2010 iMac with Windows 8 boots only into Windows

Krafcik · Dec 29, 2012

I recently installed Windows 8 via bootcamp on my 2010 imac.

The Imac has the most recent version of OS downloaded via itunes. I do have the snow lepoard disc, but when i tried it while booted in Windows it tells me it will only run on Windows xp.

Trackpad works fine in the Windows boot up, but the wireless mac keyboard does not. I've plugged in a usb keyboard and held down ALT and it still boots to windows. I've also booted with lepoard disc in the drive and it still boots to windows.

how do i get back to Mac?

When I go to my computer in Windows and Control Panel, I don't see the Mac partition or Boot Camp.

MaxBurn · Dec 29, 2012

That isn't a good sign, not being able to see the other drives.

Did you install the bootcamp drivers? If you did there should be an app tray item that looks like a gray diamond for bootcamp options. I have to use that to get back to the mac partition.

Krafcik · Dec 29, 2012

MaxBurn said:
That isn't a good sign, not being able to see the other drives.

Did you install the bootcamp drivers? If you did there should be an app tray item that looks like a gray diamond for bootcamp options. I have to use that to get back to the mac partition.

Where and how do i install the bootcamp drivers?

monkeybagel · Dec 30, 2012

How exactly did you install Windows 8? Did you follow the instructions as if you were installing Windows 7?

When you got to the point where you were supposed to format the BOOTCAMP partition to NTFS, did you format that partition and ONLY that partition, or did you do more?

Also, do you have anything in Windows 8 you need to keep? It sounds like you may need to do a destructive format and installation of OS X if you want to use that again. That would involve booting from the Snow Leopard DVD and clearing the hard disk and reinstalling Snow Leopard. Then you would need to update it to the most recent version of Snow Leopard (10.6.8) and then visit the Mac App Store and reinstall Mountain Lion from there.

Do you have a Time Machine backup of OS X before you did the Windows 8 install?

Krafcik · Dec 30, 2012

I don't mind doing a format and time machine restore. I can't get the imac to boot off the snow lepoard disc though. How do i do that while using a windows keyboard?

monkeybagel said:
How exactly did you install Windows 8? Did you follow the instructions as if you were installing Windows 7?

When you got to the point where you were supposed to format the BOOTCAMP partition to NTFS, did you format that partition and ONLY that partition, or did you do more?

Also, do you have anything in Windows 8 you need to keep? It sounds like you may need to do a destructive format and installation of OS X if you want to use that again. That would involve booting from the Snow Leopard DVD and clearing the hard disk and reinstalling Snow Leopard. Then you would need to update it to the most recent version of Snow Leopard (10.6.8) and then visit the Mac App Store and reinstall Mountain Lion from there.

Do you have a Time Machine backup of OS X before you did the Windows 8 install?

monkeybagel · Dec 30, 2012

Krafcik said:
I don't mind doing a format and time machine restore. I can't get the imac to boot off the snow lepoard disc though. How do i do that while using a windows keyboard?

Alt is the same as Option on that keyboard. If you hold Alt during the startup chime you should have the option to boot from the DVD. Also, holding the "C" key during the startup chime should initiate a. boot from DVD.

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2010 iMac with Windows 8 boots only into Windows

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