Not shutting down properly

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Not shutting down properly

Since installing Mavericks, the system does not always shut down properly when shutting down or restarting. I've found it also happens on sleep command, but I rarely put it to sleep manually so that is a bit of a non-issue for me.

When sleeping, restarting, or shutting down, the system will hang on the grey screen before it completes shutting down (on sleep, it hangs on the grey screen before the screen turns off for sleep mode). I have to manually shut down by holding the power button and then reboot. This doesn't happen EVERY time I shut down or restart, but certainly more than 50% of the time. I used to not shut down my system or restart it very often, but I have been doing some graphic heavy work (running Photoshop and InDesign simultaneously, and occasionally with multiple files open), and it seems that a great deal of RAM is recovered after a restart (even when I have the same files open, there is more RAM available after restart than before). Restarting once a day or whenever the RAM drops below 1 GB seems to stave off freezing and automatic restarts, which I was having a major problem with (see below). System freeze, screen artifacts, auto restart, etc will still happen if I don't restart, but since getting into the habit of restarting, those issues have almost stopped occurring.

Also, there seems to be something draining a significant amount of RAM even without applications running, as I have 8 GB of RAM in total, but never more than 5.5 GB available, even on startup, with minimal startup/login items: Caffeine, SMC Fan Control, and MemoryKeeper. Safari seems to drain RAM rapidly--after an hour or so using Safari, my memory will go down from 5.5 GB to 2 GB!!! That's even with nothing else running! So I avoid surfing as much as possible, especially when working in Photoshop and/or InDesign. Running both programs (PS & ID) seems to go well for 8-16 hr stretches before the RAM dips below 1 GB, at which point I restart and encounter the grey screen problem (but only half of the time). Besides it taking a little longer to wait and see if it'll freeze on the grey screen and then manally shut down and restart if it does, the issue is not that big a deal, (except when I Shut Down before I go to bed and then get up in the morning to find a grey screen!) but it cannot be good for the system to be manually shutting down (by holding the power button) on a regular basis.

I have previously had multiple issues with crashing and automatic restarts, particularly when running Safari, and started a thread on that issue here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4992627

Early 2009 24" iMac CONTINUALLY crashes...and screen freezing issue that is discussed on this thread:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2384136?tstart=0

Advice?

1. Is this a symptom of something more serious?

2. Is it bad for the system to be manually restarting by holding the power button?

3. Is this related to the RAM, or are the two issues unrelated? (besides recovering RAM on restart, which is normal)

Thanks!

iMac (24-inch Early 2009), Mac OS X (10.6.1)

Posted on Dec 30, 2013 9:04 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

den.thed

Level 9

77,368 points

Dec 30, 2013 10:23 PM in response to MBD999

Reset the SMC, as per > Resetting the System Management Controller

1. Shut down the computer.

2. Unplug the computer's power cord.

3. Wait fifteen seconds.

4. Attach the computer's power cord.

5. Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.

Best answers I can give are:

1. Not necessarily, could just be because of unfinished user or system tasks.

2. Yes, especially if user or system tasks are not finished.

3. Don't know, but I do know that Safari, PS and ID all require a lot of RAM and do not like to give it up.

Additionally, you might want to try ditching Caffeine, MemoryKeeper and any other un-necessary third party Apps, Utilities and any AVware that is running in the background.

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Answer 2

Dec 30, 2013 10:38 PM in response to MBD999

I have found that shutting down manually may possibly be the cause of part of your problem. You say that running continuously for 8 to 16 hrs straight could be an issue,. After running that long just walk away and let the computer go to sleep on its own. You will find that doing it this way in the morning all you have to do is click your mouse and your machine will pop awake immediately. You shouldn't really ever have to hit the button to shut off or restart. Let the computer do it change your setting with no activity rather than using the stop start button. One last thing get rid of the programs that have already been mentioned that could also be part of your issue with programs that really don't help your cause.

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Answer 3

MBD999 Author

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Dec 30, 2013 10:42 PM in response to den.thed

Thanks, I have done the unplug solution many times, in fact and it does not resolve this particular issue, although it does seem to help the system run more smoothly.

I have tried force quitting all apps to ensure nothing is running before restarting or shutting down, but nothing is running. Plus, since I now only open ID and PS, I just make sure those apps have quit before shutting down.

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Answer 4

MBD999 Author

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Dec 30, 2013 11:00 PM in response to Donald Morgan

Hi Donald, the only reason I am shutting down manually is BECAUSE of the grey screen problem. I realize it could be a viscious circle where shutting down manally is not helping the issue, but the primary issue is that it does not shut down UNLESS I shut down manually by holding the power button. I hate doing it, becasue I know it can't be good for the system, but there's no other option once the grey screen freezes.

As for "letting it sleep on its own," I would, but that does not reset the RAM, even after quitting apps that draw RAM like PS, ID, and Safari--restart does. I'm working 8-16 hours straight becasue I work from home (occasionally longer when working against a deadline--like now!). Granted, the supposed work time is 8 hrs per day, but really, a Mac SHOULD be able to handle running 16 hrs/day no problem. Sorry, but since everone who uses a computer uses it for work, entertainment, leisure, communication, etc, this is not an unrealistic expectation.

Regarding sleep: when I disable Caffeine (which overrides sleep) the grey screen issue shows up on sleep as well--it's one of the reasons why I continue to use Caffeine, despite not really needing it right now. BTW, the grey screen freeze issue has been going on since installing Mavericks (I'm a notorious early adopter, I admit). Restarting regularly has been going on a little bit longer, since I noticed it stops the other, more significant issue of total system freezing (for which, again, the only solution is to manually shut down via the power button, and periodically resetting SMC). BUT, before Mavericks, shut down would not cause the grey screen freeze issue, and after Mavericks there are generally fewer other issues... so going back to the previous OS isn't really a fix for me, since the other freezing and screen artifacts, etc were worse.

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Answer 5

Dec 30, 2013 11:33 PM in response to MBD999

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH13975

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH13895

Here these should help.

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Answer 6

MBD999 Author

Level 1

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Dec 31, 2013 12:53 AM in response to Donald Morgan

I appreciate your effort, but neither of these address my issue. Apps are not freezing. Apps are quitting the way they should, when performing commmand+Q or selecting Quit from the app menus.

I have tried unplugging peripherals (I did it once along with the SMC reset by unplugging the power, and did the same with peripherals on one or two occasions since this problem surfaced), to no resolve.

I've run diagnostics. Diagnostics does not reveal the disk as being damaged, but I have repaired permissions (oddly, most of them were iBooks--I've no idea why, since I NEVER use iBooks!!)

I have not tried booting up in Safe Mode. It's worth a try, I suppose, but if the ystem shuts down normally only when shutting down from Safe Mode, and not when running normally, it doesn't really help me right now.

My HD is a 640GB drive, with well over 200GB available. I upgraded the memory (when I WAS having app freezing and system-wide freezing issues) from 4 GB to 8 GB. Both Photoshop and InDesign do not require more than 4 GB to run, although they are supposed to run better with 8 or 16 (I'm not able to upgrade this iMac to 16GB. 8 is the maximum.)

Once again the issue is that the system does not SHUT DOWN or RESTART properly, freezing on the grey screen after logout--hence, after all apps are already Quit (including any that may have been unresponsive before shutdown or restart). Hence the requirement to manually shut down using the power button. I have even tried restarting immediately after startup before running any apps, and it will still freeze on the grey screen, making me once again have to hold down the power button (which I really hate having to do, but there is no other option).

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Answer 7

pmac1250

Level 1

0 points

Mar 24, 2014 2:03 PM in response to MBD999

Hi - I'm getting very similar problems since I went to Mavericks. I have a 2010 model iMac, 27" with 8GB memory and 1TB hard drive which is not even half used. Since installing Mavericks the thing frequently won't shutdown properly - with the grey screen permanently there - and neither will it wake up if I've let it go to sleep.

I frequently have to revert to the manual holding down the power button option. There is no choice.

Did you ever manage to resolve this?

Thanks

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Answer 8

vjunloc

Level 1

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Jul 12, 2014 6:38 PM in response to MBD999

I am also facing this issue, for me it doesn't stop on grey screen, rather it shutdowns properly. But when i try to reboot it after sometime, it doesn't boot and i have to manually long press the power button and then start the machine, This happens even after properly quitting all the applications.

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Answer 9

rsm25

Level 1

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Sep 7, 2014 5:16 PM in response to vjunloc

My Mac Pro was hanging on shutdown on the grey screen for about ten minutes. Deleting all launch agents ( ! ) -- however drastic that sounds -- solved the problem.

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