recommended 4. Author recommends 8.

Actually, we sorted out the hardware. If at this stage you have not changed your mind, move on.

Step 2. Make a bootable USB flash drive and deploy the installer to it

So, here we come to practice. Let me remind you that we do all this from Windows. I’ll say right away that we will not use images from the root tracker, which are so ardently recommended by people for whom everything works with hackintosh “up to 18”. First, we need the BDU (BootDiskUtiliy) utility.

You will need a flash drive >8 GB. Any.

1. Launch the utility
2. Destination disk → select our flash drive
3. Format disk

Now we wait. The flash drive will be formatted in Apple HFS and split into two partitions, one of which will have the bootloader installed (CLOVER), and the second will remain blank so that the installer can be deployed there.

After the completed manipulations we get approximately the following picture:

Next, you need to deploy the installer to the second partition. We also do this through the BDU utility. However, the question here is where to get the image from. There are two options: take a ready-made one, already unpacked, or personally get it from Install Mac OS Sierra.app from the AppStore. Since the second method requires quite a lot of time, and searching for this .app itself takes a very long time, we will use the first. Craftsmen have already prepared ready-made HFS files for this utility and extracted them from the .app for us. All we need is to download it (the image weighs almost 5 gigs, so you can just put it on download). Actually, download macOS 10.12 Sierra from here.

Downloaded.

1. We extract from the archive HFS Partition File (HFS+), a file with the extension .hfs.
2. In the BDU “Destination disk” utility window, select Part 2 of our broken flash drive.
3. Open “Restore partiton”.
4. Search and select our *.hfs file. Please note that it must be no larger than PART 2 partition.
5. We are waiting for it to be unpacked.
That's it, the installer on the flash drive is unpacked and ready to go.

Now we will need some files for your system. I have collected everything I need in this archive. Later I will explain what and why.

You will also need this kext, download it too: click. We unpack the folder from the archive into the root of the section with Clover, and the kext into the folder that we unpacked. That's it, it's ready. The flash drive is done. Let's move on.

Step 3: Install macOS Sierra on Intel PC

We check that the flash drive is inserted into the 2.0 port. Reboot, go into BIOS. Let me remind you that our BIOS is UEFI. Disable virtualization (Intel Virtualization). Set boot priority (BOOT) to our flash drive. Make sure that it will boot in UEFI mode. Save and apply the settings, reboot. We get to the Clover menu.

Clover is a Hackintosh downloader and installer.

Press the down arrow until we get to the Options menu. Press Enter. All we need here is this line:

We write the following into it:

Kext-dev-mode=1 rootless=0 -v npci=0x2000 nv_disable=1
Let me explain what each of these arguments does:

kext-dev-mode=1 is a necessary arg, without which the hack will not run. Allows you to load kexts into the system (Initially, FakeSMC.kext).
rootless=0 - disables SIP (System Integrity Protection). Required arg.
-v - “Verbose mode”. Instead of a beautiful apple, we will see a “console” loading so that we can identify an error if one appears.
npci=0x2000 (or 0x3000, depending on the PCI-e version) - optional. We prevent the download from stopping at the PCI scanning stage. You don't have to register it.
nv_disable=1 - optional. To avoid loading artifacts and other garbage, disable the graphical shell. We load in native graphics mode in Orthodox 144p resolution. You don't have to register it.

Apply the arguments by pressing Enter. Select Boot Mac OS Sierra from OS X Base System. And so, the birthplace download began. Let's look at some errors right away: still waiting for root device - the IDE controller does not have time to connect.

Fix

We reconnect the flash drive to another 2.0 port, boot with the following arguments:
kext-dev-mode=1 rootless=0 cpus=1 npci=0x2000 -v UseKernelCache=No

Missing Bluetooth controller transport - the video card did not turn on, or FakeSMC.kext was not connected. Check that there is FakeSMC.kext in the kexts/other folder. Bluetooth has nothing to do with it.

Fix

We load like this:

Kext-dev-mode=1 rootless=0 -v npci=0x2000
Or like this:
kext-dev-mode=1 rootless=0 -v -x npci=0x2000

If such errors still remain, then we try to load like this:

Kext-dev-mode=1 rootless=0 -v npci=0x3000 darkwake=0 nv_disable=1 cpus=1
In other cases, only Google will help, although these fixes should solve these problems.

We wait. At some points it may freeze. If it freezes for more than a minute, reboot. Should help in some cases.

And here we are, actually, in the installer. Select a language and click on the arrow. The language pack will load (it may freeze for a minute). Now open Utilities>Disk Utility, we need to format the disk for macOS. Select the desired disk and click “Erase”. For convenience, we call the new disk “Macintosh HD”. Format and close Disk Utility. Next, select the disk on which we will install the system (in our case, Macintosh HD), and install it.

Installation takes from 15 to 30 minutes, it all depends on the speed of writing to the disk. After installation, the system will prompt us to set up an Internet connection - skip it, we’ll do this later. We create a user. Done, we're in the system. Or rather, in her stump. Nothing is working for us yet. If you reboot the machine, it will be impossible to get into the system (due to the absence of a bootloader).

Fix

If the computer still reboots or switches off, you can choose to boot from a flash drive, then select “Boot macOS Sierra from Macintosh HD” in the clover menu, not forgetting to write boot arguments in the options menu.

Go ahead…

Step 4. Basic system setup and installation of kexts

So, here we are in the system. While she can do little, we won’t go online, the graphics don’t work, and in general everything looks very bad. This needs to be fixed.

Let's figure out what kexts are.

Kext(Kernel Extension) - kernel extensions that run this or that equipment that is incompatible with the original Mac (For example, where in the aimak can we find a network card from Realtek or a sound card?). These are what we need now.

First, we need the PostInstall folder, which you unpacked into the CLOVER partition on the bootable USB flash drive. From there, we first need the Kext Utility, which allows us to install kexts on the system. We launch it, enter the user’s password, wait until we see the inscription “All done”.

We install the kext on the network card (Network folder, sorted into folders for each network card), simply drag it into the program window. We wait until the “All done” message appears. Next, go to the CLOVER section of our flash drive, then to kexts, then to Other. Copy FakeSMC.kext from there to any place (Better in the same PostInstall), then install it in the same way as the kext on the network card. You will also need a USB 3.0 kext. It was in the Legacy_13.2_EHC1.kext.zip archive, which you extracted in PostInstall. Let's install it.

Done, we set up the Internet, USB and allowed the system to boot at all (FakeSMC.kext imitates the System Management Control chip, which is present only on Apple motherboards. Without this kext, the system simply will not start).

Now let's install the bootloader. Go to the PostInstall folder → Clover_v2.3k_r3949. There is a *.pkg file, open it.

Click continue, read the information about the bootloader (I’m lying, click continue too). Next, in the lower left corner, click “Configure”.

For UEFI boot, set the following settings:

We'll talk about legacy loading later, since everything is a little more complicated there and you'll have to patch DSDT.
Click “Install”. Let's go through the bootloader installation process.
Done, the bootloader is installed.

Step 5. Bootloader setup

After installation, we will receive a clean, unconfigured Clover bootloader, which needs to be slightly configured. Open Clover Configurator (in the future, I do not recommend using this program for point-by-point editing of the bootloader config).

First, we need to get to the EFI partition with the bootloader. In the left menu, click Mount EFI. Next, click Check partition, a table of all partitions will appear. The partition we need should be on the same partition as Apple_HFS, it appears as EFI EFI. Click Mount partition. In the list, select the disk we need (For example, disk0s1). Please note that there is a bug where all sections are not visible. Roll the mouse wheel so you can scroll between sections and select the one you need.

Next, click Open Partition. It will open a “folder” with the desired section. Go to EFI>CLOVER. Copy plist.config to the PostInstall folder for convenience. Also, just in case, we copy it somewhere else, since the one we just copied will be edited. And one more for backup. Copy and open plist.config.

We see something like this:

ACPI - We don’t touch the fixes, we drop (DropOEM) our video card (DropOEM_DSM works when two DSDT patches are encountered. Therefore, we leave the original autopatch method as the bootloader, and disable ours, if one appears).
Go to the BOOT section.

So this is where we need to dig in. We set the arguments ourselves, depending on the system.

-v (verbose) - the already familiar “text” boot mode. It is better not to enable it, but to register it manually if necessary.
arch - architecture. In my case x86_64
npci is a key already known to us. We post if necessary. I recommend doing the first boot without it, but in Verbose mode.
darkwake - responsible for sleep mode and hibernation. Has 7 modes. If the dream does not start by changing hibernatemode in the terminal, then I recommend using trial and error to find the desired darkwake mode.
cpus=1 - launch using only one core. I don't recommend choosing.
nvda_drv=1 - activation of the NVidia web driver, which we will install a little later. Choose if you have nVidia.
nv_disable=1 - disables non-video graphics and runs on the native Mac driver. It’s better not to choose, but to register manually if necessary.
kext-dev-mode=1 and rootless=0 have already been explained earlier.

Let's go to the right subsection.

Default Boot Volume - the partition from which the disk selection to boot will begin by default. By default LastBootedVolume (last selected partition).
Legacy - Legacy Boot for older versions of Windows and Linux. It very much depends on the hardware and the design of the BIOS, so several algorithms have been developed:
LegacyBiosDefault - for those UEFI BIOSes that have the LegacyBios protocol.
PBRTest, PBR - PBR Boot options, this is just overkill. In my case PBR works.
XMPDetection=YES is an important parameter. Fixes the amount of RAM, slots, dies, frequency and number of channels.
DefaultLoader - if there are several loaders on the partition, select the default one. Must not be empty!
Timeout - time before automatic boot.
Fast - a parameter that skips the selection of a partition and immediately proceeds to downloading.
-1 (Timeout -1) - disable autoboot.

We skip the CPU section, the bootloader itself will pick up the necessary values. Devices is also better to skip if you have nothing to fake. Disable Drivers - disable unnecessary drivers at boot. GUI - customizing the appearance of the bootloader. I think there is no need to explain anything here, there are no special parameters here. Screen resolution, language and menu theme. It's simple. Graphics - graphics settings and injections.

Do not touch the Inject NVidia parameter! There will be artifacts at launch. It is designed to run older GT line cards

Kernel and Kext Patches - patches and kernel customization. By default, Apple RTC is selected. It's better not to touch. SMBIOS is the juice, customization and counterfeit of the poppy.

To configure factory information, click on the magic wand icon. Next, select iMac (if PC) or MacBook (if laptop).

ACHTUNG 3

You can also look among older configs, such as MacMini or Mac Pro. Your task is to choose the one that is most similar to your hardware.

Don't add anything to Memory and Slots. These are purely cosmetic parameters that clover picks up at the loading stage. Incorrectly set parameters can cause conflicts.

WARNING: Nvidia video cards without policy-kext edits only work on iMac13.1 and iMac14.2 Mac models.

In AppleGraphicsControl.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleGraphicsDevicePolicy.kext/Contents/info.plist we correct Config1 to none here:

It should work now.

Ready. We don’t touch anything else, we’ve done the basic settings. We save our file. Now copy it to the CLOVER folder of the EFI partition, log in, and replace it. Let me remind you that before this you should have made a backup.

Step 6. Install the graphics driver and reboot for the first time

We're almost there. Now all that remains is to start the video card. The PostInstall folder contains the WebDriver*.pkg package. Open it and install it. Then he asks us to reboot. Let's reboot.

Now let's make sure that we are not booting from a flash drive, but from hard drive in UEFI mode. Select Boot macOS Sierra from Macintosh HD. Let's start.

Note

I recommend using the -v switch for the first run, so that if something goes wrong, you can immediately identify the error. If the bootloader is broken and you cannot get into the system, then boot from the flash drive, enter the necessary keys in the options and boot the system into Verbose mode.

Done, here we are in the system. In the picture I showed approximately what the axis will look like after all the settings. Pay attention to how the system understood your Mac, as well as the processor frequency.

A sure sign that the Nvidia driver is working will be its logo on the taskbar. I turned it off, by the way, because it gets in the way, but you can access the invisibility control panel through “System Settings...”. We can check the Internet through Safari. USB 3.0 is trite by plugging a flash drive into a 3.0 port.

Additionally

- Sound

When it comes to sound, the situation is different. If you have an external sound card, then simply download the drivers for it from the manufacturer’s website (analog devices, such as mixing consoles, do not require drivers and start up immediately). For an integrated sound card, use one of these kexts:

Regarding AppleHDA

The following conditions must be met for it to work:

1. Availability of vanilla (pure) kext AppleHDA.kext in the system.
2. The presence of the HDEF section in your DSDT (or the clover fix FixHDA_8000->True)
3. Specify the layout in DSDT (or in the config.plist of the clover Devices->Audio->Inject->1,2,28...etc. Select from those specified for your codec above)
4. Put away ALL sound patches (if they were in your config.plist) from the KextsToPatch section
5. Remove DummyHDA.kext (if used)
6. If you used VoodooHDA.kext, delete it. Also delete AppleHDADisabler.kext and rebuild the cache.
7. For Intel HDMI 4000/4600, a clover fix is ​​required: UseIntelHDMI->True

Actually, that's all. Afterwards we get macOS Sierra ready to use.

UPD from 05/14/2017

- In the comments, kind people re-uploaded the file from mega to torrent. This is due to the fact that many people have problems downloading a file from mega. To be honest, I didn’t know that Mega has a limit on download speed (I use a premium account). Also, please write all questions to me on VK, but check the comments first. There is a chance that your problem has already been solved there. Again, I am not responsible for any risk this may cause to your computer. I also want to clarify one point that the article is presented solely for educational purposes. The very fact of installing a hackintosh on a PC is a gross violation of Apple's policy regarding their system, which is punishable by law. The author does not encourage using MacOS on non-Apple computers and does not encourage changing the system's source code.
- The end

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Computers from the well-known company Apple are very multifunctional and have a wide selection of specially designed software. But sometimes it happens that a Mac or iMac user wants to install the Windows operating system that is already so familiar to them. Sometimes OS Windows may be needed to install some programs so that you can play your favorite games, but there is no suitable alternative for Mac.

You can install the OS yourself. This can be done in several ways, for example, through a utility or using a flash drive. Let's look at the example of applications from Apple, which are called Bootcamp, Parallels Desktop and Virtual Box.

Preparing and installing Bootcamp

This option allows you to install an additional OS on Mac and iMac in a separately created partition on your hard drive. You can choose which system to boot into during startup. The advantage of this utility is that by installing the program through it, all the resources of your PC will be available to Windows, this will allow you to use the Mac’s performance to the maximum. The computer will easily play the latest games and perform complex tasks.

Before installing an additional OS, keep in mind that it will take up a lot of space on your hard drive. Make sure it has the required gigabytes. On average, you may need about 30 Gb.

Before you begin installing the operating system on your iMac or Mac, check and prepare Boot camp. First, make sure that all updates from Apple are installed on it. To do this you need to do the following:

When you launch the utility, you will have the opportunity to select the location where OS Windows will be installed. Before starting the software, you should close all open applications and programs.

Once the utility and flash drives for copying information are ready, you can proceed to the first steps:

Once all files have been copied, the iMac will automatically begin rebooting. Next, to display the boot manager, press and hold the Alt key. On the Mac, the disk menu will open, mark the partition with the name of the operating system. This will be followed by launching the OS and setting the parameters.

To install Windows 8 you need to do the same. Only in the window Selecting Actions"You should check the boxes next to the items " Download latest software" And " Create a disk to install Windows 7 or new».

Installing Windows on a Mac, or rather, setting up the program, begins with choosing a language. Select the correct language right away, otherwise you will have to do all the steps again. Having selected all the parameters in this window, click the Next button, which is located in the lower right corner.

To install the Windows operating system on a Mac, carefully follow all the instructions provided. Do not restart or turn off your computer during the process. The procedure cannot be interrupted in any way.

After your iMac reboots a second time, you can begin installing the necessary drivers. To do this, download them back from the flash drive, install and run the installation program.

Installing Windows via Bootcamp using a USB flash drive

Installation can be carried out either using a disk with the operating system or via a USB drive. To load a program from a flash drive onto a Mac, you must first download it. If we are talking about Windows 8, then the version of this system must be in iso format.

This installation option on Mac and iMac is no different from the previous one. Before you begin, you should also check bootcamp for updates and save all the necessary data. The following instructions will help you complete the task:

But it happens that when the installation media is a flash drive, the utility requires you to insert a disk with the program and refuses to continue downloading the software to the iMac. In this case, you can download the Daemon Tools Lite iMac driver. With its help, we mount the Windows iso image, it will serve as a virtual drive and then Bootcamp will complete the installation process of our OS without any problems.

Installing Windows on Mac and iMac via Parallels Desktop

In addition to Boot Camp, there are several other options for installing an additional operating system. For example, you can use the program Parallels Desktop, which is a virtual machine on the Windows installation. You will be able to run Windows programs without restarting your PC.

You can complete the installation by following the instructions below:

A special feature of Parallels Desktop is the high performance of the program. You can download a free trial version or buy Parallels Desktop using the link below:

Installing Windows using VirtualBox

VirtualBox is one of the popular virtualization programs. With its help, your PC will easily run two operating systems at once. Installing an additional OS via VirtualBox is quite simple.

To get started, enter the query VirtualBox into the search engine, go to the official website and download the program. Once installation is complete, click on the program icon and select “Create”. After this, you can begin installing Windows.

Sometimes it happens that after installing an additional operating system, problems with sound or video playback appear on the iMac. To solve this problem, you need to install on your Mac all the drivers that were previously saved to an additional storage device (disk or flash drive).

After all the steps taken, the installation of Windows on Mac is completely completed. Restart the program and everything will definitely work.

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