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No bootable device error...

E

emmet kt

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 28, 2008
14
0
Right so I got this today, MBP working fine up until now. I had tried to get bootcamp to work a few months ago but it didn't so I was using the option key method to get the MBP to give me the option of booting either to OSX or the XP partition. If I went to the XP partition I got the Bootable device error, but OSX always worked.

Now this morning I boot up hold the option key but I get no option to go to the operating selection screen I go straight to the bootable device error screen.

So I do a bit of reading and try holding c with the OSX install disk in, holding C with the XP disk in and no joy. So I'm thinking corrupt or dead HDD??

No.

I take the HDD out and put it my MB nd its working fine, infact its boots directly to OSX doesn't even try to go to XP????

I put the MB HDD in the MBP and guess what! Same Bootable device error!

Im at my wits end anyone got any idea whats going on??! I've tried having an external HDD plugged in aswell as this usually shows up as a bootable device if I hold option, but nothing its like the MBP is skipping both the HDD and the Optical drive.

HELP!!!

Also on another note both my MBP & MB Batteries are totally dead and my MB superdrive is no longer working where is the best place to go for spares?

Many thanks, oh and hello to everyone. This being my 1st post and all.:D:cool::apple:
 
emmet kt said:
wont anyone take pity on me.......
Click to expand...

Easy. Maybe no one knows how to help you.

If I were you, I would try this: put HDD in external enclosure, connect to MB and make a full backup. Then format HDD and put in MBP again. Next install OSX. It's much faster than waiting for a possible response.

Good luck!
 
If your hard drive works fine in the Macbook then it appears there is either a bad hard drive cable or a bad logic board in your MBP.

It seems less likely that the hard drive itself is the problem, but you should try booting to your OSX disk on the MB and run the drive diagnostics just to rule it out.

I would definitely try SpookyLars' suggestion, especially the part about backing up your data.

Replacement parts are available at www.ifixit.com as well as excellent guides to installing your replacement parts. Personally, I've had good luck buying parts on eBay.

I hope this is of some help, best of luck to you.
 
Well HDD is working fine, thing is even if I have another Firewire drive with osx or an osx CD in the drive its just going straight to the Bootable device error.

Its strange I pray to god its not the logic board!
 
I've actually answered this question twice in other threads before. You boot up. Press down the alt/option key AS SOON AS THE SCREEN LIGHTS, until a hard disk logo appears. Then you click on your Macintosh HD/whatever you name it. That'll take you to OSX. Go into the System Prefs, look for Startup disk. Select your Mac OS X partition/hard disk. Should be working from that point on.
 
raymondu999 said:
I've actually answered this question twice in other threads before. You boot up. Press down the alt/option key AS SOON AS THE SCREEN LIGHTS, until a hard disk logo appears. Then you click on your Macintosh HD/whatever you name it. That'll take you to OSX. Go into the System Prefs, look for Startup disk. Select your Mac OS X partition/hard disk. Should be working from that point on.
Click to expand...
Dude as I said in 1st post holding down the alt key from boot does not bring me to the hard disk logo screen. It used to but now it does not. Neither does holding the c key boot from the optical drive. When I turn on the machine no matter what keys I press, discs I put in it or HDD's I have attached to the machine internally or externally it goes straight to the no bootable device error.
 
Did you try resetting the PRAM? I had something like what you describe happen to me when doing a clean Leopard install on an old G5, and resetting PRAM solved it.

While booting, press and hold command-option-P-R keys early in the sequence (before gray screen appears).

Keep holding them down until the computer restarts and you get the startup chime.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

It's possible there's a connection between your dead batteries and all this. If you get it to boot by resetting PRAM but then the next time around it won't boot, then that suggests that your dead battery is causing trouble.

I don't have much Mac troubleshooting experience, but I have lots of PC experience...what you're describing sounds like what in a PC would be a corrupt BIOS, where the boot process is looking for drives but can't find them because they're misidentified in some way, or when the BIOS isn't corrupt, but has lost the power that maintains it, and has set itself to some default value that isn't appropriate.
 
monokakata said:
Did you try resetting the PRAM? I had something like what you describe happen to me when doing a clean Leopard install on an old G5, and resetting PRAM solved it.

While booting, press and hold command-option-P-R keys early in the sequence (before gray screen appears).

Keep holding them down until the computer restarts and you get the startup chime.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

It's possible there's a connection between your dead batteries and all this. If you get it to boot by resetting PRAM but then the next time around it won't boot, then that suggests that your dead battery is causing trouble.

I don't have much Mac troubleshooting experience, but I have lots of PC experience...what you're describing sounds like what in a PC would be a corrupt BIOS, where the boot process is looking for drives but can't find them because they're misidentified in some way, or when the BIOS isn't corrupt, but has lost the power that maintains it, and has set itself to some default value that isn't appropriate.
Click to expand...
Thanks mate, I'll try taking out the RAM and putting it back in and also the PRAM reset when I get home later. One thing though I have tried booting her without the battery even attached and using alt button trick and still no avail. I don't think its the batt causing the issue.

I think it is more likely the second issue you mention, where the system is looking for a startup disk but cannot find them for what ever reason. I think the failed install of XP on the system has caused this somehow. I really hope its nothing to do with having to replace any hardware as I already need to get a new superdrive and HDD for my MB never mind the fact the battery has totally died!
 
No joy I removed the RAM and reinstalled. I tried doing the command-option-P-R thing and it still just goes straight to the No Bootable Device Error screen.

Funnily enough I tried the command-option-P-R with the OSX DVD in and I got the Non system disc error instead but it still didn't boot.

I tried both of the above with and without the HDD plugged in and all were done with the battery out.

ike I said the HDD is working fine in my MB. I still think its an issue of the firmware just jumping straight into looking for a drive or sequence that isn't there. I am going to try the command-option-P-R later with an XP disc in the machine to see if that helps.

Otherwise I'm stumped. If it is the logic board then I'll just replace it, but how do I know? I don't wanna go buying parts to find out I replaced the wrong thing!
 
I had a similar problem this morning... I connected my friend's macbook to my mbp which had a booting problem, and i used his mb as a target disk and used ctrl/option on the mbp to boot up using the mb hd. then i went to disk utility and repaired the permissions on the mbp hd, and voila! it corrected it and it was all good... i dont know if we have the same problem, but its worth a shot, just throwin it out there for you.
 
FLAVAH said:
I had a similar problem this morning... I connected my friend's macbook to my mbp which had a booting problem, and i used his mb as a target disk and used ctrl/option on the mbp to boot up using the mb hd. then i went to disk utility and repaired the permissions on the mbp hd, and voila! it corrected it and it was all good... i dont know if we have the same problem, but its worth a shot, just throwin it out there for you.
Click to expand...
Thanks but the issue is not the HDD as the HDD is in my MB and running fine. I rang Apple they want me to bring it to a service center I assume thats gonna cost a fortune?!

gay!
 
Okay so the plot thickens!

So like I said there is currently no HDD in the MBP, neither have I any external HDD attached. Its not boot to the OSX Install DVD norto any Drives, i also thought it would not boot to the XP install CD but I tried it again tonight and it boots into Windows set up. So this is leaning me to think that it is not a hardware issue but more like the XP install has over written the MBP original BIOS/Firmware?

Now I dont know enough about this to speculate any further so hopefully someone who does can help me?????
 
emmet kt said:
Okay so the plot thickens!

So like I said there is currently no HDD in the MBP, neither have I any external HDD attached. Its not boot to the OSX Install DVD norto any Drives, i also thought it would not boot to the XP install CD but I tried it again tonight and it boots into Windows set up. So this is leaning me to think that it is not a hardware issue but more like the XP install has over written the MBP original BIOS/Firmware?

Now I dont know enough about this to speculate any further so hopefully someone who does can help me?????
Click to expand...

can you boot to that cd with the hard drive back in there? if so, you might be right. if not, it still sounds like a hardware issue, because as far as i know bootcamp doesn't do anything to system firmware, it just allows you to install windows on another partition.

have you tried searching the apple support section for a way to flash the firmware from a cd?

they make firmware restoration cds, might try that?

http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/firmwarerestorationcd17.html

there are multiple versions, make sure it matches your machine.
 
you can't boot up with "C" and a Windows XP disc. Try putting in your OS X install disc and holding C.
 
alphaod said:
That's not PC.
Click to expand...
Why is that?

It's a term I (along with a lot of other people) use when I think something isn't all that great.

Some people use it when they want to describe a homosexual person.

While the original meaning of the word is a term for happy.

You should worry more about the fact that you even used the term "PC" (I use the inverted comma's sarcastically here by the way).

Oh and thanks for your input?

XXX
 
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