iPad ER

Q: Can't restart, shut down, or logout

When I opened my computer this morning I saw an update available that was simply to fix a security issue. There's nothing wrong with the computer, but I hadn't started any work yet so it seemed like a good time to update. The notification that the computer would automatically restart came up, and I clicked restart to get the process moving. It seemed to simply dismiss the notification. I tried again to make sure that I hit the restart button, nothing again. I googled: Mac won't perform security update. Most results were for older versions of the Mac OS. I figured a restart might help. The apple menu couldn't preform one. Shut down, same result as before and the same happened for logging out. I can sleep the computer, but logging out is impossible. I figure that a problem in Adobe's creative suite (the most recently installed program) is preventing shut down. Resetting SMC doesn't work. Using activity monitor to manually quit the login window process also fails to fix the problem. I'd like to make sure that I can install future updates, and it would be nice if I could install this one. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15 inch model mid 2015), 2.2 GHz i7

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6), 15 inch Base. Mid 2015 model

Posted on Sep 9, 2016 11:10 AM

Close

Q: Can't restart, shut down, or logout

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Donnie T.,

    Donnie T. Donnie T. Sep 9, 2016 11:28 AM in response to iPad ER
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 9, 2016 11:28 AM in response to iPad ER

    I have had similar issues with other programs freezing and not allowing me to quit the app, log out, restart etc. I am submitting a post with many other issues I am having with 10.11.6. I have just deployed 150 machines in a school setting and this is beyond frustrating.

  • by Stuart423,

    Stuart423 Stuart423 Sep 9, 2016 11:41 AM in response to iPad ER
    Level 1 (70 points)
    Sep 9, 2016 11:41 AM in response to iPad ER

    Sounds like a bit of the update got mangled in the installation process. Let's reset the NVRAM (also called PRAM) thus: shut the computer down.

     

    Hit the power button, and then hold down CTRL + OPTION + P + R (kind of a finger stretch to get all four keys, but well worth the exercise)

     

    Hold those 4 keys down as the computer makes the startup chime, then reboots and chimes again. Let go at that point. The restart continues, and you should be able to log in normally.

     

    Just to be on the safe side, once you've reset the NVRAM, let's edit the startup items: system preferences > users and groups > login items. If there is stuff starting up with the computer that isn't needed from the get-go, highlight and tap the minus sign at the bottom of the list.

  • by Stuart423,

    Stuart423 Stuart423 Sep 9, 2016 11:45 AM in response to Donnie T.
    Level 1 (70 points)
    Sep 9, 2016 11:45 AM in response to Donnie T.

    Donnie T., it would make sense for you to get the big guns to help you deploy all of those machines. Call 1-800-MY-APPLE and ask for Enterprise Technical Support.

  • by iPad ER,

    iPad ER iPad ER Sep 9, 2016 5:52 PM in response to Stuart423
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 9, 2016 5:52 PM in response to Stuart423

    COMMAND + OPTION + P + R to reset the NVRAM. I had tried that before and it didn't work. This time it behaved differently but still didn't fix the original problem. It did however fix an audio issue that I noticed before.

  • by tygb ,

    tygb tygb Sep 9, 2016 8:46 PM in response to iPad ER
    Level 2 (185 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 9, 2016 8:46 PM in response to iPad ER

    Hello !

                Turn off multiple users option and you can follow the article : OS X El Capitan: Log out, sleep, restart, and shut down

  • by QuietMacFan,

    QuietMacFan QuietMacFan Sep 9, 2016 9:16 PM in response to tygb
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 9, 2016 9:16 PM in response to tygb

    i had that happen once when i was resetting mail allot due to google mail not working (somethign was confused and likely wating forever for gmail to not respond for 60 seconds or so).  i had a color wheel as a mouse cursor and nothing was responding.  (the graphics interface (desktop) was frozen - but not the OS, rarely will the OS ever be frozen)

     

    NO NO dont reset NVRAM unless as a last resort ?  probably your interface is frozen.  i'm unsure "how to restart X Windows" for OS/X at the moment (for linux, it's Ctrl-Backspace, OS/X may not have the key mapped by default)

     

    open a Terminal (found from Dock->Launchpad -> Other)

     

    $ shutdown -r 0

     

    your computer should restart gracefully - which is important, not potentially damaging the disk data or saved settings or anything else.  (really it should recover anyhow - but it's far safer to shutdown gracefully)

     

    there's probably a way to restart only X of OS/X, but again it's rare so i'd just shutdown and restart unless i stood to loose (an hour) of hard work.  hope that helps!

  • by QuietMacFan,

    QuietMacFan QuietMacFan Sep 9, 2016 9:29 PM in response to QuietMacFan
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 9, 2016 9:29 PM in response to QuietMacFan

    oh i didn't see you already were impatient during a (upgrade/restart) and it may have gone poorly

     

    if you thing adobe is a problem ...

     

    uninstall the Adobe (hold mouse down it will twiggle, press the X).  it should stop everything it is doing and exit normally, and vanish.

     

    restart

     

    reinstall adobe

     

    i can't see NVRAM will help you if somehow you interrupted an upgrade and the OS does not realize it went badly

     

    my guess is if you really did get a freeze during an upgrade is to find a way to "redo the upgrade", or restore your Time Vault backup, or re-install OS/X (insuring you have backups first)

     

    BACK TO ADOBE FIRST.  you shouldnt be running it during an upgrade.  it's really safer to exit all programs and also openen top left apple -> shut down -> shut down each un-necessary app esp. 3rd party apps running BEFORE accepting an upgrade.  dont' bother an upgrade while it's going though it may take long.  and you might consider turning OFF power saving (no sleep) so that sleep doesn't cause an issue during upgrade (although apple should have that covered, better to be safe)

     

    resetting your NVRAM PRAM SMC can cause a need for you to redo some settings - like fan (CAREFUL with that, a wrong fan can ruin a processor - they are supposed to be protected by heat sensing chip but i can tell you for sure that these chips aren't always functioning and protecting: ie, at boot time)

  • by iPad ER,

    iPad ER iPad ER Sep 10, 2016 8:52 AM in response to QuietMacFan
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 10, 2016 8:52 AM in response to QuietMacFan

    I'm not able to use that command: shutdown -r 0, since it says I need to be a super user. While I am the Admin, I can't get root access to work through terminal.

  • by iPad ER,

    iPad ER iPad ER Sep 10, 2016 8:55 AM in response to iPad ER
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 10, 2016 8:55 AM in response to iPad ER

    Adobe also doesn't have a problem from what I can tell, it was just the last application installed (fully without any corruption or error) so it's the only variable I can think of that's changed.

  • by Eric Root,Helpful

    Eric Root Eric Root Sep 12, 2016 10:47 PM in response to iPad ER
    Level 9 (69,991 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 12, 2016 10:47 PM in response to iPad ER

    Can you shut the computer down using the power switch? Then try a restart. If it restarts, try using this download of the security update.

     

    Security Update 2016-001

  • by iPad ER,

    iPad ER iPad ER Sep 12, 2016 10:52 PM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 12, 2016 10:52 PM in response to Eric Root

    I feel like the download solution should work, I can't get the actual computer to restart itself normally, which means that any kind of software attempt to restart the computer will fail. Going through the installation process resulted in the prompt to shutdown now or later, and hitting restart now did nothing. Thanks though. I'm going to actually contact support for this one. The computer's new enough that it's completely covered.

  • by tygb ,

    tygb tygb Sep 12, 2016 11:45 PM in response to QuietMacFan
    Level 2 (185 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 12, 2016 11:45 PM in response to QuietMacFan

    Please use OS X -key board short cut to force start the mac .

    command + control + power button .

     

    Thanks !