How long should it take for a computer to boot in safe made? I get the apple and the line that fills in under the apple - and once it fills in on a normal boot - the computer proceeds to the login screen - but in a safe mode start up - I get the apple, and the line fills in and then minutes of nothing. I tried a couple of times - but no completion of boot up.
iMac 27", macOS 10.14
Safe Mode booting is much slower than normal startups and also longer shutdowns than normal shutdowns. This is quite normal. However, if the computer will not startup in safe mode then you have a more serious problem.
Playing Safe- what does Safe mode do?
Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac - Apple Support
Up to 10 minutes, continue to hold down the Shift key until it starts in Safe Mode. .
I suggest you use the program created by Etresoft, a frequent contributor. It will provide a snapshot of your system which we can analyze to possibly determine the cause of your problem. Please use copy and paste as screen shots can be hard to read. On the screen with Options, please open Options and check the bottom 2 boxes before running. Click “Share Report” button in the toolbar, select “Copy to Clipboard” and then paste into a reply. This will show what is running on your computer. No personal information is shown.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/etrecheck/id1423715984?mt=12
Use the Add Text button to include the Etrecheck report in your reply.
Why are you booting your Mac in safe mode?
Booting in safe mode is a troubleshooting technique to find out the cause of problems with the Mac.
I had read this post - trying to isolate an issue with the beachball of death,
trying to isolate the issue I am having with the beachball of death when I try to open a file (any file). Apps open ok. Apps can't open files either. I am getting an abnormal 78 error msg when I dig into the event. Files are not corrupt - they open with out issues on other machines/environments.
Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing some system cache cleaning, volume verifying and directory repairing. Patience is a virtue (and a must) when safe booting.
Using Safe Mode to start iMac
