Holy Hackintosh Guide

The Hackintosh Build


     So after digging through the OS X 86 Project wiki and the InsanelyMac forums for months, as well as help from various greats out there I decided to build my hackintosh. Before going any further I would like to thank all the people who made this project possible: Bassam Bashir -The Price hunting tiger ;) Tony Mattke, Kakewalk and all the helpful guys at the Insanelymac Forums. And we should thank all the guide authors of the OSX86 Project for the time they put bringing us this information and devotion to disregard Apple.
     I researched months to get this build as perfect and as smooth as possible. Here is a list with the complete hardware list I used:
  • Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R rev.2.0 LGA 1366 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0. See.
  • CPU: ###Unfortunately not an AMD. At the time of this build I was not fully aware to the source of Intel products. I don't support terrorism or the terrorist country Israel. Intel products are developed and produced in Israel, supplying it with billions of dollars yearly for its brutal murdering of innocent people. From now on AMD, you should too.### Intel Core-i7 930
  • CPU Cooling: Corsair H-50 Liquid Cooling System. See.
  • Graphics Card: MSI N260GTX Twin Frozr OC GeForce GTX 260 896MB. See.
  • RAM: G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ. See.
  • HardDrive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache. See.
  • Optical Drive: SAMSUNG SH-S243N DVD Burner. See.
  • Case: Antec Nine Hundred Two Black Steel Computer Case. See.
  • Power Supply: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W SLI/CrossFire Ready. See.
  1. Note: Some 1600 RAM modules are not compatible with this motherboard, meaning it will not run at 1600 without a bit of tweaking. Initially it will run at lower speed but lower CAS Latency, which is cool. See Support List for supported modules.
  2. Note: All parts other than Motherboard, CPU, and Graphics Card can be changed to anything you want pretty much – ex. You can use 4 GB of RAM, or you can get a 2 Terabyte HDD, or even a different Cooling System (that is compatible with the Core i7 CPU) if you like -.
  3. Note: The following guide is for this specific Motherboard and CPU. Note also it is the Rev.2.0 (second review) of this motherboard that I am using). A bit different procedure with Rev.1.0.
     Putting together the computer hardware was easy. You can find guides on that all over the internet. It should be quite simple if you are just a bit tech savvy (if not, I guess this whole operation could be a bit overwhelming). Still, if you guys have any questions or trouble figuring things out feel free to email me (tipsotto@gmail.com). I will try to help you out as much as I can.
     As for the software part, following will be a detailed procedure. I tried to make it as simple as possible, with explanation (where needed) for why we are carrying out every step to help the novice understand the procedure rather than just do what I say, helping you troubleshoot later, if need be. As for the pros, well they probably don't need this guide do they? :)
    The procedure:
    • What you will need:
    1. A computer (Obviously), with compatible hardware. This guide will use the steps to follow using a Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R rev.2.0 Motherboard. For other hardware configurations, use the OSX86 Project Wiki or InsanelyMac forums to check if your hardware is compatible with OS X.
    2. A Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" DVD Vanilla (meaning unchanged, original retail software).
    3. An empty CD/DVD.
    4. It would help having a USB flash drive to use to initially transfer files to your new Mac. Capacity not important, most files we will be using are very small. But note one file will be 1.06 GB.
    5. Some Patience!
    1. Since Apple computers work differently than PCs, the Mac OS X DVD will not boot on PC hardware. So we need a bootloader that will facilitate the booting of Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" to be able to install this operating system. Using a Mac computer for this step (use your friend's or something) is recommended.
    • Go to the Kakewalk website. Click "Download" and pick whichever method you feel more comfortable using. Click the CD icon to download the bootloader and burn to CD/DVD. Click the USB icon to download the USB version and use a flash drive to do the work. This will download Kakewalk 2.2. 
    • * (Update: Now there is a newer version of Kakewalk which only uses the USB method, guide on how to install Kakewalk to USB drive is downloaded with Kakewalk itself). Since that is the case, follow my steps, but priority goes to the guide from Kakewalk in case of any discrepancy.  I will update guide all through step 2 shortly.
       I personally picked the CD version since I can keep it on a CD for later use, incase I ever need it again and its just easier. So I will be explaining the procedure using the CD/DVD method.
    • After download is complete. Open folder and double click the "KakewalkCD" icon to open Kakewalk. A window will pop up. Now this will seem counter-intuative, pick the EX58-UD5 motherboard in the drop down menu, and click create. Let it complete. This will create a file named "Kakewalk.iso" on your desktop.
    We pick the EX58-UD5, not the EX58-UD3R, because it works better. (Whatever, right?)
    • Go to your Desktop and right-click on that file and select "Open With" Disk Utility. Pop in your empty CD or DVD. Select the Kakewalk.iso file from the left pane in Disk Utility and click the "Burn" icon on the top. This will burn Kakewalk to your CD/DVD.
    2. Now we will be working on your newly created machine. Steps bellow can also be found in the Guide PDF associated with the Kakewalk folder you downloaded.
    • Power up new machine and enter BIOS setup (Delete key). Pop in your CD/DVD you burned Kakewalk on. Go to "Advanced Features" and make sure to set the first boot device to CDROM and secondary to Harddrive.
    • If you have more than one harddrive set "Hard Disk Boot Priority"  to the harddrive you're going to install to.
                  ex. 1. SCSI-1: WD 750GB
                        2. SCSI-0: WD 500GB
    • Go back (ESC), go to "Integrated Peripherals" and IMPORTANT: Set "SATA RAID/AHCI Mode" to "AHCI"
    • Go back (ESC), go to "Power Management" and set "ACPI Suspend Type" to "S3(STR)" and set "HPET Mode" to "64-bit mode"
    • Save and Exit by pressing the "F10" key
    3. Now the fun part, we will be installing Mac OS X!
    • After pressing the "F10" key in the previous step, computer should reboot and after all the lines of white on black you see, Kakewalk bootloader will show up. Follow the on screen instructions which tell you to remove your CD/DVD (while the computer is still on, don't turn it off) and insert the Mac OS X Retail DVD. Wait a few seconds for the DVD to spin up then press the "F5" key. A DVD icon will pop up and you just select it with your keyboard arrow buttons and press Enter.
    • Now the Mac OS X installer will load. Once it is up. Click "Utilities" from the menu up top then "Disk Utility"
    Now the next step we will be partitioning the harddrive. Figure out how many partitions you want to have, as repartitioning it later without reinstalling the OS can prove dangerous to your data. 1 partition should be fine for most. Note: If you will later want to install and dual boot Windows 7, you might want to leave a partition for that right now. I have 3, one for Mac OS X, one as general storage, and one for Windows 7. See my guide for Dual-Booting Mac OS X and Windows 7.
    • Once you know what you want select the harddrive you wish to install to from the left hand pane. Click "Partition" from the right, assign the number of partitions, the sizes for each (if you have multiple), names for each. Set filesystem for the first partition (which will have Snow Leopard) to "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)". Set filesystem for the Windows partition (if applicable) to "FAT"
    • Click "Options" and select "GUID Partition Table" and hit "OK". This is important as Mac OS X can only run on a GUID Partition Table. Click "Apply"
    • When partitioning and formatting is done quit "Disk Utility" and follow the Snow Leopard installer selecting the partition you assigned for Mac OS X (should be first). Installing should begin. When all is done restart computer and insert your Kakewalk BootCD you burned earlier.
    4. At this point you should have a fully installed OS. Make sure you pop in your Kakewalk BootCD after installation is finished and computer is restarting. We are going to use it as a bootloader to get in to the OS we just installed and then install a permanent bootloader, so we won't have to keep loading the system using the BootCD.
      • After you restart you will be greeted with the Kakewalk bootloader again. Use you keyboard to select the partition you installed Mac OS X on. The system will now boot Snow Leopard.
      • Once you are in and you see your desktop double-click the volume Kakewalk and then open KakewalkBoot. Install package to the Snow Leopard partition. Once that is finished, eject the CD and reboot.
      Sweet... you now have a full install and a working bootloader in place...! You are basically done! But its still not over...

      5. Now we will have to do a little tweaking, downloading and installing of a few files here and there to get sound and ethernet working. Since, again, this is not a real Mac computer, all the wonderful programmers out there have spent great effort and time developing files called Kexts (Kernel Extensions) to get things such as ethernet, sound, and other hardware components working perfectly with a custom built computer. These Kexts are different from one computer to another, depending on the components you use. Note as I stated earlier, these steps are for a build that is similar to mine listed above. Other motherboards have different Kexts. Surf the InsanelyMac forums or other guides for different build Kexts.
      The following is possible due to the amazing efforts of nullspot, dal20402, and jacoverse. Thank you all for contributing. We will be using another computer to download the files we will need, so make one available.
      • Using another computer google and download the Mac OS X 10.6.6 Combo Update, it is free from Apple, download from here. Transfer file from second computer to your Mac and install it. (File size 1.06 GB). After install reboot machine.
      • Download nullspot's DSDT file here. Put this file on your Mac's Desktop.
      S/L/E means folder located at System/Library/Extensions. E/E means folder located at Extra/Extensions.
        • Open a Finder Window and select your root partition (the one with the Applications folder in it) from the left pane. Go to S/L/E and backup (copy somewhere just incase) the file AppleHDA.kext and replace it with nullspot's modified AppleHDA.kext you can download here. (Updated Apr. 24, 2011)
        • If the previous step did not get audio working (assuming you finished the rest of this guide and rebooted), use that same AppleHDA.kext you downloaded in the previous step and DRAG and DROP it over Kext Utility (something you will be installing in the next step), let it complete its installation of the kext, then reboot.
        • Download MultiBeast here and transfer it to you Mac. Run it. Continue with the installation till you get to get to "Installation Type". Select these items:
        -UserDSDT
        -System Utilities > : Rebuild Caches
        -System Utilities > : Repair Permissions
        -Advanced Options > Kexts > Disk > : IOAHCIBlockStorageInjector
        -Advanced Options > Kexts > Disk > JMicron36x (aka GSATA): All 3 items
        -Advanced Options > smbios.plist > Mac Pro > : Core i7
        -Advanced Options > OSx86 Software > : Kext Utility
        *Note: MultiBeast suggests only running 4 GB of RAM while doing this. You can reconnect the rest of your modules after you complete this step. I personally didn't do that, and was using 6 GB of RAM, no problems.
        • Download and copy the following files to E/E
        -nullspot's modified FakeSMC.kext from here.
        -nullspot's legacy889HDA.kext from here.
        -jacoverse's modified IONetworkingFamily.kext (Realtec_8111d_3264.zip) from here.
        *Note: If any of these files are .zip files, unzip them before copying to destination.
        • Open file com.apple.Boot.plist found in the /Extra folder and add the following 2 lines at the end before </dict> :
          • <key>DropSSDT</key>
          • <string>Yes</string>
        • Open file smbios.plist in /Extra folder and find <key>SMproductname</key> . Under this line ( the next line), change line to look like this <string>MacPro4,1</string>
        • Open Applications folder and run "Kext Utility" 
        • Once done, reboot machine and Enjoy your new Mac with all the spoils this audio and networking enabled OS has to offer.
        You're Done!
        Be sure to check out the Useful Stuff page
        Leave comments if you have any questions or email me (tipsotto@gmail.com).
        Please rate and share ;) Subscribe by email and Follow my blog. You can also subscribe to my RSS feed :)

          40 comments:

          1. Im curious what was the final price after everything was done?

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          2. I presume you could use a standard MSI GTX260 instead of the version above?

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          3. @Rich
            Yes. You can :) There is pretty good support for NVIDIA Chipsets.

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          4. @TipsOtto
            Shouldn't matter as this guide does not cover the graphics part...

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          5. @Anonymous
            The great part about installing Mac OS X this way is you won't have to worry about the Graphics Card part much. Most Cards will work right out of the box :)

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          6. are you running 32 or 64bit? I tried to follow but network and audio don't work and the only different thing I have is the video card hd5870 which works in 64 with Trauma boot loader

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          7. @ddi
            I am running at 64-Bit. Did you get (IONetworkingFamily.kext) and copy it to your /Extra/Extensions folder? That should get your networking going. If not, try putting it in S/L/E as well.
            Audio should also work. If not, try adding this file
            https://sites.google.com/site/tipsfiles/tipsfiles/LegacyHDA.kext.zip?attredirects=0&d=1
            to E/E. Don't forget to repair permissions, use "Kext Utility". Tell me how it goes.

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          8. woohoo! thanks @TipsOtto! Got my Hackintosh up and working in no time!! :)

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          9. Thanks for the great guide! I have my Hackintosh components in the mail and I should be building this sometime over the next few days. :)

            One question though before I begin: Will I be able to update OSX in the future, or will doing so revert the operating system to limited functionality (or even make it not work at all)?

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          10. @SiMan
            I'm glad you liked the guide. Good Luck and congrats on your new build :)

            As far as Mac OS X updates in the future, you will be able to update but not before hackintosh developers give the ok, because future updates might break your 10.6.4 install. So when future updates come out you will either be able to update without any extra work, or there will be files to patch and such, but its not that bad... :)

            Most likely though, couple kexts such as ones for audio will need patching and replacing for the new update, so its not gonna be that hard.

            Check my blog for future updates and how to deal with them. Enjoy!

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          11. Completed the build yesterday and got the install done in no time at all, completely painless so far thanks to an excellent guide! Cheers

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          12. p.s Does the dsdt file need to stay on the desktop after everything is done?

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          13. @Rich
            Thanks, I'm glad everything worked out for you.
            The dsdt can be deleted off your desktop after your done using it. Make sure it exists in your /Extra folder, just in case.

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          14. Geekbench 64 bits test.

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          15. Would it make a significant difference (i.e. in the install process) if a faster CPU was substituted for the Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield 2.8GHz LGA 1366 Quad-Core Processor? Would I have to make any specific install alterations? Thanks for all your help and time for putting this guide together.

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          16. @goodscotch
            Ummm... not really, not significantly. But you will probably want to search for another dsdt for the other cpu. There are loads of support all over. The dsdt I have posted is specifically for the 930/920 but you can get it to work with others but I would definitely search up one that is confirmed to work with your cpu of choice.
            Let me know if your having a hard time, i might be able to point you n the right direction.

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          17. 10.6.5? What should I do before updating if anything?

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          18. on number 4 in your instructions you say use kakewalkbootloader to install on the mac osx hard drive what do i pick to install on hard the GIGABYTE GA-X58A or EX58-UD5 meaning i use the ex58-ud5 first to install osx when done then i use kakewalk bootloader and then i install ga-x58a ud3r im a bit confused but i think that i use ex58ud5 first then when done i will install gax58ud3r for final install

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          19. @supasike
            Yes, use the GA-X58-UD5 for creating the Kakewalk CD, then when installing use GA-X58A-UD3R.

            Thank you for bringing attention to clear that up :)

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          20. o problem and thanks for giving me the answer also kakewalk 3.0 is weird i made the boot cd for the ep45-ud3l and when it loads the cd to get into the installation it gives me mad errors like ebios and stuff i used kakewalk 2.2 with no problems as i have a setup of the ep45-ud3l i wanna upgrade in the future to your setup i was wondering if we can get 10.6.5 updates without kernal panics i know kakewalk 3.0 supposably does that but cant get it to work weird

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          21. by the way anonymous was me supasike for some reason i could not post with my name im haveing a bad day ep45-ud3l was my comment also with kakewalk 3.0

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          22. its supasike again -Advanced Options > smbios.plist > Mac Pro > : Core i7
            what do you pick in multibeast 3.1 or 4.1 you did not say when i look in multibeast it has options for 3.1 4.1 or 5.1 sorry to be a bother

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          23. @ supasike
            When I wrote this guide there wasn't any options (3.1, 4.1, 5.1). It was directly Core i7 after you picked Mac Pro. However the newest version of MultiBeast does have those options. I haven't tried it out myself yet, bet I would imagine it depends on the dsdt you are using and how you named your Mac Pro's model. With my guide here, its 4.1.

            If you go to your System Profiler app, on the first page under "Hardware Overview" I believe it will show:" Model Identifier: MacPro4,1 " on the second row. So I would select 4.1 in multibeast.

            Please comment back with the result. Best of luck ;)

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          24. Do you know if the Snow Leopard upgrade dvd would work?

            I have an extremely similar build, but cant get to installation screen. After swapping the kakewalk disc with SL, I get to the apple logo and it just spins for a while before going to a black screen.

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          25. @Anonymous
            I don't think Apple sell an upgrade DVD standalone. If you have a Snow Leopard DVD it should be the full version of Snow Leopard.
            Make sure you setup everything that should be setup in the BIOS. That may be the cause of your problem.

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          26. The upgrade dvd's were distributed to those that bought a mac a month or so before they updated from 10.5 to 10.6, it's still a full copy too. I borrowed a friend's retail copy now.

            What did you do for this step? I think i got everything else spot on in the bios, except this.

            Go back (ESC), go to "Integrated Peripherals" and IMPORTANT: Set "SATA RAID/AHCI Mode" to "AHCI"

            I didn't see a SATA/RAID ACHI MODE in the bios, but i switched any option that could be AHCI to AHCI.

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          27. @Anonymous
            What motherboard are you using? If its the same one listed in my procedures, there should be a SATA RAID/AHCI switch that you can select (enter key) and change to AHCI if not already AHCI by default.

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          28. I got it working, seems that the majority of my problems stemmed from not using the retail dvd. Thanks for the awesome guide! It was very helpful!

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          29. I'm working on it, thanks so far.

            But, guessed I missed something: what to do with the DSDt.aml file I placed on the desktop??

            Graphics are not working btw. (NV-GTX460oc1gi)

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          30. Graphics working with TonyOSx NVIDEA update.

            do know now why DSDT was on desktop... ;)

            Great work!

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          31. @peety
            I'm glad it worked out for you :)

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          32. Could you post a tutorial on common graphics cards that don't work out of the box and how to get them working?

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          33. @jimbo
            Hey Jimbo. I would if there wan't already an easy to use and frequently updated wiki on that :) Here's the link:

            http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

            You can check every graphics card and how it works and ways to get it to work to your heart's extent haha. Just check the Hardware Compatibility Lists and pick and choose. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them if I can... Good Luck!

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          34. It seems that Kakewalk and iBoot wouldn't work with my system.

            I had to use the "Empire EFI" boot disk instead. After the install was complete, I used the "myHack v1.0 RC5" to make the drive boot on its own.

            I then installed the 10.6.6 update and bricked the machine. Going to test some more. BTW, I am using the GTX460 card. I may have to purchase a GTX260 like the one mentioned above.

            I a have the same motherboard v2.0 with the bios of FB. Had to take out the extra memory for the installation.

            Hope this helps others...

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          35. I need help so bad!!! Please

            I have my hackintosh working almost perfectly internet works and I even have a driver for my ATI 5850. I just cant get my dam sound to work!!! I have a gigabyte x58a-ud3R board that has the realtek 899 on board card.

            I have tried to install the driver through multibeast and download the Legacy899HDA key and placed it in the correct folder. Then I ran the keytext utility. That does not work either.

            The way I have sound to my computer is SDIF out. I use a optical out to a 5.1 sound system to get sound. (this works perfectly when in the windows side)

            I just want this to work so bad.

            Please help!!!

            Thanks,

            Kevin N.

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          36. @kevin85248
            Hey man, calm down and take it easy :)
            Try this:
            1) Download this AppleHDA audio kernel extension here:
            https://sites.google.com/site/tipsfiles/tipsfiles/AppleHDA.kext.zip?revision=2
            2) When you download it (and unzip it) DRAG AND DROP it over Kext Utility.
            Let it do its thing and then restart, I think it might just do it.

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          37. I did not try your last tip yet because I don't know if it will help this I found out that my sound was working just only in the front headphone jack. It wont work in the back one and my digital out does not work. I really just want to be able to use my digital out to my 5.1 sound system. Should I try what is listed above to help?

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          38. Hi, I got a strange problem.

            I installed 10.6.7 to a X58A UD3R Rev2 Bios FF. Everything works, except restart and my system clock runs faster than normal, especially when i have a high CPU load. And VLC stutters when playing back audio.

            Help would be apreciated.

            Thanks in advance ...

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          39. So you can't restart your machine using the standard restart from the apple menu? Can you try this in a command line:
            $ sudo shutdown -r now
            Can you shutdown from the apple menu? For audio did you use the AppleHDA.kext that I have posted, if not try that and see if it works.

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          40. hello TipsOtto, i know it's been a very long time since your last post, i don't even know if this blog is still active.

            maybe it's too late for me to learn about hackintosh, in fact, i tried several method about hackintoshing, and i managed to install high sierra with my old lady X58A-UD3R using vanilla image by olarila.com, but i'm still struggling with patches.
            but not the patches i'm worry about, i still couldn't figure out how to install Windows 10 on the same drive where High Sierra is.
            i'm using Clover as the bootloader.

            i searched through internet how to dual boot high sierra and windows 10 under legacy mode BIOS, unfortunately still have no luck.

            maybe you can help me with this "pain in the ass" thing :D

            thanks in advance

            note:
            I'm using ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB, for now, this patch is urgent.

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