Startup disk choice ignored on restart

Question

Startup disk choice ignored on restart

Have been having problems when starting from internal HD so I want to run Disk Warrior to rebuild directory or Techtool Pro 4.xxx (latest) to run diagnostics, both of which require starting from another drive (or E-drive, although Mac won't allow its creation). I've installed leopard 10.5.6 on internal HD, used Super-duper to copy internal to an external, and installed 10.5.6 on a third drive. Upon restart I choose either of external drives in StartUp Disk Preference Pane, but Mac starts up only from internal drive. When I restart holding Option key, the only disk that appears available for startup is the internal. Any advice on how get Mac to allow me to start up from either external?

Imac G5, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Jan 28, 2009 12:50 AM

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Answer 1

Jan 28, 2009 1:42 AM in response to Gerald Sanders

When you start up holding the option key it can take quite a long time before all the other startup disks appear: are you allowing plenty of time for this (at least an minute)? If you are, and the drives are failing to appear, then it suggests that they aren't in fact carrying a valid system: though why this should be when they have been either cloned or had a new install done is difficult to see. You could try repairing the external drives with DiskWarrior (from the internal drive) and see if it throws up any problems.

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Answer 2

Jan 28, 2009 5:36 AM in response to Gerald Sanders

Since I encounterd the same problem, I have a feeling that the structure of the SuperDuper backup disk is the culprit.
If you have been using SuperDuper for backups since Mac OS 10.4.x., I guess you must reformat the external Superduper drive again for use with OS X 10.5 before you can use it as a startupdisk again under OS X 10.5. At least that is my experience.

After updating Mac OS 10.4 to Mac OS 10.5 everything still seems to work normally with SuperDuper. It is still making backup copies without any problems, and it still indicates that it makes the backup clone bootable, but it does not.
You cannot start up from the SuperDuper clone anymore.
(That’s why the SuperDuper disk does not show up in System preferences> Start Up Disk pane.

Solution:
Use Disk Utility to reformat the disk on which the SuperDuper copy resides. (Contents will be erased!!!). 1-Connect the SuperDuper backup disk to your computer.
2- Use Disk Utility> Erase Disk or Make Partitions > Options button>
When you click this button you should see a new window with 4 radiobuttons with text explaining how the disk is going to be formatted if you choose that particular button. Choose the right one for your computer.

I have a MacBook (with Intel) so I chose the first radiobutton that said something about formatting Mac OS 10.5.x. structure with Intel.

The fresh SuperDuper clone I made after this showed up in the Startup disk pane again. Hope it works for you too.

But that won’t solve your immediate problem with the internal disk.
Just out of curiosity: why don’t you just start up from the Diskwarrior CD or Techtool CD to solve the problem on your internal disk. (restart from the CD while holding the C-key).
And then make a fresh SuperDuper clone of the repaired disk.

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Answer 3

Jan 28, 2009 6:48 AM in response to Richard B.

Just to add that I found that starting up from the latest version of DiskWarrior, which is on a DVD, took a full 15 minutes, so don't let that worry you - it may seem as if nothing is happening, but it should load eventually.

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Answer 4

bdmarsha

Level 4

2,580 points

Jan 28, 2009 7:23 AM in response to Gerald Sanders

I don't know if this applies, but I don't think that you can start up an iMac G5 from a USB drive; a Firewire drive should work.

bd

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Answer 5

Jan 28, 2009 7:28 AM in response to bdmarsha

I don't know if this applies, but I don't think that you can start up an iMac G5 from a USB drive; a Firewire drive should work.

Well spotted, that might be what he was trying to do: no, you can't boot a G5 from a USB drive.

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Answer 6

Jan 28, 2009 11:30 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Thanks. The drive is FireWire WD MY Book.

In answer to the Super Duper advice, I'll consider doing that as last resort, but hate to not have backup during the resolution of this issue. In the meantime, been moving to new home and temporarily, I hope, can't locate DW or TT disks from which to boot. I'll find one or the other (unless I relied only on download) and report back.

I do appreciate your taking time to assist. gerry

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Answer 7

R C-R

Level 6

17,782 points

Jan 28, 2009 12:11 PM in response to Gerald Sanders

Your problem may not be with SuperDuper (or any other cloning software). An Intel Mac can start up from a disk formatted with either the GPT (GUID Partition Table) or APM (Apple Partition Map) partition scheme. A PPC-based Mac (like all G5's) can only start up from a disk with the APM scheme. The partition scheme applies to the entire disk drive: it doesn't matter if the file system of one or more of its partitions is HFS+ or has a valid start up OS on it; if it is using the GPT scheme a PPC-based Mac won't boot from it no matter what you do.

Disk Utility will tell you the partition scheme of the drives: select the drive itself from the list on the left of the First Aid tab (not one of its volumes indented in the list under it) & the info at the bottom of the window will display its partition scheme. If it is not "Apple Partition Map" then this is your problem. You must reformat the drive from Disk Utility's Partition tab & choose that scheme with the "Options" button if you want to start up a PPC Mac from any of its partitions. This will completely erase the drive so take the appropriate precautions to backup anything on any of its partitions you want to save.

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