Help installing Lion to ssd Mac Pro 5.1

[doma2001]

Hi, my system:
Mac pro 5.1, 2012, nvme ssd via pcie running Mojave. 3tb storage in drive bay. Radeon RC560. 32GB.

My problem:
I am attempting to install Lion on a new Samsung evo 860 ssd via icy dock adapter. I purchased the SSD and adapter from macupgrades as a compattible SSD option for the 5.1.

The new SSD is listed in disk utility and named as Samsung EVO etc... I have not formatted it but I know it is there and working.

I have made a USB boot disk of Lion but when I restart using boot manager to select it, all I get is a black screen. I also burned a DVD image of Lion and got the same black screen.

Mojave boots perfectly and this is a fresh system.

Can anyone advise me on how to install Lion on the new SSD? I'm stumped.

I have an older 2008 mac pro and even tried the install proceess on that by putting the SSD in a bay. My DVD boot disk worked via holding c on restart but the new SSD drive wasn't listed as a location to install to.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

You will need to partition/format the SSD, before attempting to install macOS. Unformatted SSDs won't show as an installation destination.

Partition and Format the hard drive:

1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.

2. After DU loads select your new SSD (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.

3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Optionsbutton, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed. Quit DU and return to the main menu.

Also, how did you create the Lion bootable installer flash drive? You should use DiskMaker X 3.0.4 for Lion compatibility to make your bootable Lion installer flash drive.

C

 

[doma2001]

Thanks for the reply.

I have formatted the ssd using disk utility and it shows up as normal.

I made the Lion USB boot using disk utility, restore from dmg.

I messaged the seller of this new to me mac, an eBay seller who specialises in macs, who has indicated the graphics card does not support boot screen. I tried selecting the USB via startup disk option as it shows up as a bootable drive in the list but when it restarts it still defaults to the Mojave boot on the pcie ssd upon restarting.

I then tried removing the pcie ssd and starting up again with the USB still selected prior to shutdown. It stays on a black screen which tells me there is an issue with the boot screen.

I'm pretty confident my boot installers (USB and DVD versions) are OK and it's something else that is the barrier.

Is there another graphics card I can look into that supports boot screen and still allows me to keep the pcie ssd?

 

[doma2001]

So I got 10.7.5 installed on the 2nd ssd by swapping the graphics card out for a gt120 which allowed me to see the boot screen. All good but I can't boot back into Mojave when the rx560 is back in unless I physically remove the 2nd sad in the sled. I get the rx560 is needed to run Mojave but could it be it's not compattible back to 10.7.5?

Is there a card that is?
How about putting High Sierra on the PCIe SSD? Would this help?