Slow boot for macOS High Sierra 10.13.2

APFS is supposedly slower than HFS+. What I've read, but not what I have tested.

Possible Fixes for El Capitan or Later

You should try each, one at a time, then test to see if the problem is fixed before going on to the next.

Be sure to backup your files before proceeding if possible.

1. Shutdown the computer, wait 30 seconds, restart the computer.
2. Resetting your Mac’s PRAM and NVRAM
3. Reset the System Management Controller (SMC)
4. Start the computer in Safe Mode, then restart normally. This is slower than a standard startup.
5. Repair the disk by booting from the Recovery HD. Immediately after the chime hold down the Command and R keys until the Utility Menu appears. Choose Disk Utility and click on the Continue button. Select the indented (usually, Macintosh HD) volume entry from the side list. Click on the First Aid button in the toolbar. Wait for the Done button to appear. Quit Disk Utility and return to the Utility Menu. Restart the computer from the Apple Menu.
6. Create a New User Account Open Users & Groups preferences. Click on the lock icon and enter your Admin password when prompted. On the left under Current User click on the Add [+] button under Login Options. Setup a new Admin user account. Upon completion log out of your current account then log into the new account. If your problems cease, then consider switching to the new account and transferring your files to it - Transferring files from one User Account to another.
7. Download and install theOS X El Capitan 10.11.6 ComboUpdate or 10.12.6 Combo Update or macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 Combo Update as needed.
8. Reinstall OS X by booting from the Recovery HD using the Command and R keys. When the Utility Menu appears select Reinstall OS X then click on the Continue button.
9. Erase and Install OS X Restart the computer. Immediately after the chime hold down the CommandandRkeys until the Apple logo appears. When the Utility Menu appears:

1. Select Disk Utility from the Utility Menu and click on Continue button.
2. When Disk Utility loads select the drive (out-dented entry) from the Device list.
3. Click on the Erase icon in Disk Utility's toolbar. A panel will drop down.
4. Set the Format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.)
5. Click on the Apply button, then wait for the Done button to activate and click on it.
6. Quit Disk Utility and return to the Utility Menu.
7. Select Reinstall OS X and click on the Continue button.

Ways to help make a slow Mac faster

1. 17 Reasons Why Your Mac Runs Slower Than it Should
2. Slow Mac Performance? This Article Solves It!
3. Fix slow start-ups in OS X | MacFixIt - CNET Reviews
4. How to fix slow shutdown and startup times. | MacTip.net
5. 6 Easy Tips to Speed Up OS X Yosemite on Your Mac
6. OS X El Capitan- If your Mac runs slowly
7. Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on Performance
8. Tips to Fix Issues that affect Mac Performance
9. Avoid using any third-party cleanup software. Usually, this software does more bad than good. You don't need it. All computers become slower over time even under normal use. Experienced users erase the hard drive and do a clean install from scratch from time to time; or whenever installing a major OS upgrade. Doing so means you must maintain regular and multiple backups.
10. If you have enabled iCloud Disk and are storing your Documents and Data in iCloud, then consider turning that off and signing out of iCloud. It can slow down the computer considerably. Please see the following from the user, fotomac: "The solution was to SIGN OUT of iCloud and my problem STOPPED! NO MORE SPINNING BEACHBALL! My computer's speed increased to what it should be and all my Apps now work!"
11. Add more RAM or cut back on the number of concurrently running applications and utilities. Remove unnecessary anti-malware software and any software that promises to clean your Mac. Check for runaway processes: Runaway applications can shorten battery runtime, affect performance, and increase heat and fan activity. Also, visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on dealing with The Spinning Beach Ball of Death.
12. The Ultimate Fix: Backup everything, erase the drive, reinstall OS X, and restore your data from the backup. Reinstall third-party software from original media/scratch.

Robert Paris wrote:

I suppose some might tell me that 53-56 seconds is ok and just live with it. Or stop turning the machine off at night.

Well, your re-iteration of the scenario is everything I understood it to be.

I can say the longer boot time certainly was not acceptable to me.

I can add there is no reason to turn the machine off at night—this is what sleep mode is for, might as well use it.

If you have an adequate clone, then there is nothing stopping you from trying the TRIM off, out of curiosity alone.

For myself in trying to track down the culprit, via terminal, I set to always boot into "Verbose Mode" and I watched for the stall. Even with this information there was no viable way forward:

The result of the stall was repeatable.

I now boot this older machine in about 60 seconds.

That's about right, for that Mac.

Any thoughts???

It's only a factor when you reboot a Mac. I might do that once every couple of weeks or so, at most. Otherwise I just let them sleep according to Energy Saver. Macs just work better when you ignore them.

One day I will bite the bullet and install High Sierra on my 2016 Mac

Read Upgrading macOS without fear. Startup from an external hard disk drive is slower, but not that much more. If you don't like High Sierra, shut down, unplug, restart, and you're back to Sierra.

I'm not against Intego, per se, but when Anti-malware software is installed it has to scan the drive looking for problems much like Spotlight has to re-index the drive. These processes slow the computer when they are running. Because macOS now has its own built-in malware detection and removal software there isn't much need to add a third-party duplication of effort. That is my personal position on the matter. You should follow what you feel is best for you. I'm just in the business of information to help with one's decision making.

Those having slowdown issues with macOS usually are suffering from updating an existing dysfunctional system made worse by updating it. Why their system is dysfunctional is always hard to say because there are so many possibilities. I recommend people follow an upgrading procedure in order to minimize having problems after an update or an upgrade: Basic Steps for Upgrading OS X. My preference for upgrading to a new major version, like El Capitan to Sierra or High Sierra, is to backup, wipe the drive, and install from scratch. Takes more time but minimizes problems. For those who cannot take that time at least run First Aid on the startup volume, disconnect peripherals, boot into Safe Mode, then install the update or upgrade. When you return to your normal setup and incur problems then it is easier to identify them.

I've been doing this stuff for quite some time. Although I certainly know a lot there is a lot I still don't know. But I've learned ways of reducing headaches from problems caused by updating/upgrading. I know I may belong to a small crowd of users but I don't have problems with this stuff anymore. So I figure what I do must work for me, so it may work for others.

One thing I understand pretty well is that sometimes hunting for a problem in order to fix it can take a whole lot more time than erasing and reinstalling. So that is often what I recommend even though others consider it overkill. But I'd rather take two hours to erase a drive and reinstall macOS or reinstall my backup than take two days trying to find the bug in my system. In this case, the overkill is worth it - but not all the time. It's definitely a trade-off that one must choose.

Robert Paris wrote:

100% "Stock" from Apple. I just checked it for more certainty and it is a "MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013)

Medium Type SSD

Protocol SATA

And under PCI, it says there are no PCI devices on this computer.

Your thoughts???

Let me paint a bigger picture, and you can decide if it is worth proceeding—

It has been reported numerous times, on third party SSD with TRIM slowing down boot time as you describe. I have not heard any other report on factory SATA SSD (2013) this same phenomena.

On the third party SSD—turning TRIM off did seem to make the difference in boot time. I can say— this was true for me as well.

It is speculation if this is a fix for your 2013. If you decide to try, always have a redundant, current backup plan, up to date an in place, in case you have to fall back. This protects any data lose.

You do not want to be flipping back and forth with TRIM for this will lead to corruption. In other words if you turn TRIM off to test you are best to live with for a while, unless you are prepared to restore your SSD.

How to create a boot clone

MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2012), macOS (10.13.3), i7 480GB SSD 16GB RAM iPhoneSE iOS11.2.5 Parallels13.0.1,

I do have Intego security software on both of these machines and I've been wondering if it might have to do with those apps (Virus Barrier, NetBarrier). Maybe...

Oh.

Installing Intego's "VirusBarrier" and "NetBarrier" products on this Mac degraded its performance to the point that it was marginally usable at all. No knowledgeable Mac user would consider it even remotely acceptable. It was probably the worst of all similarly categorized garbage. Don't install those things on a Mac.

Tnx, Robert. I had taken a self-enforced vacation for about 4 months out of frustration with the forum moderators and certain members. Moderators have improved and those certain members have gone. So I decided to visit again, first briefly, but now more often. Tnx for remembering me. A very Happy New Year to you.

My 5K iMac is booted by an external SSD on a Seagate Thunderbolt sled. Although initial boot speed is fairly quick, there is then a lag as the system loads my Desktop display, login items, menubar items, and other things that begin before or during the display of opened windows from when I last shut down. All of this definitely increases the time from restart to ready. Not sure how long altogether but it's over 10 seconds and under 60 seconds. I'm sort of guessing around 40 seconds.

I would certainly urge you to uninstall all the Intego Anti-malware, etc. software. It is not needed. As for Internet protection if you are using a router with Network Address Translation then you hardly need anything more like Net Barrier.

Can you restate the problem—Your 2013 is not booting as fast since you upgraded to 10.13.2 ??

You did not say if this is a HD, SSD (you upgraded,) or shipped with PCIe.

I have seen issues here with a slow boot time after upgrading to High Sierra on older machines pointing back to trimforce being enabled on third party SSD. Disabling trimforce resolved the issue.

If this fits your situation, ask for more details.

Robert Paris wrote:

Hi leroydouglas,

The 2013 MacBook Pro is SSD and nothing custom. Straight from Apple

Thanks— got it.

As a curiosity what do you see as the output from this command in terminal, copy and paste:

system_profiler SPSerialATADataType | grep 'TRIM'

I'm having also slow boot. Mackbook Pro Early 2013 ,with builtin SSD

Now approximately 40-47 seconds in 10.13.3.

In 10.13.2 was more, like 50-60 seconds.

With Sierra, I think boot time was around 15-20 seconds maximum.

This is frustrating...

I think my computer is much slower also, like scrolling Google Chrome, moving windows, maximizing windows, etc