option command does not bring up Yosemite upon restart while in Snow Leopard mode

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Level 1

8 points

option command does not bring up Yosemite upon restart while in Snow Leopard mode

My imac which has been a splendid machine is getting long in the tooth. Until i can afford a new machine I need to have 2 OS to run the software. I have 2 partitions one of which is running the last OS that will run my photoshop. That OS is Snow Leopard. The big partition is 800 Gig the smaller is 100 Gig. Because one needs to rebuild directory Disk Warrior demands a separate startup. Thinking that Yosemite or indeed the latest OS would be good to have in order to run latest version and do Disk Warrior rebuild.

So my desire is to be able to be current within the Mac OS community but i am finding it difficult because Snow Leopard does not recognize Yosemite (or indeed whatever is the latest OS). Now i have 2 needs. And soon i will be forced to upgrade to latest Revit. So i will have to erase all my disk after backup files and resize the partitions one smaller with Snow Leopard but the other for running Revit thru parallels will be bigger maybe 700/300. Then i will do bootcamp.

Now before the big switch i wanted to see about the current OS but i cannot find how to restart and see the partition. I got a nice suggestion to do option + command (he actually said alt) but this doesn't work. So any ideas?

My needs

1.) I must run Photoshop and parallels with Revit running Windows 8 for my lifeblood $$ income

2.) I will be moving on and adding new Revit to see if running bootcamp makes it faster until i can buy a new machine (it is looking more and more like it will be a windows one as apple is clearly blowing it with their lack of smart moves lately. No DVD drive? Dumb. Inability to choose an OS when restarting not helpful. No disks sent when purchasing new OS, unfortunate and this reliance on cloud is asking for trouble.

Mahalo for your considering my dilemma. . .

iMac (24-inch Early 2009), Mac OS X (10.6.8), Snowleopard + Yosemite partitions

Posted on Feb 5, 2016 3:55 PM

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Answer 1

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Feb 5, 2016 5:49 PM in response to ozonro

Option-Command is the command to rebuild iTunes and Photos, and iPhoto libraries, as well as the antiquated Mac OS 9 (from 2001 and earlier)'s Desktop file.

Option will let you pick from startup volumes on any USB Mac if you have an Apple or Apple compatible USB keyboard.

Parallels does is not affected by Apple's startup command process. When you startup Parallels, the commands used with a generic PC usually apply for startup.

Boot Camp, I'm not sure how it starts, and you'll have to discuss with the Boot Camp forum on this tip:

http://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2463

what the processes are.

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Answer 2

ozonro Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 5, 2016 6:13 PM in response to a brody

OK but my question remains unanswered. How does one "see" Yosemite when running from a partition which is running Snow Leopard. Or how does one work-around this. I don't care about what Parallels does re: command option. I simply want to know why when i install Yosemite and go back to Snow Leopard for reasons of earning money i cannot restart and find somehow by doing an apple chicken dance facing east and cursing in Tibetan that my goal is accomplished? Is it really this hard apple?

Sheesh Apple really is loosing it.

As of this writing my option is to go to my dock and "install" Yosemite every time i desire to run the latest OS. I get that it makes sense to erase everything and make Yosemite the primary OS on the BIGger partition and restart BACK to the OS that will run Photoshop because Yosemite will "see" Snow Leopard but Snow Leopard won't see Yosemite. . .but why will Yosemite not "stay put" on my wee partition?

Mahalo a brody for your attempt and i appreciate your links mate!

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Answer 3

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Feb 5, 2016 7:48 PM in response to ozonro

OK but my question remains unanswered. How does one "see" Yosemite when running from a partition which is running Snow Leopard.

Apple menu -> System Preferences -> Startup Disk is unable to see Yosemite to startup from. Only the Option key startup manager can do that when your last boot was into Snow Leopard. And as I said before there is no Command included, and it must be done from a wired keyboard. For more about the Startup Manager see this tip:Use the Option key, when possible instead of 'C' key to boot discs

You do have limited access to file dropping into both the Applications and Users -> shared folder of the Yosemite operating system from Snow Leopard. Other folders may not be accessible when you are in Snow Leopard.

Is it really this hard apple?

You aren't speaking to Apple here. This is a user to user forum, with Apple people trained as moderators who know some technical facets of their systems, but there is no direct contact to the developers of Apple's software or hardware. For that you need a developer account at http://developer.apple.com/ (free with your Apple Support Communities ID), and submission of bug reports to http://bugreporter.apple.com/ From there you are under a non-disclosure agreement to discuss these bugs. And just for your information Apple did not fix this bug with El Capitan either. You must use the Startup Manager to switch to newer operating systems. Yosemite can see El Capitan, and El Capitan can see any operating system below it, and so can Yosemite, but not vice versa when it comes to the startup disk. That's why you use the startup manager instead.

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Answer 4

ozonro Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 5, 2016 7:57 PM in response to a brody

Mahalo for your informative response. I was not speaking to Apple sorry guys.

But you declare "Yosemite can see EL Capitan, and El Capitan can see any operating system below it". . . well with the latter part of your response i wholly agree but you are wrong about the former if you replace "Yosemite can see EL Capitan" with Snow LIon can see then you are WRONG. That is the gist of my critique. You simply cannot see Yosemite from Snow Leopard using the system prefs > Startup Disk choice. What is Startup manager? Is it a part of the Mac OS if not please lead me the non seeing one to the specific solution. Sorry if i got off the exact path to "Startup Manager" I was hoping for an apple solution but if this "Startup Manager" is downloadable please send me the link mate :-)

RO

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Answer 5

ozonro Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 5, 2016 7:59 PM in response to ozonro

Oh and why oh why do i have to re-install Yosemite every time i choose to use it. . . i thought mac OS as per JOBS was about my choices not theirs. . .

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Answer 6

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Feb 5, 2016 8:12 PM in response to ozonro

I never said you have to reinstall Yosemite every time. I have Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite, and El Capitan each in their own partition and use the Startup Manager to switch partitions all the time.

MacAlly, Logitech and Apple all make wired keyboards for Apple. That's all you need is one with a key labelled Option.

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Answer 7

ozonro Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 5, 2016 8:23 PM in response to a brody

Down mate

I am telling you that something is wrong and YES i do have to re-install Yosemite overtime if i choose to use it. What are you talking about in terms of keyboards please? I am typing on a beautiful apple keyboard and i know those keys after decades trying to figure out what the brilliant apple engineers are thinking in their universe about very technical issues. I have owned over 6 versions over the decades. My first was a Quadra 700. Followed with several Power PC's, even a Umax (which worked well for 4 years) and finally a big stud in it's day a Day Star Digital monster which had a frikkin key to open the case to install new boards and RAM. Dude i know my way about the apple. So be respectful to my desire to find a way to "see a later OSX version" on a former. When one has a couple partitions one can have other operating systems on them otherwise i wouldn't be able to run state of the art CAD software eh?

So as Bernie would point out to U . . .get to the point Why can't U see a later OS on your older OS. . .( i get that there would need to be an update piece of coding and a download and all that) but where is the simple solution folks? - Sheesh i KNOW i am not the only person who needs to run legacy software.

Simple solution please >> focus on a patch perhaps where one might find one or even some arcane restart using some magic combo of letters and what have U. <<

I get that this is not apple sanctified with burning incense and slaughters of sacrificed flowers and such. . . :-) Mahalo in advance for an enlightened answer eh?

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Answer 8

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Feb 6, 2016 7:31 AM in response to ozonro

What I am saying is there is no need to reinstall Yosemite. You are overreacting to a situation where Startup Disk fails to select startup volumes on 10.10 and above while in 10.6.8. This is a known bug, and it has been known bug in 10.10, and has not been responded to by Apple with the release of 10.11.

Use the Startup Manager instead. Since you have an Apple USB keyboard, you should just be able to select the Option key on restart until the Startup Manager appears, and choose any installed operating system as long as it is the only installed operating system on that partition.

Let's focus on the root of the problem and not go off on some tangent with Quadra 700s.

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Answer 9

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Feb 6, 2016 1:14 PM in response to a brody

I did some experiments:

Apple menu -> System Preferences -> Startup Disk is happy to see

10.6.8 -> 10.7.5 & 10.8.5 & 10.9.5 but not 10.10 nor 10.11

10.7.5 -> 10.10 & 10.11

10.8.5 -> 10.10 & 10.11

10.9.5 -> 10.10 & 10.11

Going the reverse direction there was never a problem.

Using the Startup Manager there was never a problem between any of those operating systems.

Yes, you can use 10.6.8 to install 10.10 or 10.11, but the Startup Disk System Preference will not see either.

Now Parallels does offer something else, 10.6.8 Server can be run without rebooting your Mac side by side with most Intel only Mac operating systems.

I have not had the opportunity to test this tip on 10.10 or 10.11, and the person who actually did test it has not been on the forum as far as I can see since 2012, but it does seem to be a good workaround for people wanting to keep 10.6 & later operating systems side by side:

http://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6841

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Answer 10

MlchaelLAX

Level 4

2,286 points

Feb 6, 2016 11:16 AM in response to a brody

at a brody 's request:

Appleworks 6.2.9 (and many other PowerPC applications) running in Snow Leopard Server installed in Parallels for use in OS X Lion through El Capitan:

[click on image to enlarge]

Apple is now selling Snow Leopard Server for $19.99 + sales tax & shipping costs at 1.800.MYAPPLE (1.800.692.7753) - Apple Part Number: MC588Z/A (telephone orders only). Parallels retails for $99 with some discounts available and they have a 14 day free trial.

Installing Snow Leopard Server into Parallels for DUMMIES:

http://forums.macrumors.com/threads/installing-snow-leopard-and-rosetta-into-par allels-7-in-lion.1365439/page-23#post-17285039

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Answer 11

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Feb 6, 2016 11:45 AM in response to MlchaelLAX

Thanks Michael. I've updated tip 6841 to reflect it has been tested through 10.11.2.

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Answer 12

MlchaelLAX

Level 4

2,286 points

Feb 6, 2016 12:26 PM in response to a brody

It works in Parallels 10 & 11 too which are required for El Capitan!

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Answer 13

ozonro Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 6, 2016 1:23 PM in response to a brody

Mahalo a Brody ! I never did know about startup manager in all the decades of stumbling about in the Mac OS's. . . :😊

It appears as if the original fellow who tried to help me did point me in the right direction but he used a slightly wrong method of conveying it. I took his advice to mean option + command when he actually was trying to demonstrate to someone on a windows keyboard (i think)

Eric RootFeb 5, 2016 7:53 AM Re: Snowleopard + Yosemite
in response to ozonro

Try restarting with the option/alt key held down. Yosemite will not show up in Snow Leopard's System Preferences/Startup Disk.

So having found the option @ restart process i am wiser and humbly thank all of U for chiming in. Indeed the Yosemite is peering behind a big rock eh? But it was a bit weird as the process asked if i wanted to install a new OS X or run disk utilities . . . i opted to quit Startup Manager which was the right choice. So now i have a pathway which will enable me to work in both the current world as well as the one laden with photoshop and all my other apps collected over decades of doing this. Nothing like a wee bit of learning to an old dog eh?

Mahalo all

RO

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Answer 14

MlchaelLAX

Level 4

2,286 points

Feb 6, 2016 4:12 PM in response to ozonro

On many Apple keyboards, the Option key is also the alt key, when using Windows applications:

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Answer 15

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Feb 7, 2016 6:55 AM in response to MlchaelLAX

Sorry for not noticing it earlier, but your question of where to "download" startup manager was mired in the rest of the post.

Startup Manager is not a download. It is built-in to the system and is a screen that every Mac can show that has built-in USB since the 1999 Powerbook known as the Lombard. Glad to see you found it finally.

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