I've purchased the new wired Apple keyboard, but when using Boot Camp, holding down the Option key during startup does not bring me to the OS selection screen. Also, it seems that the computer restarts to whatever OS I ran last instead of my default selection of Mac OS X. Any ideas?
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Restarting with Boot Camp?
- Thread starter Gryfon19
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What do you mean it doesn't work "when using Boot Camp"? The Option key is a firmware feature, not a Boot Camp feature. You hold it as soon as you switch the computer on, before anything loads.
If you can't get Option to work, then it's worth giving your keyboard a quick test. Set OS X as the default (in Startup Disk) then reboot while holding Cmd-S. If your keyboard is working then it should drop you into a Unix terminal (type "reboot" to get back out of it).
If you can't get Option to work, then it's worth giving your keyboard a quick test. Set OS X as the default (in Startup Disk) then reboot while holding Cmd-S. If your keyboard is working then it should drop you into a Unix terminal (type "reboot" to get back out of it).
"Using Boot Camp" means that I've installed Boot Camp, Windows XP and it all is running smoothly with the exception of the startup. I have the new wired Apple keyboard and I'm starting to wonder if that has anything to do with it. I will try the Unix boot when I get home. I've also found that the computer boots into whatever OS was last booted, regardless of the fact that I have repeatedly set Mac OS X as the default boot and "locked" that choice. Thanks.
I'm a bit confused here. If your Option key isn't working, then how are you choosing an OS to boot without changing your default?
I think what the OP is saying is that when you restart from Windows, then hold down Option, it goes to OSX without giving you the boot screen. This is a bug on Apple's part. The boot screen only shows up when it's a fresh boot or when you restarted out of OSX.
What I'm saying is that when I hold down the Option key, it does not bring me to a screen for selecting which OS I want to boot. Also, the Unix attempt didn't work either.
In regards to default OS - I have repeatedly set Max OS X as my default Startup Disk, but the computer does not always do that. Instead, the computer (when I shut down or restart) boots into whatever OS I booted last. Meaning, if I was in Windows and shut down (despite Mac OS X set as default) then computer boots to Windows the next time I start it.
In regards to default OS - I have repeatedly set Max OS X as my default Startup Disk, but the computer does not always do that. Instead, the computer (when I shut down or restart) boots into whatever OS I booted last. Meaning, if I was in Windows and shut down (despite Mac OS X set as default) then computer boots to Windows the next time I start it.
There are 2 likely causes, the more probable is that you have the keyboard plugged into a hub, not all hubs are recognized by EFI. The other is the keyboard is defective.
The other obvious comment, you need to press option as soon as you hear the start chime.
The other obvious comment, you need to press option as soon as you hear the start chime.
If prior Mac keyboards are any indication, your keyboard likely has a built-in hub (allowing you to connect mice and other peripherals through your keyboard). The downside for you is that the keyboard electronics must also route through this hub. Still, I find it very hard to believe that Apple would include a non-EFI-compatible hub in any of their new keyboards.
As for a solution, I use rEFIt and it is excellent, though I suppose there is still a slight risk that you won't be able to actually use your keyboard in rEFIt as well. Either way, give it a shot, as it is far more convenient than having to use the control panel or option key to select your boot.
http://refit.sourceforge.net/#download
Apologies for bringing up an old thread, but I had this problem recently and solved it. As far as I'm concerned there's nothing wrong with HIS keyboard, just all the new aluminum thin keyboards in general. I recently had exactly the same problem, but I assumed that it was the fault of OSX Leopard, because i got them both around the same time.
With the release of OSX Leopard, or possibly the official release of bootcamp, I found an option in system preferences, and in bootcamp to select target disk mode when you restart, which I had to use to start into bootcamp because the option key wasn't working on boot up.
The problem I had was that when using parallels to run my bootcamp partition, it crashed and i had to ctrl-alt-esc it to death. I thought nothing more of it. Then a few days later I booted into boot camp using the target disk mode, and booted into a broken windows partition which was damaged from the crash. I was completely screwed - the mac was continuously trying to start into windows but the partition was dead, and I couldn't use option to select a partition. It wouldn't even recognise the OSX boot CD.
Eventually after calling customer service who had no idea, I just replaced this aluminium keyboard with my old clackety button one that shipped with macs 2 years ago, and it recognised the alt key absolutely fine, booted into OSX, turned on parallels, and the windows partition fixed itself. But it i hadn't had the old keyboard I wouldn't have been stuck in a never ending cycle of booting into a dead partition.
Fix the aluminium keyboard please, whatever's causing it.
With the release of OSX Leopard, or possibly the official release of bootcamp, I found an option in system preferences, and in bootcamp to select target disk mode when you restart, which I had to use to start into bootcamp because the option key wasn't working on boot up.
The problem I had was that when using parallels to run my bootcamp partition, it crashed and i had to ctrl-alt-esc it to death. I thought nothing more of it. Then a few days later I booted into boot camp using the target disk mode, and booted into a broken windows partition which was damaged from the crash. I was completely screwed - the mac was continuously trying to start into windows but the partition was dead, and I couldn't use option to select a partition. It wouldn't even recognise the OSX boot CD.
Eventually after calling customer service who had no idea, I just replaced this aluminium keyboard with my old clackety button one that shipped with macs 2 years ago, and it recognised the alt key absolutely fine, booted into OSX, turned on parallels, and the windows partition fixed itself. But it i hadn't had the old keyboard I wouldn't have been stuck in a never ending cycle of booting into a dead partition.
Fix the aluminium keyboard please, whatever's causing it.
I've not experienced a problem using the Al keyboard option key rebooting from either OS X or Windows either with the Al keyboard that came with my iMac or the one I bought for my MBP...
Get into windows and use the bootcamp manager to set the partition you want to use the most.
When you hear the chime, when you start up your iMac, wait until just about the end of the sound, then press and hold the option key.
Its something I notice with my MBP that if you dont do it just right it wont be recognised. I seriously doubt that the Alu keyboards are at fault for something that trivial, that would be a major overlook on Apples part. Im not saying its not possible but I think you get my drift with that!!
Hope you get it sorted!!!
When you hear the chime, when you start up your iMac, wait until just about the end of the sound, then press and hold the option key.
Its something I notice with my MBP that if you dont do it just right it wont be recognised. I seriously doubt that the Alu keyboards are at fault for something that trivial, that would be a major overlook on Apples part. Im not saying its not possible but I think you get my drift with that!!
Hope you get it sorted!!!
Believe me I've tried all sorts, holding from startup, holding after the chime etc, none of them work. It doens't bother me so much as I can just choose which partition I want before i restart, but when I was forced into booting into a broken windows partition, then it was an issue.