Setting the Default OS

You're probably going to prefer one operating system over the other. And because you're reading this, I'm guessing that will be the Mac OS. But, you might need to run Windows more frequently for one reason or another. In any case, you can set the default OS that you want your Mac to use. (You can always override this setting by holding the Option key down when your Mac is starting up and choosing a different system.)

Setting the Default OS Under Mac OS X

Use the Startup Disk pane of the System Preferences application to configure your default OS:

1.	Open the Startup Disk pane of the System Preferences application (see Figure 2.15). Figure 2.15. Mac OS X or Windows as the default OSyou make the call.
2.	Click on the startup volume containing the OS that you want to be your default.
3.	Click Restart.
4.	At the prompt, click Restart again. Your Mac will restart using the OS you selected and will restart in that OS each time you start it up (unless you override the default by using the Option key).

Setting the Default OS Under Windows XP

When you install Windows on a Mac, one control panel is added to Windows that isn't there when you install Windows on a Windows PC. This is the Startup Disk control panel, which is the equivalent of the Startup Disk pane of the Mac's System Preferences application.

To select a default OS under Windows, perform the following steps:

1.	Open the Startup Disk control panel.
2.	Select the volume you want to use as the default OS when you start your Mac. For example, if your Mac startup disk is called Macintosh HD, select that to start up in Mac OS by default.
3.	Click Restart and then confirm this is what you want to do at the prompt. Your Mac will restart using the OS you selected and will restart in that OS each time you start it up (unless you override the default by using the Option key).