jesseprior1
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key

I tried dual-booting my iMac late 2013 21.5inch and after I partioned my drives my computer restarted and came out with No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key, I used my Flashdrive to install my windows iso file and boot camp support software while this is plugged in I still cant enter. Online I read that this means I have failed an attempt of dual booting my device and to fix it I just have to hold down option on startup to be put in the starting screen, but I tried this and it still goes straight to the error.

 

Please help me immediately.

 

If it helps I have a

- USB Mouse

- A Apple Keyboard

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Aug 22, 2014 7:43 AM

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jesseprior1

Q: No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key

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  • by sterling r,

    sterling r sterling r Aug 24, 2014 11:53 AM in response to jesseprior1
    Community Specialists
    Aug 24, 2014 11:53 AM in response to jesseprior1

    Hey there Jesseprior1,

     

    It sounds like you setup your hard disk to install Wndows with Boot Camp and now your computer tells you there is n boot device. I would reset your SMC on the computer first, next the PRAM, then try again:

     

    Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964

    Resetting the SMC for Mac Pro, Intel-based iMac, Intel-based Mac mini, or Intel-based Xserve

    1. Shut down the computer.
    2. Unplug the computer's power cord.
    3. Wait fifteen seconds.
    4. Attach the computer's power cord.
    5. Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.

    Then:

     

    About NVRAM and PRAM

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

     

    If the issue persists I would next use Internet Recovery to attempt booting the system and using Disk utility to try and repair the drive:

    Try Disk Utility

    1. Start from the Recovery System or Internet Recovery (OS X Lion or Mountain Lion).
      If your computer shipped with a Mac OS X Install disc, insert the installation disc, and restart the computer while holding the C key.
    2. If using a Recovery partition or Internet Recovery (OS X Lion and later): When your computer finishes starting up, choose Disk Utility from the Utilities window.
      If using an installation disc: Choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu.
      Important: If you started from an installation disc, do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must start from the disc again to access Disk Utility.
    3. Click the First Aid tab.
    4. Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display the names of your hard disk volumes and partitions.
    5. Select your OS X volume.
    6. Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk.

    Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck

    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417

     

    Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

    Regards,

    Sterling

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Aug 24, 2014 11:58 AM in response to jesseprior1
    Level 7 (24,825 points)
    Safari
    Aug 24, 2014 11:58 AM in response to jesseprior1

    Please post the output of the following OSX terminal commands. These commands (2,3,4) will ask for your Password which should be for an Admin on the Mac.

     

    1.diskutil list

    2. sudo gpt -vv -r show /dev/<BootcampDisk> (this will be of the form disk0, disk1, ...)

    3. sudo fdisk /dev/<BootcampDisk>

    4. sudo dd if=/dev/<BootcampDiskSlice> count=1 2>/dev/null | hexdump -C (This should be of the form disk0s4, disk0s5, disk0s6...).

  • by JedSheehan,

    JedSheehan JedSheehan Aug 24, 2014 1:38 PM in response to jesseprior1
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Aug 24, 2014 1:38 PM in response to jesseprior1

    I doubt your problem is so complicated...

     

    You have to be quick with pressing option on boot!
    As soon as you hear the tone, press and hold option until the boot menu appears.

     

    If this gets you back into OS X, reset your startup disk:

    System Preferences > Startup Disk

    The right one should be labelled something like "OS X 10.8.5"

     

    You can then attempt another install of Windows using the Boot Camp assistant.

     

    Keep in mind, your computer is picky when installing from a USB drive.  To ensure the drive will work for the Boot Camp install, it should be USB 2.0 but NOT USB 3.0, and at least 8GB in size.  Furthermore there are some USB hard drives and SSDs that simply will not boot under any circumstances.  From your description of the problem, I think that's what's going on here: your computer can't boot from this particular USB drive, and the default startup disk is set for Boot Camp, preventing you from getting back into OS X.

     

     

    Regards,

    Jed