Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Level 1

22 points

Restart vs Shutdown then Reboot?

Wife complained her MacMINI (~ 4 yrs old, OS 10.6.8) was running slow. Beachball a constant, browser sluggish, then iTunes started 'stalling' briefly.

I added more RAM, did complete directory rebuild & replace (DiskWarrior), even defragmented HD.

Nothing helped.

Shuts it down when she's done, seldom uses Sleep. Uses mostly browser, Photoshop Elements.

A few days ago she says she got some error message requesting a RESTART which she did, and ShaZAM! Things improved remarkably!

Then things started to return to former state but not yet as bad as before.

How does RESTART differ from cold boot? What happens in a RESTART that would have such a dramatic effect upon System performance that the rest of the other operations I ran thru didn't?

(My biggest fear is that her OEM HD is growing weary, hence the recurring pauses while it looks for the info it needs to continue.)

Nothing I've encountered with Macs in over 20 years suggests a simple RESTART would have such a profound effect.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3), iPhone 5s, Gen1 MacPro (10.6.8)

Posted on Nov 21, 2015 6:42 AM

Best reply

Eric Root

Level 10

684,045 points

Posted on Nov 22, 2015 6:04 AM

A restart and a cold boot are, for the most part, the same. Caches are cleared and the entire OS is 'reset' for lack of a better term. What you did should help, but a full 'reset' is required some times.

View in context

17 replies

sp_clark Author

Level 1

22 points

Jan 3, 2016 8:11 AM in response to BobHarris

Yah, benefitting from what others have discovered is one of the high points of having the 'net to query.

Nearest G'Bar's 2 hours' drive - one-way - but I'd already been planning a day over that way this Friday so another goal added is worth looking at their scheduling.

Also considered running what diagnostics I have when this 'Mini's running off my maintenance external HD via Firewire. There ustabe an Apple hardware diagnostic utility I recall from years past? Not had need of such in some time, might be worthwhile in this instance.

Mr Harris thanks much for your time & comments here.

sp_clark Author

Level 1

22 points

Jan 5, 2016 8:19 AM in response to sp_clark

Got DiskWarrior 5 software onto my rMBP. Set up target disk mode to MacMini, DW still won't run diagnostic on SSD drive, says something's running on it.

Booted back onto SSD volume, checked user account for start-up items. Deleted Zinio thing, only other item is a Canon printer/scanner utility for network detection. Will try DW5 again now that those have been deleted, disabled.

Started MMini on SSD volume into Apple Hardware Test. Everything looks fine from the short test results, running extended testing currently for more detail if there's any that shows up.

Got OEM 10.6.3 discs that came with MMini, booted off it but can't see internal SSD whatsoever for targeting fresh install. Running Disk Utility off that install disc gets same result. Not sure what that implies, may post a query to OWC tech support seeing as how it's their memory modules I installed first then their SSD last weekend.

Comments / suggestions welcome.

Restart vs Shutdown then Reboot?