Carlton Chin

Q: Ran the latest update. SBOD.

I am running the latest version of Mountain Lion on my iMac. I just ran the latest update (not the free Maverick one). The machine restarted after installing the updates. I waited for about 20 minutes. All see is the apple startup screen and the SBOD. I restarted by pushing the power button on the back of the iMac and when that didn't work, I tried to boot into Safe Mode. Still got the gray screen/apple icon and SBOD. What are my options here to get my system up and running again and has anyone has this problem after running the updates?

 

Addendum.

I finally got the iMac to boot into Safe Mode. I notice when I switch between windows that I have open in Safari, the windows and their contents flicker in and out during the redraw. What is going on here?

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Feb 26, 2014 7:34 PM

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Q: Ran the latest update. SBOD.

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  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Feb 26, 2014 10:13 PM in response to Carlton Chin
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Feb 26, 2014 10:13 PM in response to Carlton Chin

    What is going on here?

     

    That's normal in safe mode, because graphics acceleration is disabled. Can you reboot out of safe mode?

  • by Carlton Chin,

    Carlton Chin Carlton Chin Feb 26, 2014 10:35 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 3 (823 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 26, 2014 10:35 PM in response to Linc Davis

    I didn't realize that graphics acceleration is disabled in safe mode. That would explain the browser behavior. I was able to reboot out of Safe Mode but the iMac was still acting a little weird. I had an external USB drive with a slightly older OS installed. I ran Disk Utility to check and repair the startup disk (SSD) disk and permissions.

     

    Most of the permission fixes were related to iTunes stuff. The only item that was different from the others was this...

     

    Warning: SUID file “System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/ARDAg ent” has been modified and will not be repaired.

     

    I am not sure what it is or if I should be worried that it could not be repaired.

    Also, it took about 3 to 5 minutes for my Internet connection to be fully functional. The only thing that work right off the bat was my FTP application and Safari could only connect to the Apple Web site. I can't figure out why the delay.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Feb 26, 2014 10:53 PM in response to Carlton Chin
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Feb 26, 2014 10:53 PM in response to Carlton Chin

    I am not sure what it is or if I should be worried that it could not be repaired.

     

    That warning means nothing. Is the machine working normally now?

  • by Carlton Chin,

    Carlton Chin Carlton Chin Feb 27, 2014 5:04 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 3 (823 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 27, 2014 5:04 AM in response to Linc Davis

    The machine is working now but I'm still trying to figure out why it is sluggish in getting my Internet connection "fully" up and running. Is there any kind of norm in regards to this? I would think full connection would be fairly instantaneous.

     

    Also, should I be concerned that after running the update/install, that my iMac just kept on stalling at the gray screen/Apple logo, after waiting a bit and restarting a few times?

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Feb 27, 2014 8:33 AM in response to Carlton Chin
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Feb 27, 2014 8:33 AM in response to Carlton Chin

    When you have the problem, note the exact time: hour, minute, second.

       

    If you have more than one user account, these instructions must be carried out as an administrator.

      

    Launch the Console application in any of the following ways:

     

    ☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

     

    ☞ In the Finder, select Go Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

     

    ☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Console in the icon grid.

     

    Make sure the title of the Console window is All Messages. If it isn't, select All Messages from the SYSTEM LOG QUERIES menu on the left. If you don't see that menu, select

    View Show Log List

    from the menu bar.

    Each message in the log begins with the date and time when it was entered. Scroll back to the time you noted above. Select the messages entered from then until the end of the episode, or until they start to repeat, whichever comes first. Copy the messages to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Paste into a reply to this message (command-V).

    The log contains a vast amount of information, almost all of it useless for solving any particular problem. When posting a log extract, be selective. In most cases, a few dozen lines are more than enough. It is never necessary or helpful to post more than about 100 lines. "The more, the better" is not the rule here.

    Please do not indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.

      

    Important: Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting.

  • by Carlton Chin,

    Carlton Chin Carlton Chin Feb 27, 2014 8:59 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 3 (823 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 27, 2014 8:59 AM in response to Linc Davis

    Here's bits and pieces of the log...

     

    2/26/14 10:39:56.972 PM Safari[322]: Error loading /Library/ScriptingAdditions/QXPScriptingAdditions.osax/Contents/MacOS/QXPScript ingAdditions:  dlopen(/Library/ScriptingAdditions/QXPScriptingAdditions.osax/Contents/MacOS/QX PScriptingAdditions, 262): no suitable image found.  Did find:

              /Library/ScriptingAdditions/QXPScriptingAdditions.osax/Contents/MacOS/QXPS criptingAdditions: mach-o, but wrong architecture

    2/26/14 10:40:38.037 PM System Preferences[379]: *** WARNING: -[NSImage compositeToPoint:operation:fraction:] is deprecated in MacOSX 10.8 and later. Please use -[NSImage drawAtPoint:fromRect:operation:fraction:] instead.

    2/26/14 10:40:38.037 PM System Preferences[379]: *** WARNING: -[NSImage compositeToPoint:fromRect:operation:fraction:] is deprecated in MacOSX 10.8 and later. Please use -[NSImage drawAtPoint:fromRect:operation:fraction:] instead.

    2/26/14 10:41:17.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: sandboxd(439) deny mach-lookup com.apple.coresymbolicationd

    2/26/14 10:41:33.000 PM kernel[0]: considerRebuildOfPrelinkedKernel com.apple.driver.AudioAUUC triggered rebuild

    2/26/14 10:41:38.053 PM Dock[171]: LaunchPad: __53-[LPAppManager(StoreSupport) _acceptStoreConnection:]_block_invoke_0 app store xpc message error: Connection invalid

    2/26/14 10:41:53.000 PM kernel[0]: fsevents: watcher dbfseventsd (pid: 465) - Using /dev/fsevents directly is unsupported.  Migrate to FSEventsFramework

    2/26/14 10:41:55.827 PM osascript[477]: Error loading /Library/ScriptingAdditions/QXPScriptingAdditions.osax/Contents/MacOS/QXPScript ingAdditions:  dlopen(/Library/ScriptingAdditions/QXPScriptingAdditions.osax/Contents/MacOS/QX PScriptingAdditions, 262): no suitable image found.  Did find:

              /Library/ScriptingAdditions/QXPScriptingAdditions.osax/Contents/MacOS/QXPS criptingAdditions: mach-o, but wrong architecture

    2/26/14 10:41:56.315 PM com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[159]: (com.apple.Finder[176]) Job appears to have crashed: Segmentation fault: 11

    2/26/14 10:42:42.724 PM com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[159]: (com.apple.UserEventAgent-Aqua[162]) Exited: Killed: 9

    2/26/14 10:42:43.729 PM loginwindow[68]: DEAD_PROCESS: 68 console

    2/26/14 10:42:43.781 PM shutdown[508]: SHUTDOWN_TIME: 1393472563 780592

    2/26/14 10:43:15.000 PM bootlog[0]: BOOT_TIME 1393472595 0

    2/26/14 10:43:16.000 PM kernel[0]: zone leak detection enabled

    2/26/14 10:43:16.000 PM kernel[0]: corecrypto kext started!

    2/26/14 10:43:16.000 PM kernel[0]: corecrypto.kext FIPS integrity POST test passed!

    2/26/14 10:43:16.000 PM kernel[0]: AppleACPICPU: ProcessorId=1 LocalApicId=0 Enabled

    2/26/14 10:43:16.000 PM kernel[0]: The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

    2/26/14 10:43:24.000 PM kernel[0]: Symantec Vulnerability Protection loaded new signatures successfully.

    2/26/14 10:44:35.000 PM kernel[0]: Ethernet [AppleBCM5701Ethernet]: Link down on en0

    2/26/14 10:44:39.000 PM kernel[0]: Ethernet [AppleBCM5701Ethernet]: Link up on en0, 1-Gigabit, Full-duplex, No flow-control, Debug [796d,0301,0de1,0300,c1e1,3800]

     

    There's a line about California (towards the bottom)? I'm not even in that state.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Feb 27, 2014 9:06 AM in response to Carlton Chin
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Feb 27, 2014 9:06 AM in response to Carlton Chin

    Remove the worse-than-useless Norton/Symantec product by following the instructions on either of these pages:

    Uninstalling your Norton product for Mac

    Removing Symantec programs for Macintosh

    If you have a different version of the product, the procedure may be different. Back up all data before making any changes.

  • by Carlton Chin,

    Carlton Chin Carlton Chin Feb 27, 2014 9:37 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 3 (823 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 27, 2014 9:37 AM in response to Linc Davis

    I'll give that a try. Is it possible Norton could be slow things up?

     

    I was debating about whether I need something like this anymore. I use to run things like Norton and Intego in the past. Primarily to have on hand if I ever need to scan for virus/trojans or to block any suspicious traffic going in and out of my computer. It was free from my ISP. Does it still make sense nowadays to have this type of software installed or is Apple's Firewall and a decent router sufficient? I also, thought about getting Objective Development's Little Snitch.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Feb 27, 2014 9:45 AM in response to Carlton Chin
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Feb 27, 2014 9:45 AM in response to Carlton Chin
    1. This is a comment on what you should and should not do to protect yourself from malicious software ("malware") that circulates on the Internet. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to your computer, or who has been able to log in to it remotely. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it. If you have reason to suspect that you're the target of such an attack, you need expert help.
      
    If you find this comment too long or too technical, read only sections 5, 6, and 10.
      
    OS X now implements three layers of built-in protection specifically against malware, not counting runtime protections such as execute disable, sandboxing, system library randomization, and address space layout randomization that may also guard against other kinds of exploits.

    2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user. Internally Apple calls it "XProtect."
    The malware recognition database used by XProtect is automatically updated; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.
       
    The following caveats apply to XProtect:
    • It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets.
    • It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
    As new versions of OS X are released, it's not clear whether Apple will indefinitely continue to maintain the XProtect database of older versions such as 10.6. The security of obsolete system versions may eventually be degraded. Security updates to the code of obsolete systems will stop being released at some point, and that may leave them open to other kinds of attack besides malware.
      
    3. Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there has been a second layer of built-in malware protection, designated "Gatekeeper" by Apple. By default, applications and Installer packages downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Software certified in this way hasn't necessarily been tested by Apple, but you can be reasonably sure that it hasn't been modified by anyone other than the developer. His identity is known to Apple, so he could be held legally responsible if he distributed malware. That may not mean much if the developer lives in a country with a weak legal system (see below.)
       
    Gatekeeper doesn't depend on a database of known malware. It has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
    • It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user.
    • A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could simply ignore the consequences of distributing codesigned malware.
    • An App Store developer could find a way to bypass Apple's oversight, or the oversight could fail due to human error.
    For the reasons given above, App Store products, and other applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed, are safer than others, but they can't be considered absolutely safe. "Sandboxed" applications may prompt for access to private data, such as your contacts, or for access to the network. Think before granting that access. Sandboxing security is based on user input. Never click through any request for authorization without thinking.
           
    4. Starting with OS X 10.8.3, a third layer of protection has been added: a "Malware Removal Tool" (MRT). MRT runs automatically in the background when you update the OS. It checks for, and removes, malware that may have evaded the other protections via a Java exploit (see below.) MRT also runs when you install or update the Apple-supplied Java runtime (but not the Oracle runtime.) Like XProtect, MRT is effective against known threats, but not against unknown ones. It notifies you if it finds malware, but otherwise there's no user interface to MRT.
     
    5. The built-in security features of OS X reduce the risk of malware attack, but they're not absolute protection. The first and best line of defense is always going to be your own intelligence. With the possible exception of Java exploits, all known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "Trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and Internet criminals. If you're smarter than they think you are, you'll win. That means, in practice, that you always stay within a safe harbor of computing practices. How do you know when you're leaving the safe harbor? Below are some red flags that indicate danger.
      
    Software from an untrustworthy source
    • Software of any kind is distributed via BitTorrent or Usenet.
    • Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, doesn't come directly from the developer’s website.
    • Rogue websites such as Softonic and CNET Download distribute free applications that have been packaged in a superfluous "installer."
    • The software is advertised by means of spam or intrusive web popups.
    Software that is plainly illegal or does something illegal
    • Software that you would otherwise have to pay for is "cracked" or "free."
    • An application helps you to infringe copyright, for instance by circumventing the copy protection on commercial software, or saving streamed media for reuse without permission.
    Conditional or unsolicited offers from strangers
    • A telephone caller or a web page tells you that you have a “virus” and offers to help you remove it. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn visitors who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
    • A web site offers free content such as video or music, but to use it you must install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "downloader," "extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one.
    • You win a prize in a contest you never entered.
    • Someone on a message board such as this one is eager to help you, but only if you download an application of his choosing.
    • A "FREE WI-FI !!!" network advertises itself in a public place such as an airport, but is not provided by the management.
    Unexpected events
    • You open what looks like a document and get an alert that it's "an application downloaded from the Internet." Click Cancel and delete the file or message.
    • An application does something you don't expect, such as asking for permission to access your contacts, your location, or the Internet for no obvious reason.
    • Software is attached to email that you didn't request, even if it comes (or seems to come) from someone you trust.
    I don't say that leaving the safe harbor just once will necessarily result in disaster, but making a habit of it will weaken your defenses against malware attack. Any of the above scenarios should, at the very least, make you uncomfortable.
      
    6. Java on the Web (not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related, despite the similarity of the names) is a weak point in the security of any system. Java is, among other things, a platform for running complex applications in a web page, on the client. That was always a bad idea, and Java's developers have proven themselves incapable of implementing it without also creating a portal for malware to enter. Past Java exploits are the closest thing there has ever been to a Windows-style virus affecting OS X. Merely loading a page with malicious Java content could be harmful.
      
    Fortunately, client-side Java on the Web is obsolete and mostly extinct. Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice. Forget about playing games or other non-essential uses of Java.
       
    Java is not included in OS X 10.7 and later. Discrete Java installers are distributed by Apple and by Oracle (the developer of Java.) Don't use either one unless you need it. Most people don't. If Java is installed, disable itnot JavaScript — in your browsers.
       
    Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java on the Web can't be trusted. If you must use a Java applet for a task on a specific site, enable Java only for that site in Safari. Never enable Java for a public website that carries third-party advertising. Use it only on well-known, login-protected, secure websites without ads. In Safari 6 or later, you'll see a lock icon in the address bar with the abbreviation "https" when visiting a secure site.

    Stay within the safe harbor, and you’ll be as safe from malware as you can practically be. The rest of this comment concerns what you should not do to protect yourself.

    7. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they all do more harm than good, if they do any good at all. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use one of the free security apps in the Mac App Store — nothing else.
      
    Why shouldn't you use commercial "anti-virus" products?
    • To recognize malware, the software depends on a database of known threats, which is always at least a day out of date. New threats are emerging on a daily basis. Research has shown that most successful attacks are "zero-day" — that is, previously unknown. Recognition-based malware scanners do not defend against such attacks.
    • Their design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere.
    • In order to meet that nonexistent threat, the software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance.
    • By modifying the operating system, the software itself may create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.
    8. An anti-malware product from the App Store, such as "ClamXav," has the same drawback as the commercial suites of being always out of date, but it does not inject code into the operating system. That doesn't mean it's entirely harmless. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.
        
    An anti-virus app is not needed, and should not be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful only for detecting Windows malware, and even for that use it's not completely effective. Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else.
        
    A Windows malware attachment in email is usually easy to recognize. The file name will often be targeted at people who aren't very bright; for example:
      
    ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!!!!!!!H0TBABEZ4U!!!!!!!.AVI♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.exe
       
    Anti-virus software may be able to tell you which particular trojan it is, but do you really care? In practice, there's seldom a reason to use the software unless an institutional policy requires it. Windows malware is so widespread that you should assume it's in every unknown email attachment until proven otherwise.
      
    The ClamXav developer won't try to "upsell" you to a paid version of the product. Other developers may do that. Don't be upsold. For one thing, you should not pay to protect Windows users from the consequences of their choice of computing platform. For another, a paid upgrade from a free app will probably have all the disadvantages mentioned in section 7.
      
    9. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning. It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use in the Sharing preference pane. All are disabled by default.
        
    10. As a Mac user you don't have to live in fear that your computer may be infected every time you install software, read email, or visit a web page. But neither should you assume that you will always be safe from exploitation, no matter what you do. The greatest harm done by security software is precisely its selling point: it makes people feel safe. They may then feel safe enough to take risks from which the software doesn't protect them. "Hmmmm, this torrent is a crack of that new game I want. I think I'll download it. It could be a trojan, but the antivirus will warn me if it is." Then they wonder why their Mac is so slow all of a sudden. It's slow because it's running flat out mining bitcoins for a hacker who has already sold their credit card number and banking passwords to a criminal gang. Maybe a week later the antivirus does warn them, but what good does that do?
        
    Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices.
  • by Carlton Chin,

    Carlton Chin Carlton Chin Feb 28, 2014 8:01 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 3 (823 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 28, 2014 8:01 PM in response to Linc Davis

    I certainly wasn't expect you to write so much. But at the same time I do appreciate the wealth of information. Thanks!

     

    I'll check out ClamXav. I am still curious about the inner workings and of the traffic that comes in and out of the machine. Would Snitch be 'non-invasive" or "inject" less code compared to Norton, McAfee or Kaspersky?

     

    Just to update. I uninstalled Norton. Now, whether running the latest Mac OS X update earlier or because Norton was installed, as potential culprit, whenever I wake my iMac up now, the screen is still black and I just get the SBOD. Waited 10 minutes and still no login screen.

     

    I tried to boot from the install discs that came with my iMac. I got a blank gray screen and intermittent beeps that didn't stop. I had to power it down. What was that all about? Next, I tried to boot from the external drive that has Mac OS X. My iMac will not recognize the C key. My next step is to try to designate the external drive as the startup volume (or the install CD) from the System Preferences. And if successful, run Disk Utility from the external drive.

     

    Does it sound like there something else I can try without ending up doing a clean install of the OS?

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Feb 28, 2014 8:40 PM in response to Carlton Chin
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Feb 28, 2014 8:40 PM in response to Carlton Chin

    Would Snitch be 'non-invasive" or "inject" less code compared to Norton, McAfee or Kaspersky?

     

    I don't think it's as bad, but I don't think it's useful either. That's getting off the subject.

     

    I got a blank gray screen and intermittent beeps that didn't stop.

     

    Beeps at startup are usually an indication of a memory fault. You could have a bad installation disc, or a bad optical drive, but you should make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested for a hardware problem.

  • by Carlton Chin,

    Carlton Chin Carlton Chin Feb 28, 2014 9:35 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 3 (823 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 28, 2014 9:35 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Memory fault? As in the memory might need to be replaced? I was able to boot of the external drive and run Disk Utility. Still SBOD after reboot. I then boot into Safe Mode and decide to run Onxy. Still SBOD. The iMac can certainly boot into Safe Mode fine and off an external drive.

     

    I zapped the PRAM (or is it NVRAM?). There's one other thing I haven't tried yet I forget what it is called. It's where you unplug everything connect to the computer including the power cord. Wait a few minutes. Then hold down certain keys at startup. I can't recall what that process is called.

     

    Should I try to do a clean install of the OS or should I still take to the Apple Store to have it looked at?

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Feb 28, 2014 10:23 PM in response to Carlton Chin
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Feb 28, 2014 10:23 PM in response to Carlton Chin

    1. This procedure is a diagnostic test. It changes nothing, for better or worse, and therefore will not, in itself, solve the problem.

    2. If you don't already have a current backup, back up all data before doing anything else. The backup is necessary on general principle, not because of anything in the test procedure. There are ways to back up a computer that isn't fully functional. Ask if you need guidance.

    3. Below are instructions to run a UNIX shell script, a type of program. All it does is to collect information about the state of the computer. That information goes nowhere unless you choose to share it. However, you should be cautious about running any kind of program (not just a shell script) at the request of a stranger on a public message board. If you have doubts, search this site for other discussions in which this procedure has been followed without any report of ill effects. If you can't satisfy yourself that the instructions are safe, don't follow them. Ask for other options.

    Here's a summary of what you need to do, if you choose to proceed: Copy a line of text from this web page into the window of another application. Wait for the script to run. It usually takes a few minutes. Then paste the results, which will have been copied automatically, back into a reply on this page. The sequence is: copy, paste, wait, paste again. Details follow.

    4. You may have started the computer in "safe" mode. Preferably, these steps should be taken in “normal” mode. If the system is now in safe mode and works well enough in normal mode to run the test, restart as usual. If you can only test in safe mode, do that.

    5. If you have more than one user, and the one affected by the problem is not an administrator, then please run the test twice: once while logged in as the affected user, and once as an administrator. The results may be different. The user that is created automatically on a new computer when you start it for the first time is an administrator. If you can't log in as an administrator, test as the affected user. Most personal Macs have only one user, and in that case this section doesn’t apply.

    6. The script is a single long line, all of which must be selected. You can accomplish this easily by triple-clicking anywhere in the line. The whole line will highlight, though you may not see all of it in the browser window, and you can then copy it. If you try to select the line by dragging across the part you can see, you won't get all of it.

    Triple-click anywhere in the line of text below on this page to select it:

    PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin; clear; Fb='%s\n\t(%s)\n'; Fm='\n%s\n\n%s\n'; Fr='\nRAM details\n%s\n'; Fs='\n%s: %s\n'; Fu='user %s%%, system %s%%'; AC="com.autodesk.AutoCAD"; PB="/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c Print"; A () { [[ a -eq 0 ]]; }; M () { find -L "$d" -type f | while read f; do file -b "$f" | egrep -lq XML\|exec && echo $f; done; }; Pc () { o=`grep -v '^ *#' "$2"`; l=`wc -l <<< "$o"`; [[ l -gt 25 ]] && o=`head -n25 <<< "$o"`$'\n'"[$((l-25)) more line(s)]"; Pm "$1"; }; Pm () { [[ "$o" ]] && o=`sed -E '/^ *$/d; s/^ */   /; s/[-0-9A-Fa-f]{22,}/UUID/g' <<< "$o"` && printf "$Fm" "$1" "$o"; }; Pp () { o=`$PB "$2" | awk -F'= ' \/$3'/{print $2}'`; Pm "$1"; }; Ps () { o=`echo $o`; [[ ! "$o" =~ ^0?$ ]] && printf "$Fs" "$1" "$o"; }; R () { o=; [[ r -eq 0 ]]; }; SP () { system_profiler SP${1}DataType; }; id -G | grep -qw 80; a=$?; A && sudo true; r=$?; t=`date +%s`; clear; { A || echo $'No admin access\n'; A && ! R && echo $'No root access\n'; SP Software | sed '8!d;s/^ *//'; h=(`SP Hardware | awk '/ Id/{print $3}; /Mem/{print $2}'`); o=$h; Ps "Model"; o=$((h[1]<4?h[1]:0)); Ps "Total RAM (GB)"; o=`SP Memory | sed '1,5d;/[my].*:/d'`; [[ "$o" =~ s:\ [^O]|x([^08]||0[^2]8[^0]) ]] && printf "$Fr" "$o"; o=`SP Diagnostics | sed '5,6!d'`; [[ "$o" =~ Pass ]] || Pm "POST"; p=`SP Power`; o=`awk '/Cy/{print $NF}' <<< "$p"`; o=$((o>=300?o:0)); Ps "Battery cycles"; o=`sed -n '/Cond.*: [^N]/{s/^.*://p;}' <<< "$p"`; Ps "Battery condition"; for b in Thunderbolt USB; do o=`SP $b | sed -En '1d;/:$/{s/ *:$//;x;s/\n//p;};/^ *V.* [0N].* /{s/ 0x.... //;s/[()]//g;s/(.*: )(.*)/ \(\2\)/;H;};/Apple|Genesy|Intel|SMSC/{s/.//g;h;}'`; Pm $b; done; o=`pmset -g therm | sed 's/^.*C/C/'`; [[ "$o" =~ No\ th|pms ]] && o=; Pm "Thermal conditions"; o=`pmset -g sysload | grep -v :`; [[ "$o" =~ =\ [^GO] ]] || o=; Pm "System load advisory"; o=`nvram boot-args | awk '{$1=""; print}'`; Ps "boot-args"; a=(/ ""); A=(System User); for i in 0 1; do o=`cd ${a[$i]}L*/Lo*/Diag* || continue; for f in *.{cr,h,pa,s}*; do [[ -f "$f" ]] || continue; d=$(stat -f%Sc -t%F "$f"); [[ "$f" =~ h$ ]] && grep -lq "^Thread c" "$f" && e=\* || e=; echo $d ${f%%_2*} ${f##*.} "$e"; done | sort | tail`; Pm "${A[$i]} diagnostics"; done; [[ "$o" =~ \*$ ]] && printf $'\n* Code injection\n'; o=`syslog -F bsd -k Sender kernel -k Message CReq 'GPU |hfs: Ru|I/O e|last value [1-9]|n Cause: -|NVDA\(|pagin|proc: t|SATA W|ssert|Thrott|timed? ?o' | tail -n25 | awk '/:/{$4=""; $5=""};1'`; Pm "Kernel messages"; o=`df -m / | awk 'NR==2 {print $4}'`; o=$((o<5120?o:0)); Ps "Free space (MiB)"; o=$(($(vm_stat | awk '/eo/{sub("\\.",""); print $2}')/256)); o=$((o>=1024?o:0)); Ps "Pageouts (MiB)"; s=( `sar -u 1 10 | sed '$!d'` ); [[ s[4] -lt 85 ]] && o=`printf "$Fu" ${s[1]} ${s[3]}` || o=; Ps "Total CPU usage" && { s=(`ps acrx -o comm,ruid,%cpu | sed '2!d'`); n=$((${#s[*]}-1)); c="${s[*]}"; o=${s[$n]}%; Ps "CPU usage by process \"${c% ${s[$((n-1))]}*}\" with UID ${s[$((n-1))]}"; }; s=(`top -R -l1 -n1 -o prt -stats command,uid,prt | sed '$!d'`); n=$((${#s[*]}-1)); s[$n]=${s[$n]%[+-]}; c="${s[*]}"; o=$((s[$n]>=25000?s[$n]:0)); Ps "Mach ports used by process \"${c% ${s[$((n-1))]}*}\" with UID ${s[$((n-1))]}"; o=`kextstat -kl | grep -v com\\.apple | cut -c53- | cut -d\< -f1`; Pm "Loaded extrinsic kernel extensions"; R && o=`sudo launchctl list | awk 'NR>1 && !/0x|com\.(apple|openssh|vix\.cron)|org\.(amav|apac|calendarse|cups|dove|isc|ntp|post[fg]|x)/{print $3}'`; Pm "Extrinsic daemons"; o=`launchctl list | awk 'NR>1 && !/0x|com\.apple|org\.(x|openbsd)|\.[0-9]+$/{print $3}'`; Pm "Extrinsic agents"; o=`for d in {/,}L*/Lau*; do M; done | grep -v com\.apple\.CSConfig | while read f; do ID=$($PB\ :Label "$f") || ID="No job label"; printf "$Fb" "$f" "$ID"; done`; Pm "launchd items"; o=`for d in /{S*/,}L*/Star*; do M; done`; Pm "Startup items"; o=`find -L /S*/L*/{C*/Sec*A,E}* {/,}L*/{A*d,Compon,Ex,In,iTu,Keyb,Mail/B,P*P,Qu*T,Scripti,Sec,Servi,Spo}* -type d -name Contents -prune | while read d; do ID=$($PB\ :CFBundleIdentifier "$d/Info.plist") || ID="No bundle ID"; [[ "$ID" =~ ^com\.apple\.[^x]|Accusys|ArcMSR|ATTO|HDPro|HighPoint|driver\.stex|hp-fax|\.hpio|JMicron|microsoft\.MDI|print|SoftRAID ]] || printf "$Fb" "${d%/Contents}" "$ID"; done`; Pm "Extrinsic loadable bundles"; LD="$(`find /S*/*/F* -type f -name lsregister | head -n1` -dump)"; o=`for ID in $AC; do [[ "$LD" =~ $ID ]] && echo $ID; done`; Pm "Application check"; o=`find -L /u*/{,*/}lib -type f | while read f; do file -b "$f" | grep -qw shared && ! codesign -v "$f" && echo $f; done`; Pm "Unsigned shared libraries"; o=`for e in INSERT_LIBRARIES LIBRARY_PATH; do launchctl getenv DYLD_$e; done`; Pm "Environment"; o=`find -L {,/u*/lo*}/e*/periodic -type f -mtime -10d`; Pm "Modified periodic scripts"; o=`scutil --proxy | grep Prox`; Pm "Proxies"; o=`scutil --dns | awk '/r\[0\] /{if ($NF !~ /^1(0|72\.(1[6-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])|92\.168)\./) print $NF; exit}'`; Ps "DNS"; R && o=`sudo profiles -P | grep : | wc -l`; Ps "Profiles"; f=auto_master; [[ `md5 -q /etc/$f` =~ ^b166 ]] || Pc $f /etc/$f; for f in fstab sysctl.conf crontab launchd.conf; do Pc $f /etc/$f; done; Pc "hosts" <(grep -v 'host *$' /etc/hosts); Pc "User launchd" ~/.launchd*; R && Pc "Root crontab" <(sudo crontab -l); Pc "User crontab" <(crontab -l | sed -E 's:/Users/[^/]+/:/Users/USER/:g'); R && o=`sudo defaults read com.apple.loginwindow LoginHook`; Pm "Login hook"; Pp "Global login items" /L*/P*/loginw* Path; Pp "User login items" L*/P*/*loginit* Name; Pp "Safari extensions" L*/Saf*/*/E*.plist Bundle | sed -E 's/(\..*$|-[1-9])//g'; o=`find ~ $TMPDIR.. \( -flags +sappnd,schg,uappnd,uchg -o ! -user $UID -o ! -perm -600 \) | wc -l`; Ps "Restricted user files"; cd; o=`SP Fonts | egrep "Valid: N|Duplicate: Y" | wc -l`; Ps "Font problems"; o=`find L*/{Con,Pref}* -type f ! -size 0 -name *.plist | while read f; do plutil -s "$f" >&- || echo $f; done`; Pm "Bad plists"; d=(Desktop L*/Keyc*); n=(20 7); for i in 0 1; do o=`find "${d[$i]}" -type f -maxdepth 1 | wc -l`; o=$((o<=n[$i]?0:o)); Ps "${d[$i]##*/} file count"; done; o=; [[ UID -eq 0 ]] && o=root; Ps "UID"; o=$((`date +%s`-t)); Ps "Elapsed time (s)"; } 2>/dev/null | pbcopy; exit 2>&-
    Copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C.

    7. Launch the built-in Terminal application in any of the following ways:

    ☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

    ☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

    ☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the icon grid.

    Click anywhere in the Terminal window and paste (command-V). The text you pasted should vanish immediately. If it doesn't, press the return key.

    8. If you see an error message in the Terminal window such as "syntax error," enter

    exec bash

    and press return. Then paste the script again.

    9. If you're logged in as an administrator, you'll be prompted for your login password. Nothing will be displayed when you type it. You will not see the usual dots in place of typed characters. Make sure caps lock is off. Type carefully and then press return. You may get a one-time warning to be careful. If you make three failed attempts to enter the password, the test will run anyway, but it will produce less information. In most cases, the difference is not important. If you don't know the password, or if you prefer not to enter it, just press return three times at the password prompt.

    If you're not logged in as an administrator, you won't be prompted for a password. The test will still run. It just won't do anything that requires administrator privileges.

    10. The test will take a few minutes to run, depending on how many files you have and the speed of the computer. A computer that's abnormally slow may take longer to run the test. While it's running, there will be nothing in the Terminal window and no indication of progress. Wait for the line "[Process completed]" to appear. If you don't see it within half an hour or so, the test probably won't complete in a reasonable time. In that case, close the Terminal window and report the results. No harm will be done.

    11. When the test is complete, quit Terminal. The results will have been copied to the Clipboard automatically. They are not shown in the Terminal window. Please don't copy anything from there. All you have to do is start a reply to this comment and then paste by pressing command-V again.

    If any private information, such as your name or email address, appears in the results, anonymize it before posting. Usually that won't be necessary.

    12. When you post the results, you might see the message, "You have included content in your post that is not permitted." It means that the forum software has misidentified something in the post as a violation of the rules. If that happens, please post the test results on Pastebin, then post a link here to the page you created.

    Note: This is a public forum, and others may give you advice based on the results of the test. They speak only for themselves, and I don't necessarily agree with them.

     

    ________________________________

      
    Copyright © 2014 Linc Davis. As the sole author of this work, I reserve all rights to it except as provided in the Terms of Use of Apple Support Communities ("ASC"). Readers of ASC may copy it for their own personal use. Neither the whole nor any part may be redistributed.
  • by Carlton Chin,

    Carlton Chin Carlton Chin Mar 1, 2014 12:30 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 3 (823 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 1, 2014 12:30 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Thanks for the script information. I am still tinkering around on my own while I research the possibility of running any type of script.

     

    I normally have the iMac start with the login window, listing different accounts. But I designated my admin account to automatically login in. I restarted three times so far and no delay or SBOD.

     

    I am wondering if the iMac has an issue with the login screen or one of the other accounts?

     

    Certainly after running Onyx, there's a little more snap to the speed of various operations on my iMac.