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HP EliteDesk 800 G2 Tower PC (Skylake) for macOS Big Sur & Catalina

Hackintosh your HP EliteDesk 800 G2 Tower PC Skylake. This is intented to create a fully functional hackintosh for the HP EliteDesk 800 G2 Tower PC i7-6700 (Skylake).

Important Notes

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Known Issues / Work in Progress

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If you face another problem please open a issue.

Hardware Specifications

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hardware configuration with the following specs:

full specs from the HP site

Table of Contents

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<!-- MarkdownTOC --> <!-- /MarkdownTOC --> <!-- * This line is a placeholder to generate the table of contents in jekyll {:toc} [TOC] -->

Dual Monitor

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Dual monitors works. Patching has been done using hackingtool. HotPlugging a monitor is not required. The following patch has been applied

WhateverGreen: weg @ (DBG) agdpmod using config vit9696
WhateverGreen: igfx @ (DBG) patching framebufferId 0x19120000 connector [1] busId: 0x05, pipe: 9, type: 0x00000400, flags: 0x00000187
WhateverGreen: igfx @ (DBG) patching framebufferId 0x19120000 connector [2] busId: 0x06, pipe: 10, type: 0x00000400, flags: 0x00000187
WhateverGreen: igfx @ (DBG) patching framebufferId 0x19120000 connector [3] busId: 0x04, pipe: 10, type: 0x00000400, flags: 0x00000187
WhateverGreen: igfx @ (DBG) patching framebufferId 0x19120000 connector [-1] busId: 0x00, pipe: 0, type: 0x00000001, flags: 0x00000020

Patch

General > Devices/Properties
General > Connectors
General > Auto Detect Changes
Advanced > FB Port Limit 3
Device Id: 0x1912: Intel HD Graphics 530

This configuration works with an HP EliteDisplay E242 on the top DP port and an HP EliteDisplay E243i on the bottom DP port. Very rarely when I pass the boot process and once it turns into 'graphics mode' (Apple Logo) the machine sometimes hangs there for some seconds and reboots (Framebuffer is crashing).

I noticed that if I have only one monitor on the top DP port (any) the coputer boots fine and then I can hot plug the other monitor once on the logon screen I do not have any problem.

Installation Guide

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These are the steps in order to install or upgrade your EliteDesk-800. There is a very detailed document on the steps followed and the customizations which can be found in DETAILS.opencore.md.

There is a another document on how I setup my environment including all the tools and utilities I have used ENVIRONMENT.wks.md.

Start by downloading the latest version the customization files from the releases page. It includes:

The guide is being written based on the excellent Dortania guides

Installation SSD

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I have installed macOS on the internal 500GB Samsung V-NAND SSD 860 EVO MZ-76E500 (Model Code: MZ-76E500B/EU).

Keys Shortcuts to Boot

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BIOS setup

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Make sure that you check with this link to update BIOS:

Note: Update the BIOS from the BIOS itself. On a USB stick with an EFI directory place bios file N01_0236.bin in directory EFI/HP/BIOS/new. On Finder create an extra EFI directory under the mounted EFI exactly as OpenCore do.

Get into the BIOS and make the following changes:

BIOS Settings:

Fixing CFG Lock

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CFG Lock removal is not required.

It may be better to remove it. However this cannot be done easily on this BIOS since there is no hidden toggle in the BIOS setup as in others. This is a work in progresss. If you managed to patch it in any way please contact me.

There is a number of information on the Internet. Start here Fixing CFG Lock and see the following reddit posts:

cannot be removed in this BIOS. This is a work in progress.

Preparing USB Flash Drive

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Get a at least 16GB USB Flash Drive and follow Creating the USB > Making the installer. Follow just the Making the installer Guide.

If you need just a USB stick with OpenCore installation for booting an existing MacOS installation just format the USB stick as following:

Disk Utility > Select USB Device > Erase:

Customize USB Flash Drive

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In this step you will add all the required opencore files to the USB flash drive.

Download the latest release from github and unzip the archive. You will find an ELITEDESK800_EFI directory. Mount the USB Flash Drive's EFI partition on /Volumes/EFI. You can do this with many utilities (e.g. MountEFI or mount_efi.sh).

Move the ELITEDESK800_EFI to /Volumes/EFI and rename it to EFI. It will look like /Volumes/EFI/EFI

Generate a valid SMBIOS

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Use corpnewt/GenSMBIOS to generate a valid iMac17,1 SMBIOS and populate the following /Volumes/EFI/OC/config.plist with a text editor or corpnewt/ProperTree:

<key>PlatformInfo</key>
<dict>
    ...
    <key>MLB</key>
    <string>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</string>
    ...
    <key>SystemSerialNumber</key>
    <string>XXXXXXXXXXXX</string>
    ...
    <key>SystemUUID</key>
    <string>XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX</string>
    ...
</dict>

a valid SMBIOS is really important for Apple Services, iMessage & FaceTime. Check also the guide An iDiot's Guide To iMessage

Install macOS

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During the first time you boot you must clear the NVRAM of the system (Clover and other Bootloader leave traces)

To boot from the USB Flash Drive you can just hit F9 and you will get the UEFI boot loader. Once you get to Clover hit space and select CleanNvram.efi. After it completes power off the computer wait for ten seconds and power on again.

Boot again and Install macOS

Post Install

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At this point OpenCore boot loader is installed only in the USB driver. You are required to install it on your bootable disk. Follow Moving OpenCore from USB to macOS Drive

Enable TRIM for SSDs

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Since OpenCore does not reccomends to patch for TRIM using the bootloader you need to enable TRIM for all SSDs manually. Open terminal and use command: sudo trimforce enable. Reboot and check that TRIM is enabled on the Apple > About this Mac > System Report.

Clover to OpenCore Migration

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This section is for those who run Clover and want to migrate to OpenCore. You need to:

  1. make sure you have a backup USB flash drive with clover in order to boot your system. Check README.clover.md. If something goes wrong you may end up with an unbootable system! You have been warned!

  2. Create a USB flash drive without the macos installer. check Preparing USB Flash Drive and Customize USB Flash Drive.

  3. Remove Clover. Check Converting from Clover to OpenCore. TLDR you need to Cleaning the Clover Junk in macOS and Removing kexts from macOS(S/L/E and L/E)

  4. Most likely you will hit the stuck on OCB: LoadImage failed - Security Violation. Follow the link and fix it now. Do not disable SecureBootModel. Follow the terminal instructions

  5. Boot from the USB and Clear the NVRAM. Check Install macOS section.

  6. Boot from the USB flash drive. Make sure you have a working system

  7. Move OpenCore from USB to macOS Driver. Check Post Install

Sleep

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check your current state:

$ sudo pmset -g
System-wide power settings:
Currently in use:
 standby              1
 Sleep On Power Button 1
 womp                 1
 autorestart          0
 hibernatefile        /var/vm/sleepimage
 proximitywake        1
 powernap             1
 networkoversleep     0
 disksleep            10
 standbydelayhigh     86400
 sleep                0 (sleep prevented by screensharingd)
 autopoweroffdelay    28800
 hibernatemode        3
 autopoweroff         1
 ttyskeepawake        1
 displaysleep         0
 highstandbythreshold 50
 standbydelaylow      0

Be aware that hibernation (suspend to disk or S4 sleep) is not supported on hackintosh.

You should disable it:

sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0
sudo rm /var/vm/sleepimage
sudo mkdir /var/vm/sleepimage

Always check your hibernatemode after updates and disable it. System updates tend to re-enable it, although the trick above (making sleepimage a directory) tends to help.

And it may be a good idea to disable the other hibernation related options:

sudo pmset -a autopoweroff 0
sudo pmset -a powernap 0
sudo pmset -a standby 0
sudo pmset -a proxymitywake 0

Upgrade Guide

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Upgrade from Catalina 10.15.3 to Catalina 10.15.7

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Upgrade from within macOS. No special action is needed

Upgrade to Big Sur 11.0.1

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Use the latest release from here boot in Catalina and upgrade.

Benchmarking

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Benchmarking Windows 10

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Benchmarking macOS 10.14.2 (Clover)

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Benchmarking macOS 10.15.3 (Clover)

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Benchmarking macOS 10.15.7 (OpenCore)

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Benchmarking macOS 11.0.1 (OpenCore 0.6.3)

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FAQ

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Disabling SIP

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Disabling SIP

OCB: LoadImage failed - Security Violation

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Users may find upgrading OpenCore on an already installed system can result in early boot failures due to Security > SecureBootModel > Default OCB: LoadImage failed - Security Violation

MacOS installer thinks I am russian

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macOS installer in Russian

OpenCore Sanity Checker

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make sure to check your config.plist against OpenCore Sanity Checker

Mount Root as read/write

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Apple has introduce SSV (signed system volumes). SSV features a kernel mechanism that verifies the integrity of the system content at runtime, and rejects any data — code and non-code — that doesn’t have a valid cryptographic signature from Apple. In order to make root volume writable you need to disable, mount it, change it, create a new snapshot and boot from that snapshot. I am not responsible if you make your machine unbootable. This may break OS updates. Check how to do it @ macOS 11 Big Sur and Mount root as writable in Big Sur

Steps:

  1. Boot from recovery and disable SSV (this will be permanent)
csrutil authenticated-root disable
  1. Boot on macos and mount your root volume as writable. Find your root mount's device - run mount and chop off the last s, e.g. if your root is /dev/disk1s2s3, you'll mount /dev/disk1s2
$ mount
/dev/disk2s5s1 on / (apfs, sealed, local, read-only, journaled)
$ mkdir /Users/xxx/mount
sudo mount -o nobrowse -t apfs /dev/disk2s5 /Users/xxx/mount

  1. Make any modifications you want in /Users/xxx/mount

  2. Generate and tag new APFS System Snapshot as follows and make it bootable

# Create snapshot.
sudo /System/Library/Filesystems/apfs.fs/Contents/Resources/apfs_systemsnapshot -s "ChangedRoot" -v /Users/xxx/mount

# Tag snapshot for next boot.
sudo /System/Library/Filesystems/apfs.fs/Contents/Resources/apfs_systemsnapshot -r "ChangedRoot" -v /Users/xxx/mount

  1. reboot and you are done

  2. check the snapshots XXX how do you delete snapshot history?

$ diskutil apfs snapshots disk2s5s1
Snapshots for disk2s5s1 (3 found)
|
+-- AFD82B0C-23D3-481B-9401-0A17DC46C1EC
|   Name:        com.apple.os.update-779BDF1556C6F688504E24FB29C75AFFABFCB91E701806FFFF35235E19914F1E
|   XID:         489684
|   Purgeable:   No
|   NOTE:        This snapshot limits the minimum size of APFS Container disk2
|
+-- 4A6FACBE-2667-4127-8143-646C38E3C3B4
|   Name:        ChangedRoot
|   XID:         490985
|   Purgeable:   Yes
|
+-- 3DC0C93D-F858-4420-AC0B-49FDF23D5C3A
    Name:        NewRoot
    XID:         9223372036855268389
    Purgeable:   Yes

Changelog

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You can view Changelog for detailed information.

Buy me a coffee or a beer

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If you feel so you can buy me a coffee or a beer!

Credits

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