Intermittent Boot Feeze Using Option key

[englishman]

On using the option (alt) key a list of potential bootable volumes comes up.

This has always worked well for me on all sorts of Macs.

Lately on 2 different Mac Pros after choosing a boot volume the system just hangs.

I get round it by cold shutdown and restart which then allows boot from my option key choice - although once even this didn't work.

What could be causing this.

 

[ghislain]

I also had this problem. Solved by installing the bootloader rEFIT...

 

[englishman]

I also had this problem. Solved by installing the bootloader rEFIT...

Thanks I might try it. May allow me to boot Windows USB?

 

[gullySn0wCat]

Did you try System Prefs -> Startup Disk?

 

[englishman]

Did you try System Prefs -> Startup Disk?

That will work but I want to decide what to boot at boot time not after, that's clunky.

 

[oripaamoni]

Same

i have the Same issue!! drives me nuts most of the time holding the power button fixes it for the next time it boots but a few times it would keep freezing at a gray screen. I would solve by putting in the install disk and holding C to force boot from disk and changing the target disk my OSX drive.

BTW 2010 4 core mac pro

 

[englishman]

i have the Same issue!! drives me nuts most of the time holding the power button fixes it for the next time it boots but a few times it would keep freezing at a gray screen. I would solve by putting in the install disk and holding C to force boot from disk and changing the target disk my OSX drive.

BTW 2010 4 core mac pro

Me too 2010 2.8.

 

[gullySn0wCat]

That will work but I want to decide what to boot at boot time not after, that's clunky.

If it works...*shrug* (I got used to it, because I get no boot screen!LOL)

 

[englishman]

If it works...*shrug*

The weird thing is its always worked before with many many Macs of all types. Its only the last few months with a couple of 2010 MP that its become unreliable. I just want to pin it down to a batch of HW, or Snow/Lion or ???