mikeguru

I have no experience using "MyHack" with the Inspiron 17-3721, so I can't offer any advice or tips on that method of installing. That said, if you are successful using MyHack to install OS-X, then please post all the details of your install process here, as I'm sure others who are following this post would be very grateful for any tips/suggestions you can give them (me included!) I'm running Mavericks (10.9.3) on one, but have yet to solve the NO WEBCAM issue. It works on my 10.8.4 boot disk (external USB), but since I'm still unclear on which Kexts the built-in WebCam uses, I haven't been able to solve the problem. (I tried copying the Apple_iSight.kext file from the "working" 10.8.4 disk, but it didn't enable the WebCam in 10.9.3. That's why I suspect there are more files "in play" for getting it working on Mavericks 10.9.3 than just that Kext alone...)

Paul; If I give anyone advice on hardware updates/modifications, I always try to "err on the side of caution", and assume they may NOT have the necessary experience/knowledge to safely do the work. That's why I gave you the detaled instructions for avoiding ESD damage in my post - better safe than sorry! (GRIN) There is normally no problem updating the memory AFTER any Mac OS-X install - unlike Windows, the Mac doesn't require special configuration (like BIOS setting updates) when RAM amounts change - it just USES IT! I find that no matter how many times I do one of these installs, be it on a desktop "tower" or a laptop, I always learn something new. This is especially true when I do an "incremental" system update (like going from 10.9.2 to 10.9.3) - it almost always "breaks" something, which I have to figure out how to fix. That example is DEFINITELY a learning process"! Good luck!

Paul; Unlike Apple, Dell seems to understand that customers don't want to have to "throw away" their factory-installed RAM when they choose to upgrade it - Dell used a single 4 Gig module in my Inspiron 17-3721, leaving the other memory slot EMPTY, so it was a simple matter to buy a "matching" 4 Gig module and install it. Here's what I'd recommend you ADD to your Dell 17-3721: http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-1600MHz-PC3-12800-Notebook-KVR16S11S8/dp/B008CP5R8K/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1401894693&sr=1-5&keywords=pc3-12800+1600mhz+ddr3 Of course, if you want to go beyond 8 Gig, then you would need to sell/recycle the factory-installed 4 Gig module. NOTE: Memory installation is a SNAP, as there's a dedicated compartment in the bottom for accessing the Dell's memory slots - just remember to use a wrist "grounding strap" for the entire process, including removal of the new RAM from its packaging. Solid State devices like memory modules are subject to damage from ESD (Electro-Static Discharge), and can be damaged/destroyed by improper handling. This applies to other circuitry inside most computers as well. Good luck!

For those interested - I have also successfully installed 10.9 Mavericks on my main "tower" Hackintosh system, which is a Dell Optiplex 760 (about $350 - check eBay). I added 6 Gigs of RAM and an ATI Radeon 5450 video card (512Meg). It is one of the easiest cards to configure for both dual-monitor support and QE/CI. (Does require editing some Kexts, but if you've been working in the Hackintosh world for any length of time, this should already be part of your "skill set". If not, search this and other Forums for how-to instructions). I'm running 2 Dell 2001FP 20" monitors on it at 1600x1200 resolution. This card costs around $35 if you shop around. Try NewEgg or eBay, and don't worry - re-branded cards work just fine, as long as they're "based on" the Radeon 5450. Dell Optiplex 760 Mavericks Install - UPDATE (10.9.2 install via Software Update Breaks QE/CI) I previously mentioned how I had a Dell Optiplex 760 fully working in Mavericks 10.9, including QE/CI. I need to install 10.9.2 so I could then install various App & Mavericks Security updates. I decided to do a "live" update via Software Update/App Store. All went well, but when I restarted, I had lost QE/CI. I figured since I had a working copy of the (previously) edited ATI Radeon 5450 Kexts backed up on another drive, it would be a simple matter to re-install them (using Kext Utility, of course!) STILL NO GO! After much research and several days of frustrating trial-and-error, I final figured out that more was needed in 10.9.2 than just the 2 modified Kext files mentioned in all of the online "guides"! Here's what it took to get QE/CI working again: Dell Optiplex 760 - Mavericks 10.9.2 - Installing Video for QE/CI Manually (ATI Radeon HD 5450) You will need 2 programs and an edited set of Kexts to complete the steps outlined here: Chameleon Wizard (from insanelymac.com) (Download HERE) Kext Utility (from insanelymac.com) (Download HERE) EDITED ATI Radeon Kexts (Download HERE) STEP 1: INSTALL the following (Edited) ATI Radeon 5450 Kext files to S/L/E using Kext Utility: AMD5000Controller.kext AMDFramebuffer.kext AMDRadeonVADriver.bundle AMDRadeonX3000.kext AMDRadeonX3000GLDriver.bundle AMDSupport.kext NOTE: Kext file versions are all 1.20.11 STEP 2: DELETE the following ATI files from S/L/E: ATI5000Controller.kext ATIRadeonX2000.kext ATIRadeonX2000GA.plugin ATIRadeonX2000GLDriver.bundle ATIRadeonX2000VADriver.bundle STEP 3: Open Kext Wizard Click on “org.chameleon.Boot†at the top Ensure the following items are selected: Under “Boot Flagsâ€: Ignore boot Cache (-f) GUI Kernel (mach_kernel should show in the box below that) Under “Miscellaneousâ€: SMBios.plist: (/Extra/SMBios.plist should show in the box below that) Restart Fix Under “Graphicsâ€: Graphics Enabler Ati Config (Select “Eulemur†from the pop-up list below that - works on most ATI Radeon 54xx series cards, but YMMV) Graphics Mode (I have 1920x1080x32 set in mine, but it may need to be set to some other value, depending on the monitor(s) you have connected) NOTE: I have 2 Dell 2001FP 19†monitors, connected via VGA and DVI ports - I have not tested the HDMI port yet PCIRoot=1 NOTE: Under “Device Properties†is where the “string†is listed (unique to my setup) that enables the App Store to work - this string enables the Ethernet network configuration, but I am not including those instructions here, since these instructions are ONLY about enabling QE/CI with an ATI Radeon 54xx series video card… Now RESTART. After restart, the video card should be working, along with QE/CI is now WORKING.

Hard to advise you without knowing more about the type of installation you're trying - are you installing OS X ML or Mavericks ONLY, or are you installing a dual-boot system with Windows as well? In either case, I was successful only when I RE-PARTITIONED the hard drive, re-installed Windows CLEAN, and then installed the Mac OS on it CLEAN. My install, based on hibernian56's work, is for an MBR (Master Boot Record) install ONLY. A lot of guides have you partition the drive as if you were installing on a Mac - using the Mac "GUID" partitioning scheme, which MAY NOT WORK for installing OS-X on the Dell 17-3721, and will DEFINITELY NOT WORK on any dual-boot setup, as Windows REQUIRES an MBR partitioning scheme. If you're only planning on installing Mac OS-X ML or Mavericks ALONE, then you should STILL RE-PARTITION THE DRIVE. One final note on dual-boot partitioning - I discovered that it is important to be SURE of the partition sizes you want beforehand, as an MBR partitioned drive CANNOT BE RE-SIZED afterward, like a GUID partition can (in Disk Utility). If you need to later re-size the partitions for some reason, you will have to RE-PARTITION/ERASE THE WHOLE DRIVE, and then re-install everything FROM SCRATCH. (There may be a utility in Windows that can be used to re-size "Hackintoshed" partitions without destroying existing ones and/or losing data, but I haven't researched or tried it on a "DUAL-BOOT HACKINTOSH" yet...) I hope this info is helpful for you!

I have no experience with that card. Also, it seems like a lot to pay, especially when you consider that the card I recommend, the AR5B195, was selling on eBay for about $8 bucks, and is PROVEN to work...

The $25 card from NewEgg should work fine. I'm running both 512Meg and 1 Gig cards, in 2 different Optiplex 760s, and they both work fine. They are different "brands". As long as it's based on the ATI Radeon 5400 "series", you should be fine. Of course, editing the Kexts as outlined elsewhere on this site is the key to getting it to work, including enabling "QE/CI" and dual-monitor support, using the SVGA and DVI connectors.

Derrick; As stated before, I am using a dual-boot system, so my process for creating the installer USB stick modifies it so it will install on an MBR formatted drive. (Do a Google search for how to perform this mod). If you didn't perform the steps to modify it for an MBR install and you're trying to install to a MBR formatted hard drive, that might just be your problem. Conversely, if you DID modify it for an MBR install, but you are trying to install to a GUID formatted hard drive, that won't work either. As for the CPU and GPU, you have the correct ones.

I hope this is OK to post here - In a previous post, I mentioned how to "Edit Kexts" to get QE/CI working on a Radeon 5450 HD video card. Attached is a "zipped" (RTF format) text file with the instructions... Editing Video Kexts for QE-CI-ATI Radeon HD 5450.rtf.zip

Pran, Derrick, Not sure if I understand your problem - are you getting a black screen using the USB installer? If so, then try using the boot flag -f, which turns off the Kernel cache. Of course, -x. which is "Safe Boot" should work too. I just tested my Mavericks USB installer - it boots my Dell 17-3721 just fine, and goes to the Mavericks Installer screen. IMPORTANT NOTE: I have modified my USB installer to work on an MBR-formatted drive! Since I'm running a dual-boot (Windows 8 and Mac OS-X) system, this was required for my particular setup. (YMMV) As part of this setup, a couple of files ("OSInstall.mpkg" and "OSInstall") on the USB drive are REPLACED. (PM me, and I'll send you a link to how it's done. I don't want to break any Forum "Rules", as these instructions are found on MacBreaker.com, a site that some have alleged allows "Warez") ALSO FYI: I always plug in a USB or RF mouse during these installs - trackpad problems can occur until you get all the post-install Kexts loaded and working. I've attached a "zipped" copy of the "Extra" folder from my USB Installer (this folder is normally "hidden") - I used the "ShowHiddenFiles" utility to make it visible - you will have to do the same with your USB installer, as "hidden" files/folders cannot be overwritten/replaced. Once it is visible on your USB installer, drag it to the Trash, EMPTY the Trash. Then un-zip my provided Extra folder and copy the un-zipped folder to the "Root" level of your USB Installer. After that, be sure to run the "ShowHiddenFiles" utility again, and click on "Hide Special Files". If the Extra folder remains visible, this is fine as it will NOT affect its operation. Good luck! For those interested - I have also successfully installed 10.9 Mavericks on my main "tower" Hackintosh system, which is a Dell Optiplex 760 (about $350 - check eBay). I added 6 Gigs of RAM and an ATI Radeon 5450 video card (512Meg). It is one of the easiest cards to configure for both dual-monitor support and QE/CI. (Does require editing some Kexts, but if you've been working in the Hackintosh world for any length of time, this should already be part of your "skill set". If not, search this and other Forums for how-to instructions). I'm running 2 Dell 2001FP 20" monitors on it at 1600x1200 resolution. This card costs around $35 if you shop around. Try NewEgg or eBay, and don't worry - re-branded cards work just fine, as long as they're "based on" the Radeon 5450. I've even added a FireWire 400/800 PCI card, which works without any additional Kexts, OOB! For WiFi, I'm using an $8 Airlink-101 USB "n" wireless adapter - best to download and install the latest OS-X drivers from Airlink's site. FYI: This USB WiFI adapter works on the Dell 17 laptop too... Extra.zip

Thanks, hibernian56. I'm sorry you're having trouble with 10.9. I have the "luxury" of an external USB hard drive to install on "clean", as opposed to trying to "upgrade" an existing install. True, it's a lot more work to re-install everything on the Dell's internal HD by doing it this way, but it seems to work best. Once I get everything working on and can boot from the external HD, I then back up the User account data from the Dell 17's internal drive, ERASE IT, and then use Carbon Copy Cloner to make an exact copy of the working EXTERNAL HD onto the Dell 17's internal drive. Of course, before trying to boot the Dell 17 after the "cloning" is completed, it's important to run the Chameleon installer to update the UEFI partition on the Dell's internal HD FIRST. The only post-install "tweaks" I had to do were for the WiFi/Bluetooth and "App Store Error", as outlined in previous posts. One final "caveat" - I still don't have SLEEP working on my Dell 17. Instead of just closing the lid on it, I shut OS-X down before closing the lid. (If I don't, the screen goes dark, but the computer continues to operate). Since I have a dual-boot system, that minor "operational deviation" allows me to boot into either OS when I open the lid again. For some folks, this may be "unacceptable", but for me, it works just fine. Good hunting!

Hervé is correct - Hibernian56 is the one who actually started this thread - I just "added my 2¢" in the hope that I might add some information that would be of help to other Dell 17-3721 owners. Since I have been able to get 10.9 Mavericks working on mine, I thought others who read this thread and this Forum might benefit from my experience. BTW: I have found the Atheros AR5B195 on eBay that was from sellers right here in the USA - no need to wait on the "slow boat from China" if you shop carefully. NOTE: My 10.9 install is a "DSDT-free" installation. It greatly simplifies the entire process, FWIW...

Here's the Kexts (in Zip format) I used to get BOTH WiFi AND Bluetooth working in 10.9 Mavericks, with the Atheros AR5B195 combo-card installed in my Dell 17-3721. Bluetooth 10.9.0 Fix.zip NOTE: My Apple "MagicMouse" works perfectly including both vertical and horizontal scrolling, but my Logitech V470 is very "jumpy" - seems to be too sensitive, even with the tracking and scrolling set to their lowest levels...(?)

I never mentioned that card. As mentioned in previous posts, I have used the AR5B195, about $8 bucks on eBay, in no less than THREE Dell 17-3721 laptops with COMPLETE SUCCESS on the WiFi function. And in my last install (OS-X 10.9 Mavericks), with a specific Kext "patch", it also fixed Bluetooth problems I encountered during earlier installs with this card. (More info. to follow). SO, you can't go wrong with the Atheros AR5B195 card.

Excellent guide: https://osxlatitude.com/index.php?/topic/3079-guide-osx-mavericks-109-dell-optiplex-780-760/ I haven't been able to get it working on my Dell 760 with an ATI Radeon 5000 (512Mb) video card. I have gone through a CLEAN INSTALL and all of the steps 4 times, and I am always able to get to the initial Mavericks setup screen after install by booting using the -f boot flag. I install Chameleon and install the provided Kexts, but when I try to reboot, no matter what boot flags I use (-x, -f, -v), it halts at the message "the IOUSBFamily was unable to enumerate a USB device" error message. Please note that I have a separate partition with 10.8.3 installed on my HD, and everything works PERFECTLY - QE/CI on two monitors (using the video cards' VGA and DVI connectors), Sound, USB, App Store, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. I also have Mavericks running well on a Dell 17-3721 laptop. Yet, I cannot seem to get to the Desktop on my Dell 760 using your instructions. - What Kext(s) might be causing the "IOUSBFamily was unable to enumerate a USB device" error message, and can you tell me a fix to try? (It may boot to the desktop once I get past that error). Thanks!