Macbook starts only when holding "alt key", then asks for admin pass.

Question

Level 1

0 points

Macbook starts only when holding "alt key", then asks for admin pass.

Hi!

First post here:)

My macbook has started acting up. I decided to try out bootcamp and installing windows on it but after two days realized I could live without it so I deleted the partition with the bootcamp utility.

Now when I turn my macbook on as usual it will just stick on a white screen.
However if I turn the macbook on with the "alt" key pressed it will after 10 seconds ask me for the admin password. After I enter it I can select leopard as startup partition.

How do I get rid of this so it will boot normally? This is my first mac so Im new to all this..

Thanks!

Macbook Pro 13 inch, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Aug 7, 2009 2:23 AM

Reply

Answer 1

-Kryten-

Level 4

1,481 points

Aug 7, 2009 2:55 AM in response to Serenity64

Hi Serenity64,

Welcome to the forum.

Try the following:

1. Start up your Mac while holding down the Option(alt) key and select the Leopard partition.

2. Once it's fully started, go into System Preferences (click on the Apple Menu at the top left of the menubar and select System Preferences)

3. Click on the Startup Disk icon (it's in the fourth row)

4. Within the Startup Disk window click on your Leopard volume to select it and then click on the Restart button.

Your Mac should now start up properly without the need to hold the Option(alt) key on startup.

Kryten

Reply

Answer 2

Serenity64 Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 7, 2009 2:31 PM in response to Serenity64

Thanks for the reply!
Actually I tried this and the problem persists. I went to the applestore and asked them how to resolve it and they said an "archive install" would fix it and it did. I would still have wanted to know why the macbook did like this though since it would have learned me something useful.

Reply

Answer 3

V.K.

Level 9

56,192 points

Aug 7, 2009 2:36 PM in response to Serenity64

Serenity64 wrote:
Hi!

First post here:)

My macbook has started acting up. I decided to try out bootcamp and installing windows on it but after two days realized I could live without it so I deleted the partition with the bootcamp utility.

Now when I turn my macbook on as usual it will just stick on a white screen.
However if I turn the macbook on with the "alt" key pressed it will after 10 seconds ask me for the admin password.

that's not an admin password. that's the firmware password. you must have had one set.

insert the leopard install DVD, boot holding option, enter the firmware password and boot from the DVD. use the firmware password utility in the Utilities menu to turn off the firmware password. then reboot and reset PRAM
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

then boot normally and set your main drive to be the startup drive in startup system preferences. see if it works ok now. if it does you can turn on the firmware password again.

Message was edited by: V.K.

Reply