OK here is the update: I reset CMOS on my barebone and re-entered the appropriate settings (i.e. IDE disabled, S3 wake/resume NO, no overclocking etc). My board has ICH7 chipset, no there's no AHCI setting at all. The only thing I don't remember to have set in the past is the
C1E setting for the processor. I set it to "Enable" and upon restart, it seems now the mobo is working as before. I guess such a reset was needed.
I therefore assume this is "case closed" unless someone else has a similar problem. My advice: reset CMOS and check your settings. Make sure all appropriate kexts are loaded, use this Terminal script that I created:
# Check loaded kexts!
clear
echo "********** FakeSMC & plugins loaded:"
kextstat | grep -i fakesmc
kextstat | grep -i intelthermal
kextstat | grep -i super
echo
echo "********** Apple SMC/LPC/HPET/SMBIOS loaded:"
kextstat | grep -i applesmc
kextstat | grep -i applelpc
kextstat | grep -i applehpet
kextstat | grep -i smbios
echo
echo "********** Apple ACPI/UHCI/EHCI loaded:"
kextstat | grep -i appleacpi
kextstat | grep -i uhci
kextstat | grep -i ehci
echo
echo "********** Processor CST/PST loaded:"
ioreg -lw0 | grep -i CSTInfo
ioreg -lw0 | grep -i PStates
echo
echo "********** System Type declared:"
ioreg -lw0 | grep system-type
echo
echo "********** CPU/Bus frequency:"
sysctl -a | grep -i cpufreq
echo
sysctl -a | grep -i busfreq
My output is:
********** FakeSMC & plugins loaded:
11 4 0xffffff7f8065b000 0x5000 0x5000 org.netkas.FakeSMC (1.0.0d1) <8 7 5 4 3>
12 0 0xffffff7f80660000 0x3000 0x3000 org.mozodojo.IntelThermal (1.0.0d1) <11 7 5 4 3>
14 1 0xffffff7f80675000 0x3000 0x3000 org.mozodojo.SuperIOFamily (1.0.0d1) <11 7 5 4 3>
********** Apple SMC/LPC/HPET/SMBIOS loaded:
71 2 0xffffff7f809cd000 0xb000 0xb000 com.apple.driver.AppleSMC (3.1.0d3) <8 7 5 4 3>
69 0 0xffffff7f809be000 0x3000 0x3000 com.apple.driver.AppleLPC (1.4.12) <9 5 4 3>
26 0 0xffffff7f806e6000 0x3000 0x3000 com.apple.driver.AppleHPET (1.5) <8 7 5 4 3>
25 0 0xffffff7f806e2000 0x4000 0x4000 com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS (1.6) <7 4 3>
********** Apple ACPI/UHCI/EHCI loaded:
10 1 0xffffff7f80616000 0x45000 0x45000 com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform (1.3.5) <9 8 7 6 5 4 3>
29 0 0xffffff7f80732000 0x4000 0x4000 com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons (1.3.5) <28 10 8 7 6 5 4 3 1>
32 0 0xffffff7f80771000 0x10000 0x10000 com.apple.driver.AppleUSBUHCI (4.1.5) <31 9 7 5 4 3 1>
37 0 0xffffff7f807a4000 0x16000 0x16000 com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEHCI (4.1.7) <31 9 7 5 4 3 1>
********** Processor CST/PST loaded:
| | | "CSTInfo" = 19136773
********** System Type declared:
| "system-type" = <03>
********** CPU/Bus frequency:
hw.cpufrequency = 2830000000
hw.cpufrequency: 2830000000
hw.cpufrequency_min: 2830000000
hw.cpufrequency_max: 2830000000
hw.busfrequency = 1332000000
hw.busfrequency: 1332000000
hw.busfrequency_min: 1332000000
hw.busfrequency_max: 1332000000
It appears that all needed system kexts are loaded.
EDIT: Of course, RestartFix=Yes still remains in com.apple.Boot.plist!