Boot Camp startup disk choice not "sticking"

[Demigod Mac]

Mac Pro 3.33 here,

This is a problem I had on my Macbook Pro before, which mysteriously resolved itself.

From the Windows Boot Camp control panel, my choice of operating system won't "stick". Even if I try to switch to OS X, it'll still boot up Windows again. I have to hold the option key and switch at startup to get back to OS X. The OS X startup disk panel works normally.

Tried reinstalling the Boot Camp software and resetting the PRAM. No dice!

 

[lannister80]

Mac Pro 3.33 here,

This is a problem I had on my Macbook Pro before, which mysteriously resolved itself.

From the Windows Boot Camp control panel, my choice of operating system won't "stick". Even if I try to switch to OS X, it'll still boot up Windows again. I have to hold the option key and switch at startup to get back to OS X. The OS X startup disk panel works normally.

Tried reinstalling the Boot Camp software and resetting the PRAM. No dice!

I have the exact same problem on my 2008 2.8 Octo, but in reverse. The Mac will ALWAYS boot into OS X unless I hold down the option key (or C key). ALWAYS! No matte what I set as the boot disk in the OS X Startup Disk control panel, it always boots to OS X.

Installing Windows 7 and the computer reboots itself to finish the job? Boots into OS X.

I'm also unable to install the firmware update for my 2008 Octo. I get the beep/flashing LED while holding down the power button, but it'll ALWAYS just do the "gong" POST tone and boot up like normal. They must be related.

Maybe EFI isn't checking some setting when it boots, and always boots to the default? Which also means EFI will never run the firmware update correctly?

 

[cured.not.dried]

i have this problem occasionally, also.

if i shut the computer down in windoze without rebooting into Mac OS beforehand, it'll boot into windoze on the next boot regardless of which OS i have set.

often when i hold down option at startup, the mac os drive won't appear. but then when i finish booting windoze, it'll allow me to reboot in os x.

i've already run disk repair programs, checked S.M.A.R.T. status and whatnot, and that doesn't seem to be the culprit.

this problem seemed to alleviate itself once i installed bootcamp 3.1 (which has drivers for windoze to read Mac OS Extended (Journaled) drive formats).