# Internal Hard Disk does not show in Startup Disk options



## syrose (Jan 1, 2008)

I have 2 internal Serial-ATA disks:
Both were checked (with Disk Utility and 
DiskWarrior) and are OK.
But only one of the two disks shows
in the Startup Disk list in
System Preferences->Startup Disk.
Please I need assistance.
Sincerely,
Sally
PowerMac G5 / OS X (V.10.4.11)
3GB memory


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## cleal (Jan 1, 2008)

syrose said:


> I have 2 internal Serial-ATA disks:
> Both were checked (with Disk Utility and
> DiskWarrior) and are OK.
> But only one of the two disks shows
> ...



Both mount and are visible on the desktop or filesystem?

Both had OS X installed?


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## syrose (Jan 1, 2008)

Both mount and are visible on the desktop or filesystem?
Both had OS X installed?

Dear Cleal,
Thank you for your prompt reply.
Both disks are visible on the desktop.
The second disk does not have OS X installed.
It is precisely what I would like to do: install OS X on the second disk
and optionally install imovie on the second disk as well.
I cannot, however 'startup' with the second (the non-visible) disk.
Can you please help?
Sincerely,
Sally


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## DeltaMac (Jan 1, 2008)

Your 2nd hard drive won't show in Startup Disk unless a startup system is installed. If you boot to your OS X installer DVD, you can choose that 2nd drive as a destination disk to install OS X. After installing OS X, it will show in Startup Disk as a choice (assuming the drive is good).


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## syrose (Jan 2, 2008)

syrose said:


> Both mount and are visible on the desktop or filesystem?
> Both had OS X installed?
> 
> Dear Cleal,
> ...



Thank you DeltaMac
Now both disks show.
Hopefully I'll manage to install imovie on the second disk.
Sincerely,
Sally


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## gits (Mar 12, 2008)

Hi guys my problem is similar but slightly worse.  I have recently used boot camp to create a partition and have "finally" after much trial and even more error installed XP on the new partition

However when I go into startup disk in systems preferences my Mac partition doesn't even appear it just shows "Network Startup" as the option and consequently always auto boots to XP unless I hold down the option key at the start - Does anyone know how I can get my Mac partition to show up again so I can select and can then automatically start in OSX rather than XP

Thanks


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## DeltaMac (Mar 12, 2008)

Does your Mac boot partition show in the Startup Disk in the control panel while you are booted to Windows? You can select the Mac startup from there, too, you know.
The Boot Camp drivers setup for Windows installs a Startup Disk pane, and not just drivers.


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## gits (Mar 13, 2008)

Not sure where that is in XP - I couldn't find "Startup Disk" in Control Panel in XP but went into a thing called Startup and REcovery under some other heading and it showed default operating system as XP in a drop down box and provided no other options - I also saw in another forum that XP didn't show up the mac partition but that that was a good thing because no nasty viruses could jump from one to the other 

There was a "Startup" option on the Start menu in XP but it said empty when I scrolled over it - So presumably XP doesn't know the other partition exists

Still not sure how I get it to show up as an option though in OSX Startup Disk pane though


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## DeltaMac (Mar 13, 2008)

Yes, you are right, XP will not see the Mac partition in My Computer. However, you can see the Mac partition as a choice in the Startup Disk panel. It provides exactly the same 'look' at the boot partitions as the Startup Disk pane in OS X System Preferences.
The Startup Disk is in XP's Control Panel. It's not a standard XP panel. It is installed by the Boot Camp driver installer. Change the XP control panel to Classic View, and you will see it. The Apple driver installer puts two items in Control Panel - Startup Disk, and Boot Camp. If you don't see either of those, then you don't have the Boot Camp drivers installed properly. Insert your Leopard installer disk, or your restore DVD, and let the installer auto-run.


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## gits (Mar 14, 2008)

Thanks Delta Mac 

That worked (I hadn't installed the leopard drivers onto XP yet hence I couldn't see the boot camp bit that you were talking about)......

However now I have a worse and more insidious problem.....

Now if I restart my computer in either XP or OSX (5.2) I have massive pixel dramas on my screen - like a colour phase shift or something

However, once I am have chosen XP as the default system (whilst in the XP boot camp bit) and then immediately restart I can continually restart in XP automatically without any pixel issues.  Also if I choose OSX (whilst in XP) and then immediately restart, it will start in OSX correctly (BUT ONLY THE FIRST TIME) - The next time I automatically boot to OSX it is pixel dramas all over again - Similarly if I restart from OSX and want to change to XP and then hold down the option key to swap to XP, XP also has the pixel dramas and will continue to until I ask it to automatically start XP from the boot camp menu - It is only if it automatically boots to XP that the problem is ok in XP.

I have downloaded the latest leopard updates and the ATI 8.43 graphics driver (the catalyst one didn't install properly so I have uninstalled that) and I still have the same issue - There is nothing on my XP partion at all except the new drivers and the Apple Mouse Utility which I initially put into the start up menu but have since removed and just left on the desktop - Aside from that nothing has changed in XP from its initial installation.  I have only gone on the web twice in XP and been to highly reputable sites and not downloaded anything so it would be virtually impossible for it to be a virus.  I also couldn't properly download the latest OSX updates via software update (it stalled at 239M so I restarted and got the rest but then it wouldn't install so in the end I had to download the update file manually to trigger the updates) - I am not sure if this is related, to the pixel problem or not. 

I have restarted my computer at least 40 times in trying to isolate the specifics of the problem - but still can't work it out

Could it be related to the fact that neither of my partitions can be seen in startup disk in OSX?
Is it something to do with the screen res in XP ? (I have changed a bit but no good)
Could it be related to the Apple Mouse Utility (I downloaded this so I could right click in XP)

Any help other than formatting my drives, re-doing bootcamp, reinstalling XP would be greatly appreciated

Thanks


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## DeltaMac (Mar 14, 2008)

Is the 'color shift' only happening during the startup process? Or, does it continue after you are able to launch applications and open documents?

I suggest that you run your Hardware test. Newer Macs can do that by restarting, and holding the letter D. If you simply boot to the Finder, or to XP, then insert your restore disk (not a system upgrade, but your original grey restore DVD), and shut your Mac down. Restart holding the letter D.
Run both the regular test, and the extended test.

I don't know what an 'Apple Mouse Utility' is... Where did you get it? The Leopard Windows driver install puts things where it needs them. Windows doesn't like having things moved around, so you may be contributing to your own problems. The Leopard install DVD has quite up-to-date drivers for all the hardware on your system, so don't need to install the Catalyst software, or other updates to the Apple hardware. If you are trying to overclock the video card, maybe that's causing what you see. Once you let the Apple windows drivers install, you will have your right-click, no need to install anything else for that.... Don't stop the installer after it gets going, don't click cancel at any point, and then let Windows restart after the installers are completed, so the drivers install properly (try to be patient, and hands-off during the install process this time, OK?  

You initial question about the Mac partition - does your Mac partition show up in the Startup Disk under Windows?


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## macworks (Mar 14, 2008)

You might try repairing disk permissions on your Mac volume while booted from it.


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## gits (Mar 14, 2008)

Thanks guys

The colour shift is a permanent thing post start up (ie it does not correct if you open an app)

I gave the Restore thing a crack (both normal and extended) and it came back with no problems detected

This is the link to the Apple Mouse Utility that I installed and have subsequently uninstalled.  http://www.geocities.com/pronto4u/applemouse.html

I also uninstalled the catalyst thing because it came up with an error at startup anyway.

Right clicking (ctrl click, or shift F10) doesn't work now in XP (without the mouse utility) shift F10 used to work but now it doesn't work either - So I am not sure if Leopard gives the drivers for this (doesn't appear to)....

No I never stopped the installers as such for windows or OSX it was only when the updates to the leopard software didn't work that I canned them and had to download the file manually (ie software update just stalled (over 10 minutes) so I had to get out and restart.

Yep the mac partition shows in windows - that is the only way I can switch between the two (other than holding the option key) 

Macworks 

Yep - did that before and had another crack then but sadly no joy 

So gang....

The only other thing that maybe of relevance is that when it does its first restart to OSX from XP (ie when it works fine) the startup takes longer to get to the blue screen (probably about twice as long) - I am not sure if this is relevant or not

Also this problem only started once I installed the Leopard bootcamp drivers in XP - I could switch between OSX and XP (albeit only by the option key) without the screen having its current meltdowns - Should I uninstall and reinstall the botcamp drivers?

I am not sure what other info I could provide that would be relevant


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## macbookman (Mar 7, 2009)

Yeah I had the same problem today.  My Macbook starts up in XP unless I use option.  I used boot camp but to get XP (different kind of XP that needs not be mentioned on a public forum) on there I had to make the partition with bootcamp then delete the partition during the xp installation process, then recreate a partition (FAT32).  Now bootcamp doesn't recognize the partition so I'm thinking that might have something to do with it.  I know bootcamp doesn't recognize it, because if I open bootcamp it will not give the option to delete the partition as it would if bootcamp had made it.

I have not however tried looking in XP for startup disc options.


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## mojo-ike (Jun 23, 2010)

i did lots of looking and found lots of discussions with no solutions.  i had a problem with the bootcamp (and macos) not showing up in the startup disk control panel and bootcamp setup assistant yelling at me.  sure, i could hold down the option key at startup and choose mac or windows, or use BootChamp (http://kainjow.com/) to boot into windows.  the problem was with the Partition Map Scheme for the entire disk.  it needs to be "GUID Partition Table" rather than MBR (or Apple).  i didnt want to reformat the entire drive to fix the problem and then restore the mac and windows data, so i used iPartition (http://www.coriolis-systems.com/iPartition.php).  it converted the partition scheme and everything now works as it should.


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