My Intel iMac, 27", mid-2011, running OS X 10.7.4, won't shut down or restart. Always hangs up with spinning gear.

Question

My Intel iMac, 27", mid-2011, running OS X 10.7.4, won't shut down or restart. Always hangs up with spinning gear.

My Intel iMac, 27", mid-2011, running OS X 10.7.4, won't shut down or restart. The machine always hangs up with the spinning gear. To shut it down, I must use the power button. To restart I must shut it down with the power button and then press the power button again to restart. The machine goes in and out of sleep with no problem.

Any ideas what can be causing this behavior and how it can be corrected?

iMac (27-inch Mid 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.4), iPod4G, iPad2, MacPro,MacBookPro

Posted on Jun 2, 2012 7:03 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

rkaufmann87

Level 10

140,418 points

Jun 2, 2012 7:06 PM in response to Frank Bendrick

Restart in Safe Mode and then restart normally and test. Let us know if this helps or not.

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Answer 2

Jun 2, 2012 9:14 PM in response to rkaufmann87

When I started in Safe Mode, the computer would Restart and Shut Down normally. When I then restarted in Normal Mode, the computer again would Restart and Shut Down normally. Problem solved, sort of.

In the testing I did with the Safe Mode start, I discovered this: When my computer is running normally, I have both my iPod and my iPad connected to the computer. As a result, both iTunes and iPhoto are running. With this combination, i.e., iPad and iPod connected and iTunes and iPhoto running, the computer reverts to the behavior I originally asked for help to resolve, i.e., the spinning gear and no Restart or Shut Down. It seems to me that there is something going on with these two devices and these two apps that cause the spinning gear situation. I will try various combinations to see if I can ientify the culprit.

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Answer 3

RRFS

Level 5

4,522 points

Jun 2, 2012 9:20 PM in response to Frank Bendrick

Because they both access iTunes and iPhoto you could be causing a dilemma where the applications can''t resolve which device to serve. Personally I would use one at a time.

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Answer 4

Jun 3, 2012 12:05 AM in response to RRFS

I have connected the iPad and iPod to external power sources. They now communicate with the computer via Wi-Fi and have no wired connection to the computer. I have learned that simply opening iTunes, whether it is subsequently closed or not, is sufficient to cause the machine to hang on the spinning gear during Restart/Shut Down. This situation will continue until the machne is restarted in Safe Mode.

Something else must be involved. Does anyone have any other solutions or thoughts?

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