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Recovery mode on late 2014 iMac
- Thread starter tasdisr
- Start date
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iMac doesn’t recognize the keyboard and mouse you are using. It’s falling back to Bluetooth.
My keyboard is the Apple keyboard that came with the iMac, the mouse is a Logitech. I will try to find the Apple mouse and give it a try. If not a wired keyboard and mouse is cheap.
You said you have a Logitech mouse?
If so, what are its connection methods?
- bluetooth
- Logitech "unifying receiver"
- USB cable.
?????
DON'T use bluetooth with the Logitech mouse.
Instead, if possible, use the unifying receiver.
Or, if it has a USB charging cable, plug that in and try it that way.
WHAT VERSION of the OS is running on the iMac?
WHAT KIND of external disk (for the bootable disk) do you have?
HDD?
SSD?
(for the latest versions of the OS, you want an SSD)
If you just want a bootable copy of your internal drive on an external drive, use SuperDuper, which you can get by clicking this link:
SD is FREE to use for this purpose.
It's very easy to understand and use.
It will create a bootable copy of your internal drive.
(If you register, it will also do incremental updates to the bootable copy)
Give it a try.
If so, what are its connection methods?
- bluetooth
- Logitech "unifying receiver"
- USB cable.
?????
DON'T use bluetooth with the Logitech mouse.
Instead, if possible, use the unifying receiver.
Or, if it has a USB charging cable, plug that in and try it that way.
WHAT VERSION of the OS is running on the iMac?
WHAT KIND of external disk (for the bootable disk) do you have?
HDD?
SSD?
(for the latest versions of the OS, you want an SSD)
If you just want a bootable copy of your internal drive on an external drive, use SuperDuper, which you can get by clicking this link:
SD is FREE to use for this purpose.
It's very easy to understand and use.
It will create a bootable copy of your internal drive.
(If you register, it will also do incremental updates to the bootable copy)
Give it a try.
I am using a Samsung T7 Touch SSD and running BigSur. I tried making a bootable disk with SuperDuper but it did not seem to work for me. I was able to access Recovery Mode using an Apple trackpad and was able to create a bootable disk.
When I try to boot up to the bootable SSD disk, it is the only option that shows and boots right up to the SSD.
So, the Samsung T7 external is the bootable SSD, and it boots successfully?
Yet, you also say that (some other bootable disk) did not appear to work???
But you said that you were able to create a bootable disk?
Ultimately, the only good test of a bootable disk is a successful boot.
Is there a bootable system on the iMac's internal drive? Can you boot to that system, when the bootable external is also available?
Have you tried an NVRAM reset? (Boot holding Option-Command-P-R, wait for the boot chime, continue holding those 4 keys until you hear boot chime 2 more times, then release keys, while continuing to hold the Option key. That may help you with which drives may appear in the Option boot picker screen.
Yet, you also say that (some other bootable disk) did not appear to work???
But you said that you were able to create a bootable disk?
Ultimately, the only good test of a bootable disk is a successful boot.
Is there a bootable system on the iMac's internal drive? Can you boot to that system, when the bootable external is also available?
Have you tried an NVRAM reset? (Boot holding Option-Command-P-R, wait for the boot chime, continue holding those 4 keys until you hear boot chime 2 more times, then release keys, while continuing to hold the Option key. That may help you with which drives may appear in the Option boot picker screen.
I could not get the T7 to work for some reason, so I used a different SSD that I had and it boots fine from the external SSD.
I can boot fron the internal drive with no problem, but if the external SSD is connected and I boot the computer it only shows the externall SSD as the bootable drive.
I will try doing the NVAM reset tomorrow and let you know how that works out.
"I can boot fron the internal drive with no problem, but if the external SSD is connected and I boot the computer it only shows the externall SSD as the bootable drive."
Try this:
1. boot from the EXTERNAL SSD
2. get to the finder
3. go to the menu Finder/preferences (or it may be called "settings")
4. in the "general" tab, do you have checkmarks for "hard disks", "external disks", and "CDs" in the boxes?
Try this:
1. boot from the EXTERNAL SSD
2. get to the finder
3. go to the menu Finder/preferences (or it may be called "settings")
4. in the "general" tab, do you have checkmarks for "hard disks", "external disks", and "CDs" in the boxes?
Sorry it has taken a few days to respond. The box for hard disks was not checked. I checked it and restarted the Mac and it boots to the mac’s internal drive. As long as I hold down the option key I have the choice of which drive to boot to.
Boot to the system you prefer.
Go to System Preferences (System Settings after Monterey), then go to Startup Disk pane.
Choose your drive. Enter your admin password to set that drive.
Your Mac should then remember that boot selection next time you boot, and you should not need to use the Option key to boot with that same drive
Go to System Preferences (System Settings after Monterey), then go to Startup Disk pane.
Choose your drive. Enter your admin password to set that drive.
Your Mac should then remember that boot selection next time you boot, and you should not need to use the Option key to boot with that same drive