Persistent "Optimizing Your Mac" message after installing Sierra

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Level 2

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Persistent "Optimizing Your Mac" message after installing Sierra

I just purchased a used iMac (14,2 – Late 2013) that had been running on Mavericks; I upgraded it to Sierra yesterday. The installation seemed to go OK, but ever since the system has displayed an “Optimizing Your Mac” message with a warning to expect reduced performance, but no progress bar or other indication of what it’s doing. I don’t want to interfere with any essential maintenance, but OTOH I‘ve never seen anything take so long—and the HD is less than 25% full, so shouldn’t be ‘thrashing’ to free consecutive blocks for large files. How long can I expect this to go on? Is it safe to use resource-hungry applications like Adobe CC while it’s running? Will rebooting mess it up, or force whatever it’s doing to start over? I was rather hoping to be in production by today, but at the very least I’d like to be able to tell my clients when they can expect more work out of me.

Posted on Apr 12, 2017 6:38 PM

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Answer 1

Apr 12, 2017 6:41 PM in response to Odysseus1479

"that had been running on Mavericks; I upgraded it to Sierra yesterday."

So you were able to get permission from the previous owner to change the Apple ID ??

Changing ownership of a used Mac | Communities

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Answer 2

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,516 points

Apr 12, 2017 11:36 PM in response to Odysseus1479

The "Optimizing" message is just a notification. It is not a progress, status, or anything else like that. Click the close button and move on. You won't bother it by doing anything. It is likely done by now.

However, you mention that it is "thrashing." What does that mean and is it still going on?

As to Carolyn's point. Did the previous owner wipe it clean and reinstall Mavericks, or is it still tied to the previous owner's AppleID. You can sign into any iCloud account regardless of the AppleID tied to the OS license. However, if you need to reinstall from Recovery, you will need the original owner's AppleID and password to do so.

This is the way that it should have been cleared so that you can not be bound by the license tied to the previous owner's AppleID: What to do before you sell or give away your Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 3

Odysseus1479 Author

Level 2

183 points

Apr 12, 2017 7:13 PM in response to Carolyn Samit

I deleted the applications that seemed to be attached to the previous ID (according to the Apple Store update page). When I first started Sierra I gave it my current ID, which it accepted without complaint, and then I reinstalled the applications (the ones that are still free, anyway) under that ID. I didn’t get any messages about lack of permission to do anything.

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Answer 4

Odysseus1479 Author

Level 2

183 points

Apr 12, 2017 11:36 PM in response to Barney-15E

“Thrashing“ just referred to behaviour I‘d seen many years ago from a disk-optimizer defragmenting a nearly-full HD; it spent an inordinate amount of time moving files around repeatedly, like a complicated Towers of Hanoi game, taking numerous passes to sort the pieces together. No evidence this is actually happening, just paranoia … If the persistence of the message is only because I haven’t dismissed it, then I’m seeing a problem where none exists. (Except perhaps for a UI failing, but that’s obviously not something to be solved here!)

This isn‘t a typical used purchase. Without going into too much detail, I was the machine’s former operator, under a company e-mail & Apple ID; hearing it had sat idle in the year or so since I was laid off, I decided it needed a good home, so made an offer … Anyway, I am using the same User (admin) account as before, but now with my personal Apple ID. I could probably find the password for the work ID, but I don’t have access to that e-mail any more, so I don’t want to keep using it. But assuming I can find the password, is there some way to register the system to the new ID without wiping it clean first?

I went through all the rest of the applications on the system, found a couple more that wanted the old ID (they probably came from the Apple Store too) and deleted them. Other previously installed programs, including Libre Office, Google Earth, & Inkscape, seemed to work fine.

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Answer 5

Odysseus1479 Author

Level 2

183 points

Apr 14, 2017 6:26 PM in response to Barney-15E

Thanks, both. If I understand correctly, when I erase the HD, the machine will still be able to download its original factory OS, which I can register to my own Apple ID. At that point I can download & install Sierra. Right so far? (Still having trouble grasping the idea of installation without an optical drive.)

Can I use my Time Machine backup to restore my applications & documents, or will that put the old Apple ID back on the system?

I just authorized the machine for iTunes and downloaded some old purchases. Will it still be recognized after the reinstall, or should I de-authorize it beforehand lest it count against my quota?

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