Imac keeps starting in windows

[misty53]

I have a big problem, I have a windows partition on my imac I have a photo software I use in windows. When booting now, it starts up in windows, I cannot get back into the OS system even safe mode doesnt seem to work. Pressing the shift key whilst restarting the computer, it just goes to windows, also by pressing the alt key when starting up I still dont get the choice where to start up. Please help.

 

[honestone]

First of all, what exact Mac OS are you running?

Secondly, do you run Windows programs via Boot Camp, or a program like Parallels, VM Ware, etc.?

Third, if you hold down the Option key while booting up your iMac, what happens?

By the way, you stated "alt key". Mac keyboards do not have an "alt" key. Are you using a Windows keyboard?

 

[misty53]

Hi I am running the new os Mojave and windows runs in bootcamp I press the key next to the command key which you are supposed to press when changing from os to windows.

 

[honestone]

Were you having this issue before you upgraded to Mojave? Also, what Mac OS were you running prior to upgrading? And did you upgrade "in place", ie, basically let Mojave overwrite what was on your Mac already?

Also, I copied this from a link that I found via a search for "How to switch Between Windows and Mac OS":

"SWITCHING OPERATING SYSTEMS

You can go back and forth between OS X and Windows on your Mac, but you can’t run both operating systems simultaneously under Boot Camp. Instead, you have to boot one operating system or the other — thus, the name Boot Camp.

Restart your Mac, and hold down the Option key until icons for each operating system appear onscreen. Highlight Windows or Macintosh HD, and click the arrow to launch the operating system of choice for this session.

If you want OS X or Windows to boot every time, choose app → System Preferences, click Startup Disk, and choose the OS you want to launch by default.

You can perform the same function in Windows by clicking the Boot Camp system-tray icon and selecting the Boot Camp Control Panel. Click either the Macintosh HD or Windows icon, depending on your startup preference."

So, according to that, when you start up your Mac and hold down the Option key until icons for each operating system appear onscreen. Also, it looks like you can do something similar in Boot Camp.

If neither of those work, but were working with the prior Mac OS you were using, then it would indicate some issue either in Mojave itself, or with the way you upgraded.

 

[misty53]

Apparently, this happens in windows 10 the bootcamp doesnt see the OS drive anymore so looking for a solution, it started with the upgrade to windows 10, not with upgrade to Mojave

 

[honestone]

So, from what you are saying is that after you upgraded to Mojave, but before you upgraded to Windows 10, everything was fine, correct? That is, you already had a Boot Camp setup before upgrading to both Mojave and Windows 10?

Again, though, it would still be good if you tell us 1) what Mac OS were you previously using, and 2) how did you upgrade to Mojave?

Also, when starting up your Mac and holding down the Option key, that does not work, ie, still goes directly to Windows 10?

 

[Lufbrarunner]

I did read somewhere that certain 27' iMacs did not play nicely with bootcamp I think it was the 2012 model. Might be worth a google.

 

[misty53]

I have sorted it, apparently, Mojave does not let you see the mac drive in windows so I had to buy software from APFS for Windows by Paragon Software then I could just but back up into my Mac OS

 

[honestone]

I have sorted it, apparently, Mojave does not let you see the mac drive in windows so I had to buy software from APFS for Windows by Paragon Software then I could just but back up into my Mac OS

Glad you got it resolved, but that is definitely a serious bug/deficiency in Mojave. My question is why you did not have this issue with High Sierra. However, this seems to be a problem with drives (HDDs or SSDs) formatted as APFS. For High Sierra, that only happened with SSDs. But I read somewhere that with Mojave, it happens no matter what kind of internal drive you have.

 

[Lufbrarunner]

I have bootcamp installed, Mojave and Windows 10. You are correct that when in windows 10 the mac disk does not show. I am able to choose which system I want to boot by holding down the option key when powering on. I have also set the mac HD to be the default boot up disk, so I only need to use the option key method if I want Windows.

 

[honestone]

Hmm, interesting. Not sure, then, why the op could not switch by holding down the Option key at start up. And from your System Specs, it seems that a couple of your Macs would have SSDs, and thus formatted as APFS for High Sierra and Mojave. I'm assuming with High Sierra, this issue does not exist. Still a somewhat major flaw with Mojave.

 

[Lufbrarunner]

To be honest I am happy not to see my Mac drive in windows less chance of problems, any files I need to access on both systems are all on external drives.

 

[honestone]

But one would not expect such behavior while in the Windows "area" with Mojave. I actually have not seen that mentioned anywhere as an issue. Again, though, it seems to be an issue with APFS formatting, according to the description of the APFS for Windows by Paragon software.

 

[honestone]

I have bootcamp installed, Mojave and Windows 10. You are correct that when in windows 10 the mac disk does not show. I am able to choose which system I want to boot by holding down the option key when powering on. I have also set the mac HD to be the default boot up disk, so I only need to use the option key method if I want Windows.

Hmm, strange that you were able to use the Option key at startup to switch startup disks/system, but the op stated that could not be done.