Boot issue after installing Boot Camp

[PieTunes]

I hope someone can shed some light on a seemingly weird issue. I recently got a 2010 Mac Pro and decided to set up Boot Camp and Windows 8.1 on a separate hard drive that I popped in. Started Boot Camp Assistant in El Capitan and went through the process just fine. Got into Windows, downloaded updates, rebooted, installed more updates, rebooted, etc. Everything is going good.

Then I decide to boot into OS X and then the machine restarts. Chime sounds, screen is white, but shows a crossed out circle. I mutter bad words to myself, and after several seconds, the crossed out circle changes to the Apple logo with the bar filling up. Gets into OS X just fine. I figured that was weird, so I logged in and restarted. Crossed out circle pops up again, and after several seconds, shows the Apple logo and loads up fine.

In OS X I check Startup Disk under Preferences and there are two drives listed, OS X and BOOTCAMP, both of which are ghosted out. I select OS X and save the changes. But after rebooting again, the machine does the same weird boot sequence again and Startup Disk preferences won't "save" whatever disk I select. I mean it's not like I can't boot into whatever OS I want, I can, it just is weird that this crossed out circle pops up and stays there for several seconds before eventually deciding to boot OS X. Any ideas what could be going on here or how I can rectify this? If additional details are needed, let me know, thank you.

 

[haralds]

I hope someone can shed some light on a seemingly weird issue. I recently got a 2010 Mac Pro and decided to set up Boot Camp and Windows 8.1 on a separate hard drive that I popped in. Started Boot Camp Assistant in El Capitan and went through the process just fine. Got into Windows, downloaded updates, rebooted, installed more updates, rebooted, etc. Everything is going good.

Then I decide to boot into OS X and then the machine restarts. Chime sounds, screen is white, but shows a crossed out circle. I mutter bad words to myself, and after several seconds, the crossed out circle changes to the Apple logo with the bar filling up. Gets into OS X just fine. I figured that was weird, so I logged in and restarted. Crossed out circle pops up again, and after several seconds, shows the Apple logo and loads up fine.

In OS X I check Startup Disk under Preferences and there are two drives listed, OS X and BOOTCAMP, both of which are ghosted out. I select OS X and save the changes. But after rebooting again, the machine does the same weird boot sequence again and Startup Disk preferences won't "save" whatever disk I select. I mean it's not like I can't boot into whatever OS I want, I can, it just is weird that this crossed out circle pops up and stays there for several seconds before eventually deciding to boot OS X. Any ideas what could be going on here or how I can rectify this? If additional details are needed, let me know, thank you.

If you can get into the Recovery Partition (CMD-R, or Option boot and select,) run the Disk Utility there and repair the disk. Windows mucked with the boot sectors or other partition info.

 

[PieTunes]

If you can get into the Recovery Partition (CMD-R, or Option boot and select,) run the Disk Utility there and repair the disk. Windows mucked with the boot sectors or other partition info.

I booted into the recovery utility and ran first aid on my disks and volumes. Everything checked out fine. I'm going to try different boot up methods (option key at boot, changing startup disk in OS X, etc) for both operating systems and see if I can narrow down what conditions cause this crossed out circle to come up.

 

[filmak]

If the drive icons are "ghosted" (in Startup Disk under Preferences) you have to unlock the locker down left, enter your password and after this you can select your startup drive.

Also try to remove temporarily the win 8.1 hd drive and see how it goes.

 

[PieTunes]

I know about the lock thing, when I say ghosted out I mean that none of the two drives showing are at "full color", they are kind of grayed out. When a drive is selected then that drive is colored in and the text below says that Macintosh HD will be used for startup. On the times when I get the crossed out circle at boot up and it eventually goes into OS X, I go back to the startup disk preference and both drives are grayed out without any text saying a drive is selected. I'll play around more and see what I can narrow down, and as you suggested, try popping out the Windows drive.

 

[filmak]

Let us know how it goes...

 

[Hellhammer]

Boot into recovery mode and try selecting the startup disk in there.

 

[PieTunes]

So, more curiosities. The machine works fine booting with OS X. Chime sounds, logo and progress bar on white screen appears, etc. I reboot and OS X again works fine. I look in Startup Disk preference and OS X drive is already selected/highlighted (the BOOTCAMP icon is grayed out as well) and says "You have selected OS X, 10.11.6 on the disk Macintosh HD."

Then I reboot the machine, hold down Option key and choose the Windows drive. Black screen, pseudo-BIOS shows up, then boots into Windows. I use Windows for awhile, then restart the machine using the Start menu. Black screen, BIOS, Windows desktop. So there doesn't appear to be any issues with the boot cycle from "within" either operating system.

While in Windows I choose the system tray Boot Camp icon and tell it to restart into OS X. The chime plays and the screen goes white and it's at this point there is a crossed out circle on the screen. If I let it sit there for about 15ish seconds, the Apple logo and progress bar eventually appears and gets into OS X. I choose to Restart from the Apple menu and again, chime sounds but only the crossed out circle appears, and again for about 15ish seconds before "finding" OS X.

I go to the Startup Disk preference and both Boot Camp and Macintosh HD are grayed out and there is no text saying "You have selected XXX etc." I click the lock, choose Macintosh HD, the icon is now selected/highlighted, and now there is "You have selected OS X, 10.11.6 on the disk "Macintosh HD." text. Click the lock again and *now* whenever I reboot within OS X there isn't anymore crossed out circle.

It's almost as though my Mac "forgot" how to switch to OS X when I tell it to do so from the Boot Camp tray app in Windows and the only way to remind it is to re-select the Mac drive from Startup Disk system preference. Is this how Boot Camp is supposed to work or did I muck something up along the way?

 

[ActionableMango]

What you describe is not how it is supposed to work.

If you have any important files on that drive, I'd back them up immediately.

I have no idea what the problem is or how to fix it, but in lieu of any better advice from someone else, the thing I'd try is to reinstall OS X.

 

[filmak]

Try resetting the PRAM... at least twice.