11-04-2011, 06:20 AM

Hi, can anyone help a muppet. I have just switched to an iMac, a week ago infact, after many years with a pc. The iMac is a 3.06gb, 500gb drive and 4 gb ram, and running snow leopard.
Because of my interest in family history all my files are for windows so after looking on the web descided to use bootcamp and use windows for those files.
My problem is now that on switching on it boots straight to windows, I have held down the option key, no difference. In windows it only shows the bootcamp drive as 20gb as had been set, no other partition.
I have tried booting with the disc (Mac OS X install DVD) in the drive but makes no difference.
Any help would be very appreciated.

11-04-2011, 06:39 AM

Open the Bootcamp assistent in the system tray in windows.

Does it give you an option to set the startup disk?

11-04-2011, 06:59 AM

One of the problems is that because I have a wireless keyboard and mouse windows is not recognising the mouse and I have to use the keyboard, I can not see anything in the system tray as I cant use the mouse to get there. SORRY

11-04-2011, 07:03 AM

The wireless keyboard, it's it from Apple?

You HOLD DOWN OPTION and keep it down till a boot menu comes up. If your keyboard is not registering at that point, it will not work.

Tell us a bit more and what keyboard you are using.

11-04-2011, 07:03 AM

Then the first thing to do is to put the OSX disc in while running bootcamp. It'll autorun and you can use the keyboard to run the install to get all the drivers installed. That'll sort your mouse issue (unless you have/or can borrow a USB mouse).

11-04-2011, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by dtravis7

The wireless keyboard, it's it from Apple?

You HOLD DOWN OPTION and keep it down till a boot menu comes up. If your keyboard is not registering at that point, it will not work.

Tell us a bit more and what keyboard you are using.

If it is the Apple keyboard I also find pressing option once to bring it out out sleep and then holding it down is a more reliable way of getting the boot options to appear.

11-04-2011, 05:38 PM

Many thanks to mrplow and dtravis7 for the advise, I have now sorted the problems I had. Great to know you guys are there for expert advise.

11-09-2012, 12:27 PM

Hello, I have the exact same issue but not a wireless keyboard.
When I boot my iMac it only boot into Windows 7. I have tried many things, but it seems the keyboard and the mouse have power but no driver. So I can not do anything.

I brought my iMac to a Authorized Apple Repair Center they tell me it is a mainboard hardware issue. Nonsense!

I tried to boot with any bootable OS X install CD with no luck. When I boot with Windows 7 it starts to install but I am not able to move the mouse or enter anything with the keyboard.

So finaly I have formated the HD on a MacBook Pro with the GUID boot options but still the same issue. When I boot with the disconnected HD I get a DOS (??) message that there is no bootable device found. Also at boot up I never see the Apple logo. I guess there is a sort of Bios programed in Windows and not in Apple. Can anyone help me on this issue, please.

11-09-2012, 02:25 PM

We need more info about your iMac. Year and model? Version of OS X you're running?

You indicate that you have a wired keyboard. How old is it and is it an Apple wired keyboard?

Also, your post is not very clear.... at first you're describing problems with an iMac and then you went into describing a problem formatting a HD on your MBP? What do they have to do with each other?

11-09-2012, 02:45 PM

Yes, sorry for that. My Apple iMac A1224 21" has Intel and is late 2008, with OS X 10.06.02.

The keyboard Model No.: Apple A1243. Aluminium with white key and one each side a USB port.

Someone installed on this mac via bootcamp a 2nd OS which was Windows 7 Home 64 bit. I tried all kind of possible solutions until I decidet to format the HD to get rif of the Windows 7. But also a new formated HD did not chang anything on the situation that the Keyboard and Mouse dont work.

Sorry, for my bad English.

11-09-2012, 03:01 PM

Yes, sorry for that. My Apple iMac A1224 21" has Intel and is late 2008, with OS X 10.06.02.

That machine is actually an early 2008 iMac 20" model. There were two series of aluminum keyboards (wired) made by Apple. The older keyboard (first series) works with all Mac models and version of OS X. The newer keyboard requires Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and models from 2010 on to the present.

If you have a newer aluminum keyboard that would explain the problems you're having with it only booting to Windows 7.

11-09-2012, 03:07 PM

Wow, that is quite interresting.
I also tried with different Dell Keyboards and other optical Mouse. Should that work?

11-09-2012, 03:08 PM

I doubt a Dell keyboard would work because of the transposing of some of the keys. Any optical mouse should work though.

11-09-2012, 03:14 PM

Ok, anyway, I will organize a older Apple keyboard but I tried all kind of HID's but non of them worked.
After all this try and error I have the feeling that the Mac has a Windoes programmed (sort-of) BIOS. Is there a way to reprogram it back to Apple? Or is it just a phantasy of mine.

11-09-2012, 04:06 PM

Got the Snow Leopard OS X.6 disk? Is it the retail install DVD or the original disc that came with the machine? Is it a system disc from any other model, silver/grey. will not boot. See you can boot from that by holding down 'C' after the chime, format the drive Mac OS Extended (Journaled), go into Partition > Options and select GUID and do a clean install.

Upadte to OS X.6.8 and then try setting up Windows through Bootcamp.