changing boot sequence?

Question

changing boot sequence?

Hi, i just bought a new imac, and found some problems with the externals hard drives: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3365771?tstart=0. while booting into windows. I´ve been reading the forum in order to find a solution and the one i found was to change the boot sequence so the mac does not look after the external hard drives before it look for the internal hard drive. But now, i cannot find a way to change the boot sequence. Is there any way to do it? Tx a lot.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.1)

Posted on Oct 9, 2011 2:01 PM

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Answer 1

dkaramit

Level 2

186 points

Oct 9, 2011 2:10 PM in response to Jose Angel df

To change the boot sequence:

System Preferences
Startup Disk
Select the system you want (Mac or Windows)

I dont know if by doing this, your problem with the external drives will be solved. Give it a try...

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Answer 2

Oct 9, 2011 2:16 PM in response to dkaramit

Yeah, already done that, but its not working. What i need to change is the order in how the harddrives are booted, like in a bios in a pc, so the internal harddrive boots first than the external hardrives. Any way to do it?

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Answer 3

dkaramit

Level 2

186 points

Oct 9, 2011 2:34 PM in response to Jose Angel df

Sorry that i told you something you already knew. I dont think it is possible to order the drives, as in a pc.

I suppose that the system always searches for available boot volumes before choosing one. It is a matter of the firmware. I am not an expert in that, maybe someone else may help.

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Answer 4

Oct 9, 2011 3:43 PM in response to dkaramit

Yeah, kinda *****, cuz i read that to fix it i had to change the boot sequence so it does not look after the external hard drive, but now i cant change that sequence 😟

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Answer 5

dalstott

Level 4

2,639 points

Oct 9, 2011 3:44 PM in response to Jose Angel df

Why not use a powered USB hub with all the external drives attached. Then you can turn them off for booting then on again as you need them.

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Answer 6

steve359

Level 6

17,187 points

Oct 9, 2011 3:47 PM in response to Jose Angel df

Simple solutions are easiest ... keep the external drives unplugged during startup.

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Answer 7

Oct 9, 2011 4:20 PM in response to steve359

Yep, thats what im trying to avoid..., to plug and unplug the external hard drives, as that might screw them, i´ve try with the hub but i have to plug and unplug, the same as if i connect the hard drives to the usb port directly.

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Answer 8

Csound1

Level 9

60,063 points

Oct 10, 2011 9:49 AM in response to Jose Angel df

Whatever drive you choose in Startup Disk will be the drive your Mac starts from, internal or external is irrelevant, so choose one. If that is not working you have some other issue with your internal.

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Answer 9

The hatter

Level 9

61,031 points

Oct 10, 2011 10:20 AM in response to Jose Angel df

use the option key, up until the efi boot selector or even normal boot, yes it does scan all the bus channels for valid boot drive and yes sometimes even OS X you might need to turn off an external drive.

sounds like the controller though that the drive is on is the one that is not compatible.

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Answer 10

Oct 10, 2011 2:31 PM in response to The hatter

yep, by holding the option key sometimes it recognize one of the disks randomly after booting into windows.

Weird but a nice step, cuz i was getting really fustrated. im about to leave it and just plug and unplug the hard drives.

It looks like im not the only one with the problem, and there is no fix for it https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2737794?start=0&tstart=0

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Answer 11

steve359

Level 6

17,187 points

Oct 10, 2011 2:45 PM in response to Jose Angel df

Thoughts from a paranoid view of backups/external data protection ...

The external disks are external for physical separation, I assume. If the intent is to keep them from suffering the same catastrophic failure that you fear will occur to the main iMac, "always connected" may not be the wisest option.

Unless the data in these drives is required at startup, I would probably keep them physically separate until needed, or at least until the system is running and you know whether or not the system is working correctly.

But I am different from others.

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