[How To] Fixing the "com.apple.Boot.plist Not Found" Problem

[Guest Ramm]

I decided to investigate the "System Preferences File '/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist' not found" problem. I took my OS X installation, browsed to /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration, and deleted com.apple.Boot.plist. I began finding ways to restore a default Boot.plist file to that directory. I found only one method that worked, which required an extra CD burner.

 

Prerequisites:

• A "Mac OS x86" Installer DVD
  
• A present Mac OS x86 installation
  
• Two DVD drivers, or a DVD drive and a CD drive. One of these has to be a burner
  
• Another working operating system (a Linux live CD works well, like Ubuntu)
  
• To know the name of the partition Mac OS is on (the volume name)
  

 

 

Procedure:

1. Boot into your working OS
   
2. Download and extract my default "com.apple.Boot.plist" file from here
   
3. Burn that file to a blank CD (any CD media works well)
   
4. Put that in your second CD/DVD reader
   
5. Restart your computer, and boot into your Mac OS x86 Installation DVD
   
6. After the initial language select screen, in the top menubar, select Utilities -> Terminal
   
7. Type in cd /Volumes
   
8. Type in ls
   
9. Find the name of the CD you just burned with the com.apple.Boot.plist file on it
   
   If it is not there, you need to mount it.
   
   
   Type in
   diskutil list
   
   
   Find your CD name (eg, "untitled") and look for it's identifier on the right of the table (eg, disk2s1)
   
   
   Type in
   diskutil mount <CD indentifier>

   
   

10. Now that it should be mounted, type in cd /volumes and then ls and find your CDs name again (eg, boot.plistCD)
    
11. Type in cd <CD name>
    
12. Now, type in cp -R com.apple.Boot.plist /Volumes/"Your Mac OS Volume"/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/ to copy it over
    
13. Type in diskutil list and find the identifier of your Mac OS volume you just copied Boot.plist over to (eg, disk0s1)
    
14. Type in diskutil repairPermissions <Mac OS Volume identifier>
    
15. Type in reboot
    

This should work if your Boot.plist file is completely missing. I hear that there are other causes for that error message, but this may fix it for some of you.

I think there are better ways to do it than burning it (putting it on another partition would work, too), but I didn't have any other choice. USB thumb drive didn't work. You can pretty much put it anywhere that will mount in the Mac OS X installer, but you generally follow the same Terminal instructions. I hope this helps some of you, tell me if I am completely wrong, and this is an isolated case.

 

-Ramm

[Panther]

If you have this problem at boot, and can't install, then how are you supposed to use this fix if you need a current install if you can't install because of this problem?

[Guest Ramm]

Panther: I hear that most people have the problem after the installation. Like I said, this is rough, and I don't know if this will even work. It's a "Possible" How-To.

Try booting in -v, sometimes it bypasses that problem.

 

Piccolo: the USB drive did not work for me, perhaps it's just my hardware.

[joe75]

joe75 claps for Ramm

[Panther]

Well, good luck with the issue then.

[pmcnano]

LOL Panther, was that difficult to type? it seems like difficult! hahaha

[Panther]

LOL Panther, was that difficult to type? it seems like difficult! hahaha

 

I'm not exactly sure what youy mean.

[mifki]

RAMM IS SAMRT (spelt wrong on purpose). This definitely should be stickied, as the error message was so cryptic. and ramm has found such a unique (just like himself) method of fixing it

[Guest Ramm]

Kiko, your member title says you should be retired, let's heed it's word...

 

By the way, try setting your partition to active, as well.

[ميكائيل/ميكا]

Who the {censored} is Kiko?....well, never mind......useless conversation anyway

[mifki]

who the {censored} are you? at least get a name that i can read before trying to dis me, you noob and Ramm, it doesnt say i should be retired, it just says there should be a badge there (a parody of recent events)

[ميكائيل/ميكا]

who the {censored} are you? at least get a name that i can read before trying to dis me, you noob and Ramm, it doesnt say i should be retired, it just says there should be a badge there (a parody of recent events)

 

Well, like i said, >USELESS<

 

 

 

 

 

 

<dissing>

Go get a life ... stoopid child ...

</dissing>

[black`d3vil]

hi

can someone upload that boot.plist file again :-P

[markpenn]

yeah,,we need it!!!

thanks in advance