MacBook Pro 13" Only boots to safe mode and running VERY slow.

Question

MacBook Pro 13" Only boots to safe mode and running VERY slow.

Hi...

Not posted on here before, but am desperate so hoping there are some experts out there who can help...

I have 13" Macbook pro which has ceased to work properly - it runs very slowly and will only boot in safe mode.

I have installed a new hard disk, but I get the same problem whether I (try to) boot from the old HHD or the new one.

The new drive was imaged using Carbon Copy Cloner.

I have run the repair disk priorities in disk utility and verifying the disk says all OK.

I have set the startup disk to be the new hard disk, and cleared the NVRAM via cmd-option-p-r...

As things stand at the moment, rebooting (not in safe mode) leaves me with the grey screen and apple logo (and no obvious activity for 10+ mins (so far)).

Booting in safe mode takes 3+ mins but I do get to a user login prompt and can get to a desktop.

Any ideas / help very much appreciated as I urgently need to get this machine working!

Thanks!

MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Mar 2, 2014 9:14 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Melophage

Level 5

7,213 points

Mar 2, 2014 1:22 PM in response to Domonic White

Domonic White,

when you ran Disk Utility, did you do so from your user account, or from Recovery mode? There are four options there: Verify Disk Permissions, Repair Disk Permissions, Verify Disk, and Repair Disk. Which of these did you do in Disk Utility?

Have you tried resetting your MacBook Pro’s System Management Controller?

Have you tried logging in as your administrative user, opening the Users & Groups pane of System Preferences, creating a new standard user (e.g. “Test”), and trying to log in as the new user, to see if the slow performance affects the new user also?

There is a chance that this could be due to a faulty internal SATA cable. If you have an external disk enclosure, or a SATA-to-USB or SATA-to-FireWire adapter, try booting from one of your drives when it’s externally connected. If it works fine that way, but is sluggish when internal, that could point to your internal SATA cable as the culprit.

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Answer 2

Mar 2, 2014 1:34 PM in response to Melophage

Thanks for your reply - really appreciate your help!

In answer to your questions -

I ran Disk Utility from Admin in 'Safe Mode' (ie. hold down shift during boot up).

I ran Verify Disk Permissions

I ran Repair Disk Permissions

I ran Verify Disk

I did not run Repair Disk because Verify Disk said all was ok.

I have not tried resetting your MacBook Pro’s System Management Controller but I will do so now.

Yes I have tried creating a new standard user - I can log in as this user via a normal reboot cycle but things are still very very slow (and I don't get to see all the s/w programs I have installed). Note: I can still only get the Admin login to work in Safe Mode.

I do have an external 2.5" drive enclosure with USB - but not sure how to boot from this? I'll try to look up on Google unless you'd be good enough to explain? Thanks if so!

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Answer 3

Mar 2, 2014 1:58 PM in response to Melophage

Yay!!!! Looks like resetting the System Management Controller has made a difference! After doing the reset the machine powered up at usual speed and was pretty fast from the logging in to user account onwards too.

BUT... I then did a restart from the Apple icon in the top left corner of the desktop, and the machine failed to reboot at all. However then turning the machine off by holding down the power button and then doing the SMC reset steps again (ie. left shift, CTRL, Option + power etc....) resulted in another good reboot and good operating speed once logged in...

It feels like progress, but do you think I need to do the SMC reset every time from now on?

I will try shutting down (via the apple icon top left) rather than doing a restart next...

Any further thoughts / help very much appreciated!

Cheers!

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Answer 4

Melophage

Level 5

7,213 points

Mar 2, 2014 2:08 PM in response to Domonic White

Domonic White,

since you’ve already installed a new internal disk, do you still have the old disk? You could put that into your external enclosure, and see if you can boot from that using Startup Manager.

If you need to do a SMC reset every time, then I wouldn’t call your situation resolved, since there still isn’t enough information to rule out the possibility of a faulty internal SATA cable.

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Answer 5

Mar 2, 2014 2:29 PM in response to Melophage

Hi Melophage,

I just read on various other sites about a plethoral of problems people have been having since 10.9 (Mavericks) and several of them sounded very similar to what I've been experiencing. One suggestion was to do the NVRAM reset multiple times - it felt like a long shot, but I gave that a go and that seems to have got me to the point where I can expect decent performance even after a standard reset (without doing the SMC reset each time).

If the problem occurs again I will try using Startup Manager and the other drive via USB enclosure.

For now, it looks like we might be off and running again.

I can't thank you enough for your help on this - very cool of you! Fingers crossed we're ok now...

Cheers,

Domonic

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