[SOLVED] Startup Manager Won't Launch in El Capitan

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StratCat61

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Aug 27, 2016
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I recently bought a used 2011 iMac 2.5 ghz i5 processor, 8 gb ram to replace a dying 2006 model core 2 duo running snow leopard. My plan was to partition the internal 500gb drive and keep El Capitan as my daily OS, but to clone the old drive running Snow Leopard on the other partition so I can run my older versions of Adobe Creative Suite (can't afford to replace the software). All seemed well, until i switched my startup drive to the Snow Leopard partition in preferences and restarted. It ran just fine, but I had overlooked the fact that SN can't recognize the EC startup as bootable and I couldn't get back to El Capitan. Through using Disk Utilities, I have managed to get back to EC, finally, with the plan of El Capitan being my permanent start up drive/OS and only switching to Snow Leopard occasionally by booting through the Start Up Manager on restart. Finally, here's my question: After trying multiple times and ways, it has become clear that I can't get the Startup Manager to launch by pressing the Alt/Option key upon start up. Any ideas why not? As I didn't buy the iMac new, I can't be certain that the copy of El Capitan is authorized, but as its now a free download, I can't understand why it wouldn't be or how that would matter. Any help would be appreciated. Again, my question is why won't Start Up Manager launch and is there any other way to launch it that I don't know about?
 
Solution
McHenryB
Are you sure that you are pressing the correct key (it sounds as if you are) and are holding it down long enough? You need to press it immediately after the startup sound and hold it pressed until the menu appears.
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McHenryB

McHenryB

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Jan 31, 2015
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Are you sure that you are pressing the correct key (it sounds as if you are) and are holding it down long enough? You need to press it immediately after the startup sound and hold it pressed until the menu appears.
 
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bogar7

Apr 23, 2018
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StratCat61, since your post is from 2016, I assumed that you already solved this issue. We are two years after (2018)
Nevertheless, I just have the same issue, and it took me 30 minutes to figure out the solution.
So, for any other that can have this same issue, here it is the solution;
The problem is your keyboard, you are not using an original Apple keyboard, you must use the original.
For a reason i do not know, you can go from El Capitan disk to Snow leopard through Startup Disk in System Preferences, but no the other way (from Snow leopard to El Capitan).
First, you must reset the PRAM, turn off the computer, and hold Command + Option + P + R, keep all them pressed.
Turn on computer (still holding the keys), and wait for 5 chimes, release keys, ad it will boot on the Snow Leopard, turn off computer.
Now, holding Option key, turn on computer and you will be allow to choose your El Capitan partition, and click on the arrow to boot from it. After booting in El Capitan, go to System Preferences/Startup Disk and click on the lock, put your password, and choose your El Capitan startup disk. Click Restart.
After it opens again in El Capitan, Restart the computer. It will boot again in El Capitan.
If you do not want this issue again, install Parallel Desktop in El Capitan, use Snow Leopard there, for your old software.
I hope I can help you and many other with this late reply.
 
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