I need the option key to start my mac but It wont work! help!?

About a year ago I downloaded some program to make windows work on my mac. Recently I uninstalled it because I no longer needed it. The only thing was everytime I restarted my mac it brought me to a black screen and told me to insert a bootable disc. I looked up the problem and people told me that if I hold the option key when my mac make the chime sound I could select my hard drive. Well this worked fine for a while. But then suddenly my z key stopped working so I restarted my mac. And it turns out my option key wont work as well. So I can't boot up my mac. Does anyone have any suggestions?
I tryed using my pc keyboard but it didn't work...

Try holding the X key instead of the Option key. If that works, once you're in Mac OS X, goto System Preferences/Startup Disk and select your hard drive then hit restart. That should solve your startup problems. You'll still need to resolve your Z and Option key problem but at least the startup should work.

Similar Messages

  • Why my Startup Manager does not appear when I hold the Option key when starting to boot.

    I no longer have the Startup Manager appearing when I hold the Option key when starting to boot.
    Instead, the system just boots into whichever OS was last selected in the Startup Disk Preference.
    How to get back my Startup Manager so that I can boot up from my external hard disk.
    Thank you.

    Can you please run the following in terminal and post the output in your reply:
    diskutil list; echo; nvram -p | grep boot-args; echo

  • My ipod 4 Generation wont start. I have tried the hold lock button and home button but it wont work. any ideas?

    My ipod 4 Generation wont start. I have tried the hold lock button and home button but it wont work. any ideas?

    Try holding the buttons longer--at least a minute or until you see the Apple logo light up.
    Basic troubleshooting steps  
    17" 2.2GHz i7 Quad-Core MacBook Pro  8G RAM  750G HD + OCZ Vertex 3 SSD Boot HD 
    Got problems with your Apple iDevice-like iPhone, iPad or iPod touch? Try Troubleshooting 101
     In Memory of Steve Jobs 

  • I have just come back from morocco where my phone worked ok using the morroco network, but since returning to the uk I can't get it to pick up a signal from the 'Three' network, have tried resetting etc but still wont work, any suggestions

    I have just come back from morocco where my phone worked ok using the morroco network, but since returning to the uk I can't get it to pick up a signal from the 'Three' network, have tried resetting etc but still wont work, any suggestions

    banannaphone,
    Welcome to Apple Discussions.
    Quit Safari, find the com.apple.Safari.plist file in your Macintosh HD/Users/yourusername/Library/Preferences Folder, drag it to the Desktop, log out/in or restart and let us know what happens.
    ;~)

  • I need to buy a new charger for my iPad 2 as the original one has broken what do I need to look at I just need the lead I've tried a few but they not working what is the correct one I need please thanks

    Hi can anyone help please I need a new charger for my iPad 2 as the original lead that came with it has broken can anyone tell me where I can get one from and what is it I'm looking for as I have tried loads and they not working thanks

    This one is good:
    http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD836LL/A/apple-12w-usb-power-adapter

  • My ipod touch is still under warranty but the screen has been cracked for about 1month but the wifi has recently started to play up and wont work will apple cover this and give me a refurbished one whern i go to my appointment at the genius bar??

    my ipod touch is still under warranty but the screen cracked about 1 month ago and just yesterday my wifi on my ipod isw playing up and not working very well will apple give me a new one at my genius appointment?

    Very likely not.   A bvroken screen is not covered by the warranty. It also shows abuse aht voaid the warranty for the entire iPod.  Howecver, sometimes the Genius will exchange it at no cost. Otherwise yu will have to pay $99, $149 or $%199 depending upon the capacity,

  • My AppleCare protection plan wont register. I enter the number given and the correct serial number for my macbook but it wont work.

    I have entered the correct registration number for protection plan and the correct serail number but it fails. I am outside calling hours (as I dont have protectionplan lol) and am eager to get it up and running.

    Call AppleCare during regular hours and they'll register it for you. In the meantime, there is nothing for you to "get up and running" except your computer, and you don't need to register AppleCare to do that.

  • HT5318 i have been trying to download the newest itunes to run my iphone, and it wont work help

    im trying to upgrade my itunes and it just wont work

    many thanks.
    I'd first try downloading an installer from the Apple website using a different web browser:
    http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
    If you use Firefox instead of IE for the download (or vice versa), do you get a working installer?

  • Start with the Option key down - Which port to connect the keyboard?

    When I need to start my Mac with the Option key down in order to select a boot volume, I have noticed that the system ignores the Option key press and boots into a previous boot volume if a USB keyboard is plugged into an external USB hub. That's understandable because the boot sequence may not detect the keyboard on the external USB bus fast enough for the system to recognize the Option key press.
    My Mac will always recognize the Option key press at a boot time if the USB keyboard is plugged into a USB port on the Mac.
    I want to know what if the boot sequence will detect the keyboard +soon enough+ to recognize the Option key press if the keyboard is connected to a USB port on a PCIe USB expansion card.
    If you know the answer, please let me know because, if the answer is no, I would not want to invest money into an expansion card.

    Even if it doesn't work with the card, you can plug the keyboard into a built-in port and use the card's ports for other USB devices. The total number of USB ports would be the same.

  • When I restart my computer and hold the option key after creating a bootable usb with windows 7 and partitioning only the original partition shows up. Not the windows one or the bootable usb.

         Okay so first things first this isn't the newest macbook pro. When I open about my mac and go to system report it says it is a Macbook Pro 3,1 and the Boot Rom Version say MBP31.0070.B07. Originally when starting up Boot Camp Assistant there where only two options, the "create windows 7 bootable usb" was not there at all. So after some editing and helpful tutorials I was able to get the option show up and created a bootable usb with windows 7 and downloaded the support software onto a separate flash drive. Finally I did the last step and created a second partition for windows. Once the process is complete my computer automatically restarts.
         This is where the problem is. Once my computer makes the booting up sound it doesn't load up windows it gets stuck on a apple logo as if it's trying to reastart normally and can't. So I shut down and this time I hold down the option key during start up. It brings up the main partition and some recovery thing but no windows partiton and no bootable usb.
         I forgot to mention that I am running OS X 10.9.3. Okay any body want to help me out? Iv'e been at this for hours and can't get an inch closer to having windows. Please and thank you!
    P.S. If I missed a discussion that answer my question just point me to it. Iv'e been looking for a while, but who knows i might have missed one.

    The only known way to make it work on an external drive is by first installing Windows onto an internal drive, then cloning the install to an external Thunderbolt drive. Thunderbolt is seen as an extension of the internal bus, so Windows doesn't see it as an external device.

  • How do I tell if the option key is down?

    I want to detect whether the option key is being held down while the gui is setting up (the option key, only appearing on macs, is roughly equivalent to the 'alt' key).
    I am not having any particular events fired at this time, that I know of. How can I detect this? I searched the API and other documentation -- there was a lot of stuff on keys becoming pressed or released (which can be represented by a java.swing.KeyStroke), but I couldn't find anything to just ask whether a given key was down at a given moment. You see, the option key could very well have been held before java even started, let alone before I am ready to ask the question...

    Found it, I think
        e.isControlDown()

  • Problems with using Option key when starting up

    I have 3 internal drives using a PCI card (2 slots) that allows me to use large drives with more capacity than stock allowance on my G4 Quicksilver 867 mhz 1.5 GB RAM tower.
    All drives are Seagate Baracudas ATA: 2-400GBs and 1-200GB. I bought the 400s at the same time.
    My main drive has OSX 10.4.11 (#1), and it is backed up to Baracuda #2 (400GB) which is a slave to my Main drive (using SuperDuper All files for a mirror bootable copy). The 3rd drive has Leopard 10.5.1 for learning and trying Leopard.
    On the second PCI slot is the smaller 200GB Baracuda.
    After backing up using SuperDuper (Main to #2) as a mirror, I see #2 in the Apple > Prefs > Start Up Disk.
    After the first backup I can see all 3 drives when using Option key at startup, but instead of seeing the names of each drive under the normal hard disk icons, #2 has a SCSI icon underneath the hard drive icon, it's name (Mac BU) is missing and I can't start up to it. The other #1 and #3 looked as expected. I chose #1, it launched, fine.
    On second backup, #2 is still in Prefs > Start up Disk panel, but this time doesn't show up on when using the Option key at start up. I have replicated this, but erasing #2, rebacking up twice.
    With only the #1 and #3 drives showing at start up with Option key and #1 selected in the Start up Disk panel, I chose #3 (Leopard) in the Option window view, and my G4 froze at the gray apple screen. I hard shut downed, powered up and the G4 defaulted to Main (10.4.11)
    I selected #3 Leopard in Prefs > Start Up Disk, restarted OK.
    I restarted with the Option key (only #1 and #3 show) and now my main drive didn't have it's name only the SCSI icon under the normal hard disk icon like #3 was doing. UGH!
    Nervously, I chose #3 with Leopard and the G4 started up to it OK.
    I then reselected my Main #1 drive in the Start Up Disk panel, restarted to #1 OK.
    OK, problems summary:
    1) I can't use SuperDuper to create a blessed bootable #2 drive at Option start up, but I mention this for more info about a possible problem at Option startup, more than I want comment on SuperDuper potential bug / conflict.
    2) I didn't try choosing #3 in the Start Up Disk panel, as I was affraid the G4 would freeze and then I might not be able to select either of the other #1 or #3 at Option start up as something is wrong with using Option key start up, and #3 would have been selected in Start Up Panel, which I was afraid I might not be able to get to again.
    2) When I start up either of #1 or #3, I get momentary black screens after the gray apple screen at Option key start up and then again after the apple progress bar. This doesn't happen when I start up directly either drive when the drives are selected using the Start Up Disk panel
    When using the Option startup, I am experiencing the above problems.
    Whew, I know, but does anyone have any input and fixes?
    Thanks, in advance,
    Steven

    Hi Dave.
    Well... good news / bad news
    Turns out, I have an Acard 6280M and have 3 drives connected to it as mentioned (#1 & 2 are mirrored using SuperDuper with 10.5.1, #3 is a clean install off a new Apple OSX disk 10.5, then updated to 10.5.1)
    I also have a Firewire external drive, that I used SuperDuper to make it a mirror of #1, using the same procedure backing up #1 to #2, to test SuperDuper.
    The firmware update directions tells you to start up off a drive not on the PCI card, I used #4.
    While running off #1, I selected #4 in the Start Up disk pref and it booted OK! This seems to rule out SuperDuper being the problem - of creating a mirror from #1 to #2 (both on the Acard) and then not seeing #2 in the Option key boot screen.
    I applied the firmware, which directs you to first update the Acard driver to 2.06, which is included in the folder with the firmware updater.
    I did this and then applied the firmware updater.
    I then applied the driver upgrade to drives #1 and #2 (10.4.11) while running off #4. I did not apply the driver update to #3 (10.5.1) and restarted, using Option key.
    All 4 drives appeared successfully on screen as expected with their names!
    Then I selected each drive one by one:
    #1 = kernal panic. Hard shut down, used Option key again
    #2 = kernal panic, same as #1
    #3 = froze at gray Apple screen - no spinning gear. Hard shut down.
    Tthankfully, left Start Up disk pref to be #4 external and on restart, let the system boot off without going to the Option screen. #4 booted OK. Whew...
    So all 3 drives on the Acard, won't boot. I was concerned it was the 2.06 driver, but since it wasn't applied to #3 Leopard drive, I'm assuming the firmware is the issue and perhaps not compatible with 10.4.11 or 10.5.1?
    Two things I've not tried:
    1) With #4 selected in Sys Prefs, then using Option key and selecting #4 there too to see if using the Option key selector is a problem too.
    2) Selecting any of #1, #2, or #3 drives in Sys Prefs and restarting without Option key selector.
    My fear is that if my last working drive #4 isn't the default drive set in Sys Prefs, if Acard isn't the problem alone and there is also a problem selecting any drive using the Option key - even #4, then if #4 isn't the default and all 3 Acard drives panic on regular boot (non-Option key) and I have to hard restart, will keep defaulting to whatever drive I set in the Sys Prefs and not be able to get back to #4.
    Should I just go to my local computer store and see if they have a newer model PCI card and trash my existing one as I may have ruined it with the firmware updater?
    Thoughts?

  • My computer won't open up in windows when i hold down the option key

    I have restarted my computer holding down the option key to start windows and it opens up as mac os

    Did you create a Bootcamp partition? Did you install Windows? Holding the option key while booting does not start Windows it shows a boot menu where you can select the operating system to boot.

  • Muse tutorial katie cafe (3of7 @5:50) the options key = windows what?

    muse tutorial katie cafe (3of7 @5:50) says I shoud use the options key to copy a section but as I don't use a Mac... what is the windows key for this?

    On Windows you need to use the Alt key.
    Cheers,
    Vikas

  • "Option" key does not give Mac and Windows options on a MacBook

    I own a MacBook Pro and a MacBook.
    Holding the "option" key on my MacBook Pro gives me both operating systems as options at start up.
    However, on my MacBook, I only get the Mac OS option. I have called Apple Support, and they have said to erase and start over, which I have done, to no avail. The same problem continues.
    Other than not having the choice of operating system while pushing the option key at start up, everything works fine when I boot to and from the operating systems via system preferences and boot camp manager.
    Any thoughts and/or advice is greatly appreciated?
    It seems as if this is a MacBook only problem.

    To access NTFS Windows from your MAC OS via Bootcamp, use this software:
    http://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/
    To access Mac from your Windows via Bootcamp, use this software:
    http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive/bootcamp/

Maybe you are looking for