MacOS

[eoegbero]

Hi,
I have iMac A1225 early 2009 that when I powered on, it display " no bootable device - insert boot disk and press enter key" after chime sound. Pressing Option key and select the Mac OS disk only takes about 1 min then goes back to "no bootable device ...." But pressing letter "C" goes to start with the Mac OS disk and complete installation.
With the Mac OS installed, restarting the iMac goes back to "no bootable device ,," . The only way I get the installed OS started is first start with rEFInd disk and select Mac OS.
Please help, thanks

 

[Fishrrman]

Are you saying that you can eventually get to the Mac OS (using rEFind)?

OK, what VERSION of the Mac OS are you getting to?
(go to "about this Mac" in the Apple menu)

Finally, a couple of questions:
Once booted, can you do a "get info" on the internal drive and tell us how much space is used?
Do you happen to have an EXTERNAL USB drive available?

How I'd fix it:
1. Get booted (you seem to be able to do that)
2. Get an external drive
3. Get CarbonCopyCloner (free to use for 30 days)
4. Clone the contents of the Mac partition (you're booted from it) to the external drive
5. Boot from the external clone
6. ERASE the internal drive completely with Disk Utility
7. RE-clone the contents of the backup BACK TO the internal drive.

There may be an easier way, but I don't know it.

 

[eoegbero]

I eventually get to Mac OS using rEFInd. Mac version is 10.6.8
18GB out of 800GB used for Mac OS

 

[eoegbero]

What surprised me is that I used a new internal disk and it still gives the same "no bootable device" , I am thinking its got to do with the firmware !!!

 

[Spudlicious]

I would much like to know the end of this story. Fishrrman’ s advice appears sound - he’s always good- and getting Carbon Copy Cloner is a sensible move for the Mac user. What the OP describes puzzles me greatly, and I would like to know if he has ever seen that Mac boot normally? If so, what happened prior to the current situation? Looking for a cause and effect thing here. Should we understand the rEFInd boot manager to be installed on the ESP, and if so, why? Has a system update failed? Further info would be most welcome.

 

[DeltaMac]

hmm... macOS/OS X does not give that kind of text boot message: "No Bootable Device".
The normal result for THAT on a Mac is the flashing folder/? icon.
"No Bootable Device, insert boot disk and press any key" suggests a problem booting to Windows, or some other non-native system, such as a Linux boot of some kind.

And, you said you used rEFInd. That makes little sense, as that 2009 Mac would boot to 10.6 natively (just using the Option key to select that 10.6 system drive.

You also said you used a "new internal disk". Was that a brand-new, never before used hard drive, or a hard drive that came from some other computer?
A new (blank) hard drive would not boot the system until you install a system on that disk. On your 2009 Mac, you would see the blinking folder (and not a text message on the screen.

(RESET YOUR NVRAM!:
Reboot, holding Option-Command-P-R.
Wait for the boot chime to sound.
Continue to hold the same 4 keys until you hear the boot chime two more times, then release the keys.
If there is a firmware problem, such as a "foreign" operating system boot setup stored - the NVRAM reset should clear that.
You will need something to boot with. An OS X installer DVD would be good.

 

[eoegbero]

I got the iMac with no disk. Use Disk Utility in another Mac to erase and format one of my existing disk as an external disk, which I then inserted in the iMac. I reset NVRAM several times but still the same.

 

[DeltaMac]

"erase and format" means the hard drive is ready for "something", but at that point would be completely blank. You have to install a system on the drive.
Does your "other" Mac support the same Mac system as your 2009? If it will support booting to OS X 10.11 (El Capitan), then you COULD install the full system on your replacement drive, while attached to your "other" Mac, THEN try booting on your 2009 iMac from that drive.
Can you post a picture of the "no bootable device" screen?

"another Mac" does give you some other choices for how to proceed. Exactly which Mac do you have?

 

[eoegbero]

Thanks DeltaMac, I have iMac A1224(20") with El Capitan installed and have just ordered Firewire 800 so I can attach and install El Capitan on the 2009 iMac A1225(24").
I also noticed that "Recovery HD" is not listed in ( diskutil list command) of 2009 iMac