Startup Manager (Option key boot)

I have a working multi boot flash drive. It has the install dvds for 10.5 & 10.6. I have tested the flash drive on a bunch of Macs and it works fine. When I boot my iMac and hold down the option key. It will not show the flash drive as boot devices. It only shows the OS X HD.
Some facts
I did a fresh install of OS X 10.6 (wipe the HD)
I used to have bootcamp installed and running.
Thanks in advance

cdcooper wrote:
I have already run the permission repairs. No Dice
What exactly do you mean by that? Do you get errors or are the buttons grayed out?
Also, what build number shows when you use the flash drive to successfully start up another Mac? It it at least the same or later than the one your iMac requires?
Message was edited by: R C-R

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HT1310 Startup manager (Option key while start up)

Hey I have Black MacBook with 10.7.3 in it.. when i press alt/option while starting the laptop the startup manager wont come and OS X boots.. plz help..

While we all have MacBooks in this forum most of us don’t run Lion. There's a Lion Support Community where everybody has Lion. You should also post this question there to increase your chances of getting an answer. https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os/mac_os_x_v10.7_lion

Startup manager (option key while bootup)

Hey I have Black MacBook with 10.7.3 in it.. when i press alt/option while starting the laptop the startup manager wont come and OS X boots.. plz help..
I want to boot from my Live Disc with Backtrack (Linux distro) installed on it..

Is the CD/DVD bootable? If not, you won't be able to boot from it regardless. It won't show in choices using Alt/Option or if you press 'C' at the boot chime.

Mac Book Does Not See XP as Option On Startup with 'Option' Key

After successful install of XP Pro, my Mac Book only shows the Mac HD on startup when I hold down the 'Option' key. Per instructions, this procedure is suppose to show both the Mac & Windows HDs and allow a choice at startup. Ant ideas how to fix?

Hatter:
I now have a premise for this problem. I used an XP install disc that I received with a Compaq laptop that I purchased last year. HP/Compaq often write their own information to the boot section upon install of the operating system. If this happened when I installed XP from the Compaq disc then this HP/Compaq boot information may be interfering with the XP boot being seen at startup when the option key is pressed.
To prove this premise I need to know if you installed XP from a disc provide by an OEM under their brand such as HP. If so then we can conclude that the premise stated above is correct and that the solution would be to install a clean version of XP from MS.
Can you help?

Startup with option key doesnt work; now I'm stuck a startup cd

Background: I wanted to defrag my hard drive. I tried to start up from a Norton SystemsWorks cd (using the option key). That didn't work, so I (stupidly!!!!) used the control panel to change the startup disk to the Norton CD.
Result:
1) I'm stuck. I cannot reboot from the hard drive or an external drive. The Norton CD has become a permanent default for startup. Under Norton, there is no access to the startup control panel. I cannot override it. Starting up using the option key doesn't work, nor do any other startup keystrokes I've tried. The CD overrides everything.
I cannot eject the CD. Tried holding down the mouse key and everything else I could think of, but those tricks don't seem to work when the disk is in use--which it always is because it's the startup disk.
Most annoying: The flat screen G4 has no manual mechanism for ejecting the CD!!! (ie, no little hole to inert a paper clip).
Any suggestions before I reach for a hammer?

Have you looked at this?
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/en/mh1750.html
Once you get this disk ejected, don't ever ever use any Norton maintenance utility on a Mac! It's an almost universally held opinion of users here.
Regards,
Steve M.

Disk utility on startup using (option key) is locked

When trying to restore Macbook air disk utility dose not work. I start up using the command+R and the option key and at every time it goes straight to a big lock asking for some password I have no clue of. Please help! I cant get into disk utility to restore. the lock looks like this. Is there any type of password?

You need to supply the computer's firmware password. If you don't know and can't get it, contact Apple.
(85266)

Bootcamp partition fully bootable within VMWare, but not showing up in startup with option key - nor does it work when selecting target startup disk

Hey all,
Today I resized my OSX partition with the intention of leaving it blank for my new SSD to use as over provisioning space. This resulted in me having 5 partitions on the drive for a short while (which may have caused the issue?). Hereafter, the Windows 8 partition was stopped showing up when pressing option on startup. I opened my bootcamp partition in VMWare Fusion and could was told the drive was unbootable. I used the Windows 8 cd in through VMWare Fusion to run the Auto Repair from the installation CD (probably MBR records and BCD records etc). Then VMWare was able to fully boot my Windows 8 installation without any problem. However, I am still not able to actually boot into my Windows 8 installation as it doesn't show up at startup, and when chosen as target start disk within OSX the computer just hangs on startup before it reboots.
I am considering the possibility of some mis-sync between the GPT tables OSX is using and the MBR records used by Windows 8... I have run a few commands and gotten the following response:
sudo fdisk /dev/disk0:
Disk: /dev/disk0
geometry: 62260/255/63 [1000215216 sectors]
Signature: 0xAA55
         Starting       Ending
#: id cyl hd sec - cyl hd sec [     start -       size]
1: EE 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [         1 -     409639] <Unknown ID>
2: AF 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [    409640 - 725443856] HFS+
3: AB 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 725853496 -    1269536] Darwin Boot
4: 0C 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 840058920 - 159894112] Win95 FAT32L
sudo gpt -r -vv show /dev/rdisk0
gpt show: /dev/rdisk0: mediasize=512110190592; sectorsize=512; blocks=1000215216
gpt show: /dev/rdisk0: Suspicious MBR at sector 0
gpt show: /dev/rdisk0: Pri GPT at sector 1
gpt show: /dev/rdisk0: Sec GPT at sector 1000215215
       start        size index contents
           0           1         MBR
           1           1         Pri GPT header
           2          32         Pri GPT table
          34           6
          40      409600      1 GPT part - C12A7328-F81F-11D2-BA4B-00A0C93EC93B
      409640   725443856      2 GPT part - 48465300-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC
   725853496     1269536      3 GPT part - 426F6F74-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC
   727123032   112935888
   840058920   159894112      4 GPT part - EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7
   999953032      262151
1000215183          32         Sec GPT table
1000215215           1         Sec GPT header
I can confirm that partition 4 is indeed my windows 8 installation.
When I run the validation test within gdisk i get:
Warning: Devices opened with shared lock will not have their
partition table automatically reloaded!
Partition table scan:
MBR: hybrid
BSD: not present
APM: not present
GPT: present
Found valid GPT with hybrid MBR; using GPT.
No problems found. 113198045 free sectors (54.0 GiB) available in 3
segments, the largest of which is 112935888 (53.9 GiB) in size.
I am have hit a wall in regards to this issue. Why can I boot from my bootcamp partition using VMWare, but not directly from it like when I restart my computer?

Okay solution found found a solution finally... i followed the steps outlined in this article: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4144252?start=0&tstart=0 . After i did this my windows bootcamp partition showed up again, but my osx and osx recovery disks became unbootable. Luckily I have an extra enternal harddrive with osx installed on, so ran disk utility and repaired the affected disk where osx had become unavailable. Then rebooted and all disks now shows up and work perfectly again.

Option key boot error

I run 10.9 on eight differnt devices - iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air ...
A strange problem apears if you try to boot with option(alt) key.
After that you could selcet your Network/WLAN or you have to fill in your Firmware-PW.
In every case: 10.9 denied your PW.
Reboot normal, try to access your WLAN - it works. The PW is vaild!
But 10.9. reject any valid PW.
Thats a really frustrating BUG.

Hi there,
i can imagine your frustration and have exactly the same problem!! disk error after installing windows with boot camp and not possible to eject the disk anymore. visual circle. imac broken?
currently waiting for assistance from mac..
please let me know how you solved this!
thanks.

Startup Manager is not working

The startup manager doesn't boot when I start the computer while holding the option key. Even if there are no other volumes connected, it still doesn't show the startup manager screen (just main startup disk and recovery).
I recently just reinstalled the OS via recovery mode (other unrelated problem, no biggie). I made a bootable clone with Carbon Copy Cloner, to a bare harddrive of same capacity via a FW800 dock. Booting with the clone via System Preferences isn't a problem. But the Start + Option route doesn't work.
I'm thinking it's the graphics card that I have, a GTX 680 (not flashed for Mac). Because the card hasn't been flashed I don't get the gray screen with Apple logo screen, it goes straight to the Login Page. Not a problem for me, but maybe this is the reason?
Specs:
Mac Pro 5,1 2.4 GHz 12 core
GTX 680 - latest Nvidia Web Driver and CUDA Driver
10.8.5 - all updated
Thanks

Try downloading the HP Support Assistant and running it. It should be able to detect any missing drivers for you.
-------------How do I give Kudos? | How do I mark a post as Solved? --------------------------------------------------------

What's happening on my iMac? There are two choices of selected start up disks appearance without hold down option key. On the other hand, it start up normally show apple picture when I hold option key.

There are two choices of selected start up disks:Main HD and Recovery HD, appearance without hold down option key. On the other hand, it start up normally show apple picture when I hold option key.

Hi artdiva28
Welcome to Apple Discussions
First go to *System Preferences > Startup Disk* > select the *Mac OS X 10.5. on Macintosh HD* > click the Lock > hit the Restart button.
Then if the iMac is still having trouble starting up, insert your Install Disk and restart holding the Option key. In Startup Manager select the Install Disk and boot into it, choose your language, skip the Installer and go up on the menu bar to Utilities and open Disk Utility. In Disk Utility select your Macintosh HD and hit the Repair button. Once finished note any errors and what was repaired for future reference. Quit Disk Utility and restart once again holding the Option key boot back into the Macintosh HD and eject the Install Disk.
Also see > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2956
Dennis

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?

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

Macbook pro stuck boots to "no bootable device found insert boot disk and press any key macbook," and at the same time, booting to the Startup Manager (holding option while booting) will not work either.

Not only will holding Option while booting not work, but all of the other boot tricks (safe mode, single user mode, etc), will not work. I am at a loss. I also don't have an optical drive in this particular MBP. I have an SSD where it once was.

I know you have tried other booting types, but have you tried booting into recovery mode? Cmd+R or internet recovery? By any chance have you recently deleted/resized/changed format to a partition? Even if it was not the main one? Have you installed third party applications that could have messed up your system files? Or some sort of RAID software, Fusion Drive etc.? All of this info will help us to pinpoint your issue quicker and help you. Any change you noticed before this happened (even if it seems small), that you consider worth telling us would be greatly appreciated.
Also, do you have access to another Mac besides this one(preferably)? Or do you have access to a Windows computer (7 or 8 preferably)?
Do you hear the chime before the message appears?

I partitioned my MacBook Pro and installed Windows 8 in it.....now I can't find my partition when I pressed option key when booting up.....so how can I do to find the partition to boot...I can see it in the disk manager in Mac....any ideas? thanks..!..

I partitioned my MacBook Pro and installed Windows 8 in it.....now I can't find my partition when I pressed option key when booting up.....so how can I do to find the partition to boot...I can see it in the disk manager in Mac....any ideas? thanks..!..

Hi LamboMong,
just try this:
http://refit.sourceforge.net
install, reboot twice and choose the Windows-Partition on next startup.
(The apple-bootloader doesn't display all bootable harddisks.
With rEFIt you can boot from all partitions/harddisks on your computer.)
I hope that will solve your problem.
Daniel Fernau

Make startup manager load by default on startup (rather than option key)

I have a macbook pro 13' (late 2010 version) i am running Lion and i have windows 7 proffesional using boot camp.
When i boot up my mac it loads Lion by default.
I understand that to switch between the two i have to hold the option key on startup, i am then prompted for my password, and after entering it i get to the startup manager which displays the startup disks available.
I would like to know if there is a way of getting my mac to run the startup manager (with password) by default when i boot it, rather than choose one of the installed os.
Thanks in advance.
Gaz

No. However, you can install a third-party bootloader if you're willing to try it: rEFIt.
If you do this then you need to know that Boot Camp Assistant will no longer be able to manage the Windows partition.

Startup Manager (Option key boot)

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