MacOS Big Sur 11.4 caused my iMac 21.5" 4K (2017) to crash repeatedly

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Level 1

4 points

MacOS Big Sur 11.4 caused my iMac 21.5" 4K (2017) to crash repeatedly

MacOS Big Sur 11.4 caused my iMac 21.5" 4K (2017) to crash repeatedly (i.e., hang on mouse click indefinitely, totally unresponsive interface). I was using it successfully until the .4 update. Has anyone else experienced this?

I did the usual things I know to do. Reset the PRAM and SMC. Started in safe mode (still crashed). Ran Apple Hardware Test (no bad codes). Booted in Recovery Mode (command-R). Repaired disk and re-installed 11.4. Still crashed. Booted in internet Recovery Mode (Option-command-R). Erased my disk. This let me install MacOS Mojave (10.14). I did all updates, including Big Sur 11.4. No other data restored; just the new system. Still crashed. Booted in internet Recovery Mode. Reinstalled Mojave 10.14 and its security updates. Restored my apps and data from Time Machine. Unfortunately this replaced Safari and iMovie with later versions that would not run under Mojave. Reinstalled Mojave several more times to restore Safari. I am not allowed to install Catalina (10.15), but am only offered to update to Big Sur 11.4 I'm not falling for that again! I finally have a usable computer, running MasOS 10.14 Mojave. I'm just two years behind on the operating system. Is anyone else experiencing this?

iMac 21.5″ 4K, macOS 10.14

Posted on Jun 21, 2021 6:11 PM

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Answer 1

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Jack-19

Level 8

46,026 points

Jun 22, 2021 5:58 PM in response to ScoutX

Notes from EtreCheck:

Delete TotalAV. [Instructions]
Small backup drive. You need a larger Time Machine backup drive.
Clean up. Follow the prompts to remove orphan files.
Delete DrCleaner.
Delete Star VPN.
Delete Memory Cleaner 4.
Delete App Cleaner.
You may have malware. Get the free version of Malwarebytes for Mac to scan.
You might have a APFS volume issue. Go to Disk Utility (Finder > Go > Utilities), and in Disk Utility, select "View" > "Show All Devices". Now, go down the left sidebar, selecting each entry, and taking a screenshot of each. Upload them all here to Apple Support Communities using the "Image insertion" tool. (see image)

After deleting the Apps, cleaning up orphan files, and scanning for malware, startup in Safe Mode: How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support, login, and restart into normal mode. Generate and post a new EtreCheck report.

-Jack

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Answer 2

Jack-19

Level 8

46,026 points

Jun 21, 2021 11:58 PM in response to ScoutX

Hi ScoutX,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities.

That doesn't sound right. To help diagnose the issue, let's proceed with an EtreCheck report. EtreCheck is a useful App to and identify issues, both hardware and software. It is trusted by many users. Please follow the steps outlined below:

Navigate to: https://etrecheck.com and get the free version of EtreCheckPro.
Download it. It is a free and trusted app. It is often recommended here on Apple Support Communities.
Open EtreCheck, and before running the report, be sure to check “Allow full Drive Access” at the bottom of the EtreCheckPro window.
Run the report, and put it in a post, as seen here: https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250000211. We will then examine the report for issues in your Mac.

-Jack

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Answer 3

ScoutX Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 22, 2021 8:12 PM in response to Jack-19

EtreCheck Report generated after following the last instructions.

Report still lists TotalAV - from what I can see this is only the .dmg and two .pdf s; the app is deleted.

Regarding StarVPN - I don't like to run without VPN. I have been using the Premium version for several years on my laptop and devices (6 total). What VPN do you recommend?

After deleting Apps, orphan files, scan 4 malware,

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Answer 4

ScoutX Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 23, 2021 5:29 PM in response to Jack-19

OK, I have done all those things. I can't say definitively that my problems with Big Sur are solved because I have not yet committed to the upgrade. I suspect they may be, because a lot has been cleaned up. Since a larger Time Machine backup disk is recommended, I want to order one, which will free up an older 1 TB disk to use as a backup. I want to do a SuperDuper backup of the current cleaned up system before doing the Big Sur upgrade. It has just been too painful to get a working system and restore files. Mojave is working very fast, by the way.

Thank you so much for taking an interest in this problem and getting rid of some potentially conflicting software, confirming that I'm free of malware, and cleaning up the main disk. I have learned about some new tools. Your instructions are very clear.

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Answer 5

Jack-19

Level 8

46,026 points

Jun 22, 2021 8:27 PM in response to ScoutX

Actually, a VPN is less private because VPN companies sell your data that they claim to "protect". Also, the only time I would consider using a VPN is on a public Wi-Fi network, i.e. a coffee shop. At home on a secure network, a VPN is not needed, and it is anything but private. It has also been known to cause Mac issues.

For TotalAV, delete the .dmg and restart. It should be gone as long as the .app isn't installed.

New EtreCheck notes:

Delete App Cleaner and Memory Cleaner. If you have already, delete the support for it in ~/Library/Application Support/Memory Cleaner/. (Go to Finder > Go > Go to folder > enter "~/Library/Application Support/" and delete the Memory Cleaner / App Cleaner info.)

Thanks for the Disk Utility screenshots. Your Fusion Drive volumes are a mess. I can tell you downgraded from macOS Big Sur.

To fix this, Go to Finder > Go > Computer, and make sure no important data is on Macintosh HD - Data and Untitled00-Data. After confirming that, delete all the the volumes on your Fusion Drive (NOT external drives) except for the main Macintosh HD. (this includes Macintosh HD - Data, Untiled00-Data, and Update) To delete, select the volumes and hit "-" in the toolbar.

-Jack

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