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I am using iMac (Yosemite) and Logitech K800 wireless keyboard http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/wireless-illuminated-keyboard-k800 (specifically the Finnish version of it). When I press Alt on bootup, regardless of when I start pressing it, the operating system selection menu does not appear. I have tried 30 times, with different keys etc. No use.

Is it really impossible to go to the selection menu with a Windows keyboard?

I do have an Apple wired keyboard connected too. No problem with the Option key and selection menu appearing with that. I just don't want to keep the Apple keyboard solely for this purpose. If there is no other choice, will http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/ help me (are there any cons with that rEFInd, I've never tried that)?

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  • Why do you need to press that key on start up? Both OS X and Windows contain ways to boot to the other operating system. Are you unaware of this? Or, are you having problems getting the bootcamp software to work with windows?
    – David Anderson
    Commented Feb 2, 2015 at 17:24
  • I need to switch between OSes, deciding on boot. The Alt or Option key is used by Boot Camp to choose what operating system (or drive partition) the computer will boot to when turning on the computer. That is the only way to choose which OS will boot that I am aware of, except you can also choose the booting OS from OSX System Preferences, Startup Disk or you could install rEFInd. I guess I should install rEFInd.
    – Jim Hoyle
    Commented Feb 4, 2015 at 23:34

1 Answer 1

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Actually, Boot Camp installs a Boot Camp Control Panel in the Windows Control Panel. The large icon appears as shown below.

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Also, Boot Camp installs a gray diamond icon in the Windows notification area (system tray).

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By clicking on this icon,

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a menu will appear,

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which allows you to easily switch back to OS X.

Upon opening the Boot Camp Control Panel, the Windows icon will be highlighted.

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If the OS X icon is selected followed by clicking Apply or OK, the default startup partition will change back to OS X without the system restarting.

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The same is true for the Startup Disk window under System Preferences for OS X.

In conclusion, the only functionality missing is a menu to select an operating system on start up. I suppose rEFInd would serve this purpose. I will point out there are others for which you have to pay for. For example, there is Boot Runner which has a 14 day trial period. It installs in the OS X partition and can be uninstalled. rEFInd may have problems with both installs and uninstalls.

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