charbok
Level 1 (9 points)

Q: Mac won't boot into OS X after installing Windows 7. No "Boot Camp" references exists on the Windows side. After lots of Googling, I've come here.

Well, this appears to be a bit of a mess. Here's the shortest version of the story possible:

 

The Problem:

 

My Mac won't boot into OS X anymore after installing Windows 7 via Boot Camp.

 

What I've Tried:

 

- Holding down various key combinations during start-up (Option, Option-R, Command-R, Option-Command-R, etc) does nothing.

 

- Removing the Windows hard drive and leaving only the OS X drive inside simply presents me with a black screen that has a white underscore in the upper left.

 

- Attempting to access the BIOS menu on the Windows side is leaving me helpless. I can't figure out the key combination and I don't even think my keyboard is working during the start process.

 

Other Problems:

 

- There is no Boot Camp program on the Windows side. Not in the system tray, not in program files, not when I try to "uninstall or change programs". The words "Boot Camp" give no result when I search for them in Windows 7.

 

- The Apple logo doesn't appear on start-up, which tells me that those key combinations shouldn't work.

Mac Pro (Early 2008), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Jan 7, 2014 1:28 PM

by Csound1,Solvedanswer
Csound1 Csound1
Level 9 (50,684 points)
Desktops
A:

It appears that you have no functional copy of OS X to boot with. What happens if you hold the Option key (only) down when the chime sounds?

Posted on Jan 7, 2014 1:50 PM

Close
charbok

Q: Mac won't boot into OS X after installing Windows 7. No "Boot Camp" references exists on the Windows side. After lots of Googling, ... more

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Jan 7, 2014 1:35 PM in response to charbok
    Level 9 (50,684 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 7, 2014 1:35 PM in response to charbok

    Reboot, as soon as you hear the chime press the X key

  • by charbok,

    charbok charbok Jan 7, 2014 1:46 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Jan 7, 2014 1:46 PM in response to Csound1

    Didn't appear to do anything-- it booted right to Windows 7. Is there any way to download/install the Windows Boot Camp utilities after installing the OS?

  • by Csound1,Solvedanswer

    Csound1 Csound1 Jan 7, 2014 1:50 PM in response to charbok
    Level 9 (50,684 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 7, 2014 1:50 PM in response to charbok

    It appears that you have no functional copy of OS X to boot with. What happens if you hold the Option key (only) down when the chime sounds?

  • by charbok,

    charbok charbok Jan 7, 2014 1:56 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Jan 7, 2014 1:56 PM in response to Csound1

    Nothing, but I've just found out that if I hold down Option BEFORE starting up (bolded to help future people) the computer and then continuing to hold it through start-up it brings up the standard boot screen that lets me choose a boot drive. I'm back in OS X.

     

    So I still have the problem of not having the Boot Camp utilities in Windows, but it's not a horrible everything-is-lost scenario. I need those utilities for Windows to run properly, so that stinks.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Jan 7, 2014 1:57 PM in response to charbok
    Level 9 (50,684 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 7, 2014 1:57 PM in response to charbok

    Which version of Boot Camp was used?

  • by BobTheFisherman,

    BobTheFisherman BobTheFisherman Jan 7, 2014 1:58 PM in response to charbok
    Level 6 (15,398 points)
    Jan 7, 2014 1:58 PM in response to charbok

    You can run Boot Camp Assistant and select only the option to Download the Windows Support Software. Print and read the instructions first.

  • by charbok,

    charbok charbok Jan 7, 2014 2:04 PM in response to BobTheFisherman
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Jan 7, 2014 2:04 PM in response to BobTheFisherman

    Yea, I remember that check box. Can't remember if I checked it. I'll try that.

  • by charbok,

    charbok charbok Jan 7, 2014 2:05 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Jan 7, 2014 2:05 PM in response to Csound1

    5.1

  • by Joshua3D,

    Joshua3D Joshua3D Mar 7, 2014 5:38 AM in response to charbok
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 7, 2014 5:38 AM in response to charbok

    Hi I just got out of this situation after two weeks of forums and have tried any kind of different solutions.

     

    If you have no response using start-up keys and you can't choose your start-up disk when pressing "Option" here is what to do.

     

    The problem in this situation is common to users that install Boot Camp and at one stage the installation fail, may be a bug in BootCamp or just our mistakes, it doesn't really matter here is the solution.....

     

    If you can start Windows, or Start the installation dvd of Windows do it, when In windows you will need to install BootCamp windows Driver, if you try to use the Apple downloaded file, it will not work.

    You need to find the zip file in internet I found it with Google.

     

    When you have the file run a "cmd" window with Administrator privileges.

     

    Navigate in the folder that you have decompressed and open the folder Drivers/Apple/ you will see the file BootCamp.msi or BootCamp64.msi, of course choose the one that correspond to your Windows System .... type the file name and hit enter .... the drivers will install .... but what we really want to be install is that little icon on the system tray (right bottom).

     

    After we will restart windows that little icon will give you the chance to restart the computer in OS X.

     

    If something during the BootCamp and Windows installation had corrupted your OS X installation, you will have to reinstall, but at least you will be able to do it now. ;-) It took me two weeks and lot of researches, it's an hour job. Have fun.