As requested by slooksterPSV!
What to do if it all goes wrong...
Keywords: OS X; startup; won't; boot; screen; funky; help...
Just a thought that occurred was that quite a few people have problems at startup. And Apple's keystrokes can often heal them. So, with a little help for the Apple official site and these forums, I've collected as many keystrokes for use at start-up if it all goes pear shaped. Hell - I know I'll need them one distant day in the future so I thought I may as well have an online copy. Feel free to add your own, and comments/ explanations. So here we go! Btw, I know I've nicked some from other people, so I do apologise, but I have tried to reference, so please don't flame me
NB: when it says "then" in some of the UNIX-based shortcuts (Open Firmware etc) don't type it. I know you won't though - you're not that stupid, otherwise you'd be reading "PC Rumors"!
When Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X are both installed on the same volume, you may press and hold the X key during startup to select Mac OS X.
All Apple computers other than servers come with both Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 installed on the same volume. The "volume" in this case is an unpartitioned hard disk. The "startup volume" is simply the volume that contains the active copy of the operating system. Startup Manager allows you to change the startup volume on the fly by pressing and holding the Option key during startup, but it only displays one operating system per volume. This means you cannot use it to switch between Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X in the default configuration. You could, however, use it to choose between your internal hard disk, a FireWire hard disk, and a CD-ROM disc.
When to use the X key instead of Startup Manager
Use the X key instead of the Startup Manager when these conditions exist:
? Both Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X are installed on the same volume (the default configuration).
? The computer last started up from Mac OS 9.
? You want to switch to Mac OS X during startup.
Follow these steps:
1. If the computer is shut down, press the power button. If it is on, restart it.
2. Immediately press and hold the X key. The computer starts up to a gray screen, then restarts again.
3. Release the X key after the computer restarts.
The computer starts up from Mac OS X. The Startup Disk setting is now changed to start up in Mac OS X. This differs from using Startup Manager, which does not save the preference change.
Press Option-Command-Shift-Delete
during startup
Bypass primary startup volume and seek a different startup volume (such as a CD or external disk)
-screen comes with graphic of arrow and restart-looking button. Hopefully your Mac's hard disk should be there too! Start-up discs also show.*
Press C during startup
Start up from a CD that has a system folder
Press N during startup
Attempt to start up from a compatible network server (NetBoot)
Press R during startup
Force PowerBook screen reset
Press T during startup
Start up in FireWire Target Disk mode
-
Press Shift during startup
start up in Safe Boot mode and temporarily disable login items and non-essential kernel extension files (Mac OS X 10.2 and later)
Press Command-V during startup
Start up in Verbose mode (console message).
-shows why computer is hanging
Press Command-S during startup
Start up in Single-User mode
-then fsck
-then sudo diskutil repair_permissions
-then sudo update_prebinding -root / -force
Hold down a key to choose what medium you can boot from. If you have a jump drive that holds over 1GB of even a Cards with at least 1GB on them or an ipod, install OS X (copy the CD onto one of those) on one of those and try to boot from them.
by slookster PSV
Hold down the left Shift key and the mouse button when you see the progress bar
Prevents automatic login
Press Option during startup
Select a startup disk (on some computers)
Press Command-. (period) during startup
Open the CD tray when selecting a startup disk (on some computers)
Hold down the Shift key when you see the progress bar
Prevent startup items from opening
Hold down the mouse button
Eject removable disks
Press Command-Option-P-R during startup
Reset Parameter RAM
Hold down the Shift key immediately after the startup tone, and release when you see the progress bar
Start up in Safe Mode
Press Command-Option-O-F during start-up
-goes into Open Firmware screen
-type these lines:
-reset-nvram
-set-defaults
-reset-all
clears NVRAM etc and restarts computer
by Nermal
-also to eject a CD (at a different time)
-eject-CD
-then mac-boot
by Poeben
*If you don't get an image of your Mac's hard disk on the screen, don't painic! When I had this problem, using my system discs that came with the computer, I repaired permissions on my faulty disk. It then appeared on this screen
Hope these work - if there are anymore feel free to submit them and I'll append them onto this - with references!
mofs
What to do if it all goes wrong...
Keywords: OS X; startup; won't; boot; screen; funky; help...
Just a thought that occurred was that quite a few people have problems at startup. And Apple's keystrokes can often heal them. So, with a little help for the Apple official site and these forums, I've collected as many keystrokes for use at start-up if it all goes pear shaped. Hell - I know I'll need them one distant day in the future so I thought I may as well have an online copy. Feel free to add your own, and comments/ explanations. So here we go! Btw, I know I've nicked some from other people, so I do apologise, but I have tried to reference, so please don't flame me
NB: when it says "then" in some of the UNIX-based shortcuts (Open Firmware etc) don't type it. I know you won't though - you're not that stupid, otherwise you'd be reading "PC Rumors"!
When Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X are both installed on the same volume, you may press and hold the X key during startup to select Mac OS X.
All Apple computers other than servers come with both Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 installed on the same volume. The "volume" in this case is an unpartitioned hard disk. The "startup volume" is simply the volume that contains the active copy of the operating system. Startup Manager allows you to change the startup volume on the fly by pressing and holding the Option key during startup, but it only displays one operating system per volume. This means you cannot use it to switch between Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X in the default configuration. You could, however, use it to choose between your internal hard disk, a FireWire hard disk, and a CD-ROM disc.
When to use the X key instead of Startup Manager
Use the X key instead of the Startup Manager when these conditions exist:
? Both Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X are installed on the same volume (the default configuration).
? The computer last started up from Mac OS 9.
? You want to switch to Mac OS X during startup.
Follow these steps:
1. If the computer is shut down, press the power button. If it is on, restart it.
2. Immediately press and hold the X key. The computer starts up to a gray screen, then restarts again.
3. Release the X key after the computer restarts.
The computer starts up from Mac OS X. The Startup Disk setting is now changed to start up in Mac OS X. This differs from using Startup Manager, which does not save the preference change.
Press Option-Command-Shift-Delete
during startup
Bypass primary startup volume and seek a different startup volume (such as a CD or external disk)
-screen comes with graphic of arrow and restart-looking button. Hopefully your Mac's hard disk should be there too! Start-up discs also show.*
Press C during startup
Start up from a CD that has a system folder
Press N during startup
Attempt to start up from a compatible network server (NetBoot)
Press R during startup
Force PowerBook screen reset
Press T during startup
Start up in FireWire Target Disk mode
-
Press Shift during startup
start up in Safe Boot mode and temporarily disable login items and non-essential kernel extension files (Mac OS X 10.2 and later)
Press Command-V during startup
Start up in Verbose mode (console message).
-shows why computer is hanging
Press Command-S during startup
Start up in Single-User mode
-then fsck
-then sudo diskutil repair_permissions
-then sudo update_prebinding -root / -force
Hold down a key to choose what medium you can boot from. If you have a jump drive that holds over 1GB of even a Cards with at least 1GB on them or an ipod, install OS X (copy the CD onto one of those) on one of those and try to boot from them.
by slookster PSV
Hold down the left Shift key and the mouse button when you see the progress bar
Prevents automatic login
Press Option during startup
Select a startup disk (on some computers)
Press Command-. (period) during startup
Open the CD tray when selecting a startup disk (on some computers)
Hold down the Shift key when you see the progress bar
Prevent startup items from opening
Hold down the mouse button
Eject removable disks
Press Command-Option-P-R during startup
Reset Parameter RAM
Hold down the Shift key immediately after the startup tone, and release when you see the progress bar
Start up in Safe Mode
Press Command-Option-O-F during start-up
-goes into Open Firmware screen
-type these lines:
-reset-nvram
-set-defaults
-reset-all
clears NVRAM etc and restarts computer
by Nermal
-also to eject a CD (at a different time)
-eject-CD
-then mac-boot
by Poeben
*If you don't get an image of your Mac's hard disk on the screen, don't painic! When I had this problem, using my system discs that came with the computer, I repaired permissions on my faulty disk. It then appeared on this screen
Hope these work - if there are anymore feel free to submit them and I'll append them onto this - with references!
mofs
