Aluminum keyboard not working at startup

Hey Everyone,

I've always looked through here but never needed to actually pose a question to the forums.

Anyways I'll get straight to it. I'm using a 2006 imac which has leopard and is using Bootcamp. Everything is working fine on both sides of the computer BUT at startup, when the gray screen appears I hold the option key and it DOES NOT WORK.

Let me be clear I am using a new mac keyboard, the aluminum one. I also have the one that came with the older imacs, the white raised key ones.

So basically when I use the Aluminum keyboard I cannot press the option key to switch back and forth between Mac and PC, but when I plug in the older keyboard I am able to hold the option key down.

Is there any way to get the aluminum one to actually work at startup? (The aluminum keyboard works fine in each OS btw)

If anyone could help that would be great!

Had same problem when i wanted to reinstall Snow Leopard, i ended up useing a USB keyboard.
I think the problem is the new ketboard is bluetooth and the bluetooth drivers on the grey screen are not loaded.
So if there is a soloution to this i would also like to know-

You can not use the new model Apple Aluminum keyboard with Leopard. The newer model keyboards will only work with Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and Lion. The older model aluminum keyboard would have worked but Apple is no longer selling them. You may be able to find an older model aluminum keyboard on eBay.

I have an older model which I'm using right now and it works with Leopard, Snow Leopard, and Lion. Why Apple changed the firmware is beyond me.

There are some Macs that do this with even the older Aluminum keyboards. Both my G4 Minis and my 2.16 C2D Intel Mini. I have to plug in my older Apple keyboard to use hold option at Startup. Lion and 10.6.8 are installed. The firmware in that machine does not recognize the keyboard at startup.

dtravis7 said:

There are some Macs that do this with even the older Aluminum keyboards. Both my G4 Minis and my 2.16 C2D Intel Mini. I have to plug in my older Apple keyboard to use hold option at Startup. Lion and 10.6.8 are installed. The firmware in that machine does not recognize the keyboard at startup.

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Wow, that is ridiculos, I really dont want to have to keep this keyboard, but I guess I have to...Just to start up my computer.

Thanks alot everyone for the response, I will try to find an older model aluminum keyboard and see if that work and report back.

Hi chscag

Thanks for your reply, i have an imac 27 inch its a late 2009 model 3.06 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo and 12gb 1067 DDR3 ram running 10.6.8 Snow Leopard suplied with the Imac, also the wireless keyboard and mouse.

I cant understand why the keyboard when i press the option key on startup grey screen, it does not activate the boot options, i have tried many times but no luck.

This must be a fault, bug, on this system, as i said the Imac, Snow Leopard disc,s wireless keyboard and magic mouse all suplied as a set.

If i use a USB keyboard then it is ok i can start the boot options.

Is there a new apple wireless keyboard that will work with the option key?

I have a late model wireless keyboard in addition to an aluminum wired keyboard that I wrote about above, and it works on my 2011 iMac to give a startup choice using OPTION. However, it will not work with an older MacBook.

It's probably a matter of which firmware is recognized by the particular machine. Now having said that, I would think the wireless keyboard that came shipped with your iMac should work to provide a startup boot choice from the OPTION key.

There is a difference between the model wireless keyboard you have and the newer ones, but to be honest, I wouldn't spend the $69.99 to find out if the newer keyboard works.

If you like using your wireless keyboard and need a startup selection menu in order to choose to say, boot to Windows, you might want to consider installing rEFIt. It's an EFI boot menu that works well. However, it can be a bit complex to get working right but it's free.

Using a Mac Pro, with the newer aluminium wireless keyboard, Option does nothing at all, need to use a wired keyboard and mouse. Think this is because the boot process actually starts before Bluetooth and thus does not get the signal.

On my 2007 iMac the Small BT Wireless Apple keyboard does work at startup with Option or Command+Option+P+R. Don't think it does with my 2006 mini though.

If you shut the Mac down completely and then boot up the keyboard drivers will have time to load and you should be able to use keyboard commands on startup.