Q: Macbook startup keyboard shortcuts not working

Startup key combinations for Intel-based Macs.

You HAVE to hold the key combination down BEFORE the startup tone.

Sounds like one of serveral things.

1) The keybaord is bad

2) You need to reset the SMC and PRAM. But if the keyboard is bad you won't be able to but give it a try anyway.

3) The drive is so corrupted that the Option key boot can't find any disk to list as a boot option. Never tried using the option key without some type of boot system/drive connected to my Mac.

With the Late 2011models there is the Internet Recovery System.

Wire the computer to your internet router, Ethernet Cable going from computer to router.

At startup hold down the Command+Option/Alt+r keys until you see a spinning globe in the center of the screen. That is the Internet Recovery system. From there you can check the drive with Disk Utility and Reinstall Mac OS X.

You should read Shootist007 post.

b j t wrote:

 

You HAVE to hold the key combination down BEFORE the startup tone.

Actually that is not correct. Most all boot keyboard shortcuts can be done either before or immediately after the chime. Only a few have to be done Before the chime.

Sorry for posting incorrect information. I thought this applied to ALL of the Startup keyboard shortcuts.

Then simply you have a hardware problem. ?The keyboard has failed in some way?