Choosing OS at startup/

corvettecorvette
Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
What was the key combination or button that brings up a prompt at startup to chose what system folder to start up to?



Thanks

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    marcukmarcuk Posts: 4,442member
    hold down either option key while you boot
  • Reply 2 of 7
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Remember it only works on newer machines. I'm sure someone else knows which ones work.
  • Reply 3 of 7
    corvettecorvette Posts: 561member
    hrm I tried that on my g4 533.. didn't seem to work. I would consider that "new" even though its approaching one year. haha there will probably be machines released at january that are 5x faster than my g4 and its only been a year. and yet apple goes from 350-500 in like 1999-2001.
  • Reply 4 of 7
    marcukmarcuk Posts: 4,442member
    that works on my g4 400, which is older than yours, I have to be quick though, when i choose restart I press option immediately after, I also had multiple OS on different partitions and it worked OK, but it did take a minute to find all the OS's, but now im just 9!
  • Reply 5 of 7
    concentricityconcentricity Posts: 434member
    [quote]Originally posted by corvette:

    <strong>What was the key combination or button that brings up a prompt at startup to chose what system folder to start up to?



    Thanks</strong><hr></blockquote>



    or you can hold down apple-option-o-f to get the open firmware screen, and set your boot parameters (including volume). of course, then you need to learn O/F syntax...



    Rube Goldberg
  • Reply 6 of 7
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    [quote]Originally posted by corvette:

    <strong>hrm I tried that on my g4 533.. didn't seem to work.</strong><hr></blockquote>

    You must hold option as soon as the machine starts to boot. If you wait 'til the Happy Mac, you're probably too late.



    Also, remember that you need System folders on separate disks or separate partitions for them to show up.
  • Reply 7 of 7
    tmatma Posts: 76member
    [quote] Also, remember that you need System folders on separate disks or separate partitions for them to show up. <hr></blockquote>



    So I still have to goto the Startup Disk control panel to cycle between OS 9 and OS X?



    Does anyone know if there's a utility that will enable me to choose the OS at bootup from the same partition?



    TMA
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