Option key not working to choose OS on startup

I can't get ANY key combos to work on startup with my new aluminum keyboard. I switched back to my old keyboard and all of the key combos work fine. I'm "glad" i'm not alone on this.

I have the same problems could not start up holding de alt key and choose a startup system!

Add me to the list. I note that Apple help says to go to Keyboard preferences and hit the "select keyboard" button, but no such button exists. Can't find the Keyboard Setup Assistant, either.

Message was edited by: Cosna

Finally spoke with a product support specialist about this. The aluminum keyboard requires A USB - 2 connection, not available on our somewhat older computers (even earlier intel machines). So, the bottom line is the new keyboards won't work.

I have the brand new aluminium imac though. That has USB2 ports.

And since it's only the new computers that ship with 10.5 as standard they should be the ones that are working from day one.

You can't take bootcamp out of beta and know your new computers don't support it.

I have a MacPro with the white keyboard (wireless). After updating to Leopard, about half the time the option key does not bring up the selector on startup. A few days ago, that keyboard had to be replaced by AppleCare, with one just like it (since the orig. one died). Still, same problem. Only about 50% of the time do I get the selector on starting with the option key depressed.
I never had this to be a problem under Tiger. I do not use an alum. keyboard, so, the problem seems to be a deeper issue than THAT particular keyboard. In my case, it is very obvious that the upgrade to Leopard is the issue, at least with my white wireless keyboard. Otherwise, my MacBook Pro ALWAYS, even under Leopard, successfully brings up the selector when depressing the option key at the time of a restart or boot up.

Michael Hughes

I've got the same problem .... seems everyone using the new keyboard with 10.5 is having this problem. I took the unit into my local store and showed this to tech at genius bar .... he was baffled also. Seems no combo of keys works ....... definitely Apple needs to issue a fix ........

I am having the same problem. Just purchased the aluminum keyboard and I can't access the boot manager by holding down the option key. I have a 17" Core Duo iMac. Keyboard works great in Leopard, haven't tried it yet in Windows.

All,

I have a related issue Option works in that it shows the Mac partition and allows me to select it but the windows partition does not appear! Yet I can select either partition as my startup disk in either OS. Using a MacBook any assistance appreciated

You don't say which Windows OS, but if Vista, look for "AppleControlPanel" under Windows and one of its sub-directory (SysWOW64 on Vista x64).

That should now allow selecting Windows or whatever you want to boot with. There should also be AppleTime and AppleOSSMgr.

I was trying to find a solution for this.
Here it is!!
Press & hold the menu button on your remote control after you hear the boot sound.... voilà... you'll see the dual boot menu.
Mouse doesn't work on that menu, so press the back/next buttons on the remote to switch the boot system... after that... everything works fine...
I supose it's not the easiest way... but for me there's no difference bettween holding the Option key on my keyboard or holding the menu button on the remote....

Rather random but at least it works.

Now what button on the remote gives you target mode or CD boot?

Aluminium, wired, on Mini's USB high speed port, using fully patched 10.5.2.

Keyboard works fine on both OS X and Vista but completely non-functional during boot. Not had problems with older keyboards so it appears that the Al keyboards need a driver loaded before they function, hence no boot time functionality.

The worry is that this is part of the keyboard hardware so there is no software fix. Considering that these boot time functions make Macs so much easier to recover than PCs, it is kinda hard to swallow that Apple decided to ditch them in favour of other 'cool stuff'.

Hmm... To select boot disk at startup without the option key you could always use the Menu button on the apple remote =]

I join the Mac world about two years ago (from PC) with my Intel Duo Core Mini ($1000+ spent)...
After one year... **** broke loose and I been having problems since then, since I did not buy AppleCare, support told me that there is nothing that they can do, unless I want to pay to get it fix.

Right now, I tried all the shortcuts in the apple keyboard and they do not work, sometimes I will get the disable icon instead of the apple icon, sometimes the apple icon stays there for hours.

When I finally can log in, I tell it to restart from the CD (Install disc 1) and it just boots from the HD again...

any suggestions? I may switch to linux!!!

Disclaimer: I don't have one of the new Aluminium keyboards but I do have a theory as to why holding down the option key etc. does not work.

The Aluminium keyboard is new (duh!) and has a new chip and new firmware compared to the old keyboard. My theory is that until after Mac OS X (or Windows) has completed at least part of the boot process and loaded drivers (Kernel Extensions in the case of Mac OS X) the computer does not 'know' how to properly speak to this new keyboard. Older keyboards would be covered by the older driver built-in to the Mac's firmware.

If this theory is correct then I cannot understand why (it appears) Apple have still not rolled in to the firmware of the very latest Macs support for it. Also I would have thought it should have been possible for them to issue a firmware update for (medium age) Macs to address this. Alternatively Apple could have issued new firmware for the new keyboard to make it look more like the old one during booting (they have already issued new firmware for this keyboard so it can unlike some keyboards be upgraded). See http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/firmware_hardware/keyboardsoftwareup date12.html

I have seen something similar on an old XServe with certain keyboard/mice before the Xserve has booted which is what leads me to suspect this.

Note: Either the firmware has support for the Apple remote, which is why holding down the menu button works, or the remote looks like a keyboard at that stage of the boot process. (Many presentation remotes do indeed emulate keyboard commands.)