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iMac startup freeze after update to OsX El Capitan

Hello,

After I installed the OsX El Capitan update on my iMac 27" (1TB hard-disk), it systematically freezes at startup, with the black screen and the apple visible but absolutely no progress in the horizontal bar below. Only solution is to re-install the OsX El Capitan update again from scratch. This happens systematically, always the same (so, after re-installing, next time I'll shut down the iMac won't start again and new re-installation is necessary).

FYI, I also installed the same update on my MacBook Air (with SDD memory) and it starts up fine (although I see some awkward behavior in some situations, but nothing unsurmountable so far).

Thanks for your help in solving the problem.

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11), Hard disc no SDD

Posted on Oct 13, 2015 2:35 AM

Best reply

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Posted on Oct 13, 2015 5:39 AM

There may be more causes.

Try this:

shutdown, wait 10 seconds, then start and immediately when you hear the startup chime press and hold the Shift key, keep holding until you see the grey progress bar, let go; the start up (Safe Mode) will take considerably more time than a normal startup. Let it start completely. Then shutdown and start normally.

If this does not help: do it again, and in the Safe Mode download Etrecheck.app (www.etresoft.com) and run it, post the list here.

Lex

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53 replies

seventy one

Level 7

27,430 points

Oct 17, 2015 7:04 AM in response to TortugaVoadoraPT

There is no way to return a subject to unsolved; the hosts do not have the facility. But for what it is worth, if anyone at all deserves it, the right person has gained the points on offer for the work done. I wouldn't be too concerned, it will slip into obscurity fairly quickly.

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Oct 17, 2015 7:52 AM in response to seventy one

Thank you Seventy One 😊.

TortugaVoadoraPT:

You can attract more people by starting a new thread: in your first post there point also to this thread to show what has already been done. In the new thread do not give any points so that it stays as unsolved. Post the new thread's link here too.

Lex

Oct 17, 2015 9:39 AM in response to Lexiepex

Thanks

The continuing new thread is here.

Oct 17, 2015 10:44 AM in response to TortugaVoadoraPT

@Linc Davis:

As much right as you might be on this comment:

"The other thread was a complete waste of time, as you already know. Start over with a complete description of the problem as it stands now. Please do not post "etrecheck" stuff again unless you want a repeat of the last performance."

Why was my new thread blocked?

seventy one

Level 7

27,430 points

Oct 17, 2015 10:49 AM in response to TortugaVoadoraPT

I really don't follow the thinking of our illustrious hosts, but there you are. They are in charge. Just live with it and start again at a later date. 😁

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Oct 17, 2015 12:36 PM in response to TortugaVoadoraPT

Yes, Linc Davis is against Etrecheck and Adwaremedic, although Etrecheck is OPENSOURCE so he can judge it by himself.

We checked and nothing wrong with it. About the same as the scripts he lets you do. This post may be blocked also, although I have no idea why.

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Oct 17, 2015 12:56 PM in response to TortugaVoadoraPT

Since your new thread did not start up, I have here two articles that you should read when you really want to know a bit more on Java in ElCapitan:

http://osxdaily.com/2015/10/17/how-to-install-java-in-os-x-el-capitan/

and

http://osxdaily.com/2015/10/05/disable-rootless-system-integrity-protection-mac- os-x/

Lex.

In the mean time Linc Davis might answer your question to him in your post.

Oct 18, 2015 10:05 AM in response to Lexiepex

Ok, so my new discussion as Linc Davis had suggested has been kept totally deserted, maybe cause it is weekend...

So I, having had some free time today, decided to perform Lex's suggestions - but as suspected the SMC reset could not be done because the computer wouldn't start (this was the whole problem from the outset). Only Recovery mode, that's all. So I decidedly ventured from starting anew and importing data and settings from my MacBook Air. Done now (plus some additional things that did not "come with" import, but not too dramatic), and made a first trial of shutting down and starting up again. So far so good. The real test will, however, come next Saturday, after several days of shutdown. Let's cross fingers.

Of course, the issue that was causing the problem ended up not being identified...

Thanks Lex for your support and availability. Although you did not manage to get me to solution, at least it is good to feel supported 🙂

Talk again on Saturday for final (I hope...) notice. If something still not working, shall have to proceed to hardware diagnostic.

Cheers, have a good week,

Pedro

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Oct 18, 2015 11:43 AM in response to TortugaVoadoraPT

a. Why was my new thread blocked?

The whole thread is aborted.

Not even a start for a solution was offered by Linc.

b. SMC reset is done when the mac is shutdown.

Recovery Mode OK: so it is probably not your disk that is dying.

c. I am still in the mist on the cause that prevents your mac to start. But I put your attention to the csrutil command (the second link to an atricle about that in my post), which you could try:

This command is done in the Recovery mode, disable SIP, then try a restart. When that works we know that something is hurting the SIP. You turn it on again in the Recovery mode.

What to do when we know it is SIP, I do not know (yet).

My problem is that next week I do have very little time to assist here.

Lex

Oct 18, 2015 11:34 AM in response to Lexiepex

a. Why was my new thread blocked?

Maybe that was indeed the case. Anyway...

b. SMC reset is done when the mac is shutdown.

Yes, I am aware of the. But performing a SMC reset (let alone 2 separated by 10 seconds or so) becomes impossible because after shutdown only way forward is reinstalling the OS. Not exactly what is prescribed.

c. I am still in the mist on the cause that prevents your mac to start (...) My problem is that next week I do have very little time to assist here

Thanks for your concern. As I noted, I shall not do anything new before Saturday, the computer will be shut down during most of the week. So no need for assistance during the week anyway ;-) In relation to crustil, not sure if I'll venture that way, particularly if start up on Saturday will go OK. I'm not an IT expert, just a plain user, with lots of work (thus need to have my machines up and running without having me making me spend too much time making them run), so not really much thrilled about performing operations that clearly require a certain level of expertise. Venturing from a stable into a potentially unstable status is something I am not looking for. And I want the machines working for me not me working for them. This is why I migrated from Microsoft to Mac 2 years ago by the way, and this problem has made me start to question my decision. I just wouldn't want to come to a worrying conclusion by risking having new or renewed problems with the Mac.

Anyway, thanks again, have a nice week.

Pedro

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Oct 23, 2015 1:45 AM in response to TortugaVoadoraPT

Pedro, I will be back on Monday at the latest.

Back to point c. about the SIP in ElCapitan:

You do not have to worry about this, it is quite simple and does not frig your mac:

You can start in the RecoveryMode, do that.

From the menu you can choose Terminal: this opens a Terminal window (compare with the Dos window in Windows).

Click anywhere in the Terminal window to be sure that it is in front, the cursor blinks.

You want to use a command called csrutil (status / disable / enable).

To get acquainted copy/paste this command in the terminal window

csrutil status

then hit the Enter key.

This command does not do anything and answers with "System Integrity Protection status: enabled"

Now copy/paste the following command in the terminal window:

csrutil disable

then hit Enter,

you get the message "...succesfully disabled, please restart the computer ....."

So now you restart the computer.

When it does start, there was something being blocked by the SIP in El Capitan. Now you can use the iMac on the same security level as Yosemite.

When it does not start, it is not caused by SIP.

Lex

Oct 23, 2015 5:27 AM in response to Lexiepex

I gave up and did a clean install after using Yosemite to rejoin my Fusion drive. Slowly adding apps and (crossed fingers) it is still working. Apple indeed needs to work on this problem instead of making it harder to deal with.

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Oct 23, 2015 8:00 AM in response to Russell Vaught

A clean install is always good.

A do not like FusionDrive at all, it is a bad idea, see a lot of threads here.

You do not have exactly the same issue as the OP.

Lex

Oct 23, 2015 11:51 AM in response to Lexiepex

Probably a good idea that doesn't work great in practice. In the end, the problem was not the Fusion Drive, but a problem caused by El Capitan. I have done a clean install after going back to Yosemite to fix the drive. Apple does not get high marks for not continuing the capability in El Capitan.

If I have further problems with Fusion Drive, I may simply use the command line approach to remove CoreStoreage and use the drive as two separate drives using the larger one as my boot drive. Maybe some paging on the STD.

Oct 24, 2015 2:04 AM in response to Lexiepex

Hi Lex,

Thanks for your additional guidance. After 5 days of stoppage due to absence, the computer started seamlessly today, so I'll refrain from further investigating for now - I hope, now El Capitan 10.11.1 is downloading - closing my fingers for not more problems coming :-S

Shall revert after update completed to tell you what.

Cheers,

Pedro

iMac startup freeze after update to OsX El Capitan