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Level 1

9 points

Startup option for access to firmware/BIOS

Hi there, I know Macs don't use BIOS so I assume getting in to the Open Firmware is the same thing. I understand you use the CMD key (Apple Key) + OPT key (ALT Key) + O + F - this doesn't seem to work on my iMAC (which is also BootCamped running WinXP) - any ideas why I can't get this to work?..I can press down the ALT key which gives me the option to choose a boot partition but just can't get into Open Firmware - any ideas please?

iMac (Intel), Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Posted on Jun 21, 2007 1:48 PM

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JasonG69 Author

Level 1

9 points

Posted on Jun 22, 2007 12:46 AM

Ahhh, I see!...thanks very much, now to the reasoning behind all this. I run bootcamp, but I want to change the date of the computer - on a PC you would change the time in the BIOS and this would therefore affect whichever partition you were booting in to. Would this be the same thing then, I get into the UNIX command line and then that would change the system time for my Windows partition as well?

Thanks very much for your help so far..

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23 replies

JasonG69 Author

Level 1

9 points

Jun 22, 2007 4:18 PM in response to Kappy

so what am I accessing when I use the CMD+S startup option?

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Jun 22, 2007 4:23 PM in response to JasonG69

You are accessing the single-user mode of Unix.

JasonG69 Author

Level 1

9 points

Jun 22, 2007 4:29 PM in response to Kappy

so changing the date there doesn't affect the OS on either partition?

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Jun 22, 2007 4:35 PM in response to JasonG69

Yes it does. It sets the "system" time that is stored in PRAM.

JasonG69 Author

Level 1

9 points

Jun 22, 2007 4:37 PM in response to Kappy

so isn't that sufficient to fool the OS during installation?

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Jun 22, 2007 4:49 PM in response to JasonG69

I think I've been telling you that over several replies - you can set the date and time using the Date and Time preference pane in System Preferences and/or the control panel in Windows.

JasonG69 Author

Level 1

9 points

Jun 22, 2007 5:01 PM in response to Kappy

ok, by changing the date in the PRAM, that will fool the Windows OS during installation right?

Changing it in OSX preferences isn't going to make a difference to that, and I can't do it in Control Panel because Windows wouldn't have been installed at that point.

The installation of Windows needs to think it is in the future - this is what I'm trying to achieve by starting up using CMD+S and setting the date into the future there - do you think that would work?..either way, do you know the syntax to change it?

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Jun 22, 2007 5:03 PM in response to JasonG69

I really don't know. I don't understand why you want to set the date into the future in the first place. So all I can tell you is to give it a try.

Startup option for access to firmware/BIOS