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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

Oct 24, 2015 3:15 AM in response to TortugaVoadoraPT

iMac now updated to OsX 10.11.1, then shut down by me and started again after plug out and short waiting time. So far so good. Next test will be a longer shut down time (probably between today evening and tomorrow morning). If also OK, I'll consider the issue overcome (not solved, because it required a clean start) and shall take no further action.

Btw, also updated the OsX on the MacBook Air (after being sure that the iMac was running), and it is also running.

As a curiosity, the startup behavior of both computers is different (I would presume because the iMac has a HD and the MacBook a SDD memory, and/or because in the iMac there is only one user account and in the MacBook Air there are two), this for some time already (and seems keeping the same now):

- The iMac shows the horizontal progress bar over a black screen with the Apple logo, and user logon only appears afterwards - after logon it immediately starts

- The MacBook Air starts to show the logon screen and only shows the horizontal progress bar after logon is made. It is (of course) significantly faster in starting up.

Would this be meaningful for trying to understand what was happening before I performed a clean start?

Thanks again Lex for all your time and support.

Cheers, Pedro

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Oct 24, 2015 6:57 AM in response to TortugaVoadoraPT

Great, you see what a measure of patience can do.

When not necessary do not experiment with csrutil: only loss of time when not necessary.

When ElCapitan does work as it should I would also not loose time by doing a clean install.

Perhaps with the next upgrade for El Sailor...

It found its way after several days, before the arms were both in the sleeves of the coat....

I do not see much difference between my macbook air and my macbooks pro when starting up, but I have all with SSDs...

When the iMac again "hesitates" to start "normally", maybe you do the SMC and Pram resets once more.

Have a good time, travelling time for me until Monday.

Lex

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Oct 24, 2015 9:40 AM in response to TortugaVoadoraPT

Change of schedule: tomorrow's 1000km (by car) are postponed to monday...

Oct 26, 2015 2:28 AM in response to Lexiepex

Final - I hope!! - post on the original problem reported: Shutdown Saturday evening, startup Sunday morning, hassle free. So for now I rest.

Just a short note to @LexSchellings: I did have to perform a fresh install for the problem to be overcome (read my previous posts, I published it here when I did it). This is why I continue saying it was not solved. And thus I do not "see what a measure of patience can do", no way...

Thanks, try to have a good life!

Pedro