GH

Q: el capitan creates a problem: urgent

I use an iMac 2007 and usually update to new software as it comes out which I did with El Capitan only to have it present a beachball every time I used it with almost no internet speed.  I restored to Yosemite and all was well.  With the latest update to El Capitan out a few days ago, I once again installed the updated version and found that it did the same things as my previous installation only to have the same problem.  So once again I restored to Yosemite and had a machine that presents the apple logo and the status bar but stallsl half along.  I did a hard drive repair and restored everything from a Yosemite back up via Time Machine.  The computer continues to stall as outlined; I have repeated this process several times and continue to have a computer that I can't startup!

 

Help!!

 

GH

Posted on Oct 23, 2015 9:59 AM

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Q: el capitan creates a problem: urgent

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  • by GH,

    GH GH Oct 23, 2015 10:03 AM in response to GH
    Level 2 (398 points)
    Apple TV
    Oct 23, 2015 10:03 AM in response to GH

    I should mention that I have a Yosemite system on an external hard drive connected from which I can start up normally.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Oct 23, 2015 3:09 PM in response to GH
    Level 10 (208,000 points)
    Applications
    Oct 23, 2015 3:09 PM in response to GH

    Please read this whole message before doing anything.

    This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

    The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.

    Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem.

    Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.

    Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.

    The login screen appears even if you usually login automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

    Test while in safe mode. Same problem?

    After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

  • by GH,

    GH GH Oct 23, 2015 3:20 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 2 (398 points)
    Apple TV
    Oct 23, 2015 3:20 PM in response to Linc Davis

    I can't complete the log in in safe mode. After the bar is finished, I get a grey screen.

     

    GH

  • by bknkhankins,

    bknkhankins bknkhankins Oct 23, 2015 3:34 PM in response to GH
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 23, 2015 3:34 PM in response to GH

    I updated as well and now have an everlasting grey screen that says "Setting Up Your Mac..."  I appreciate any help.  Thanks!

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Oct 23, 2015 7:39 PM in response to GH
    Level 10 (208,000 points)
    Applications
    Oct 23, 2015 7:39 PM in response to GH

    Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Some of them may not be applicable to your model or your situation. Stop when the problem is resolved.

    To restart an unresponsive computer, press and hold the power button for a few seconds until the power shuts off, then release, wait a few more seconds, and press it again briefly.

    Step 1

    The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.

    There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.

    a. Start up from the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later.

    b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.

    c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.

    d. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.

    Step 2

    If you've started from an external drive, make sure that the internal startup volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.

    Start up in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.

    Safe mode is much slower to start and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.

    The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know the login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

    If the startup progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, the startup volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 9. If you ever have another problem with the drive, replace it immediately.

    If you can start and log in in safe mode, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on the startup volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)

    If the startup process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by third-party software that you installed. Ask for further instructions.

    Step 3

    If the startup process stops at a plain gray screen with a movable cursor, then the login dialog may be active but not visible because of a bug. You might be able to log in by using the arrow keys or the cursor to select the password field and typing your password as usual.

    Step 4

    If Step 3 fails, the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.

    Step 5

    If a desktop Mac (without a built-in keyboard) hangs at a plain gray screen with a movable cursor, the keyboard may not be recognized. Press and hold the button on the side of an Apple wireless keyboard to make it discoverable. If need be, replace or recharge the batteries. If you're using a USB keyboard connected to a hub, connect it to a built-in port.

    Step 6

    Sometimes a startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.

    Step 7

    If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.

    Step 8

    Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can start up now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.

    Step 9

    Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select the startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.

    This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then restart as usual.

    Step 10

    If the startup device is an aftermarket SSD, it may need a firmware update and/or a forced "garbage collection." Instructions for doing this with a Crucial-branded SSD were posted here. Some of those instructions may apply to other brands of SSD, but you should check with the vendor's tech support. 

    Step 11

    Reinstall the OS. If the Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.

    Step 12

    Do as in Step 11, but this time erase the startup volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically restart into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer the data from a Time Machine or other backup.

    Step 13

    This step applies only to models that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery: all Mac Pro's, MacBooks with a removable main battery, and some others (not current models.) A dead logic-board battery can cause a startup failure. Typically the failure will be preceded by loss of the settings for the startup disk and system clock. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.

    Step 14

    If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.

  • by GH,

    GH GH Oct 26, 2015 10:27 PM in response to GH
    Level 2 (398 points)
    Apple TV
    Oct 26, 2015 10:27 PM in response to GH

    After much experimentation, I found the problem was that a VPN app through which all my internet traffic flows needed updating for El Capitan.  I should have thought of that a while ago but all is well.

  • by manny772,

    manny772 manny772 Oct 26, 2015 10:44 PM in response to GH
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 26, 2015 10:44 PM in response to GH

    I upgraded to El Capitan and it ran perfect in my iMac for almost 24 hours. All I noticed was the color picker in Illustrator failed to pick the right color. Well, 24 hours later none of the Adobe software opened. --The only solution for my case was to erase El Capitan and restore Yosemite. The "downgrade" process did not take more than 8 minutes, because I took my mac to the apple store. They connected it to a mainframe and "voilá", no charge. Of course, if you plan to do that you'll have to back up everything.--And right when I was there at the genius bar, almost done with my Mac, I heard someone next to me also asking for help, because he upgraded his mac to El Capitan. I have no doubt El Capitan will work excellent, as it is happening with so many other people, but for me, I'll wait at least 3 more months before I upgrade again.