Logitech webcam keeps Mac mini from rebooting

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Logitech webcam keeps Mac mini from rebooting

I have a Mac mini (2014) 1.4GHz with aLogitech HD Pro C920 webcam attached through a powered Anker hub. The computer will not reboot when the webcam is attached. I've tried different ports, hub or no hub, the Logitech webcam will not allow it to get past the black screen. This didn't always happen. Only since 10.13.3 has this been a problem. We are currently running 10.13.4 and it persists. The troubleshooting problem is that it isn't 100% of the time, more like 95% of the time. But when we are having the problem, simply unplugging the webcam allows the computer to proceed to reboot.

So, to clarify, when rebooting the computer, it will get to the black screen (no Apple logo) and will not proceed until the Logitech webcam is unplugged. As soon as the webcam is unplugged, the Apple logo will appear and it will proceed to boot up.

I'm 99% sure it is the webcam. Is there any way to fix this problem? We use the webcam continually for our home business and it is frankly a pain in the you-know-what to have to unplug it and replug it every time a reboot is necessary.

Mac mini, macOS High Sierra (10.13.4)

Posted on Apr 4, 2018 4:45 PM

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Answer 1

Tesserax

Level 10

158,208 points

Apr 6, 2018 8:56 AM in response to Kevin Cotham

Safe mode, loads only the minimum macOS kernel extensions ... and these would be the defaults. Again, there are basically device drivers located in the /System/Library/Extension folder.

Core services should not disabled using this mode. These would be extensions to them. If something was corrupted in the core services area, only a re-install could fix it.

So, it doesn't sound like you need to try re-installing the OS, but one or more third-party kernel extensions may be corrupted and needs to be removed/re-installed.

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Answer 2

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Apr 4, 2018 8:12 PM in response to Kevin Cotham

Call Logitech tech support. That product is not likely compatible.

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Answer 3

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Apr 5, 2018 10:15 AM in response to Kevin Cotham

Try connecting it directly and eliminate the Anker hub. Call Logitech for more help.

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Answer 4

Kevin Cotham Author

Level 1

16 points

Apr 5, 2018 4:21 PM in response to Tesserax

Thanks Tesserax, it doesn't do it every single time, that is what is making troubleshooting this issue a bear. It's baffling to me too. It does seem to do it mostly when I restart the computer. I tried "cold booting" the computer into Safe mode, and it didn't do it. But there's nothing to say it might do it at some other time. I'll reboot it and cold boot it some more to see if I can make any connections as to what it is doing.

If CoreServices might be the culprit, is there any way to 'refresh' the files in it, in case something is corrupt? Perhaps a cache file could be the problem? I really want to avoid reinstalling the macOS.

On a side note, I am also having color issues with the computer when it wakes from sleep some times. The colors are all distorted and usually rebooting the computer is the only thing that will correct it. Could these two issues be related? Could it be a piece of failing hardware? This is really causing a lot of head scratching. I've used Macintoshes for 20+ years and haven't ever had as many problems with one as with the Mac mini.

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Answer 5

Kevin Cotham Author

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16 points

Apr 6, 2018 4:44 PM in response to Tesserax

Thank you Tesserax. I tried again to uninstall and reinstall the Logitech software and my partner said that she had not had any problems today. Coincidence or solution, I don't know. But I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Thanks again for your insight and help.

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Answer 6

Kevin Cotham Author

Level 1

16 points

Apr 5, 2018 1:13 PM in response to Kappy

Already tried that. I've already troubleshot the hardware angle. It's a software issue with macOS High Sierra.

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Answer 7

Kevin Cotham Author

Level 1

16 points

Apr 4, 2018 10:24 PM in response to Kappy

It's a simple webcam. It's compatible. There has never been a problem with it working correctly and Logitech states "Mac OS 10.6 or later". Besides, why would it not cause this behavior, then after the past couple of 'minor' updates, it does? Sounds like there is a macOS problem, not a hardware problem. The only thing that has changed has been updates to macOS.

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Answer 8

Tesserax

Level 10

158,208 points

Apr 5, 2018 1:47 PM in response to Kevin Cotham

Up to the point just prior to the Apple logo appearing during boot up, your Mac has gone through the following:

Run a Power-On Self-Test (POST). A successful POST ends with the startup chime.
Next a file, called the BootX booter is called and its primary job is to load the kernel environment found in: /System/Library/CoreServices/. If successful, this is when the Apple logo would appear.
After the logo appears is when kernel extension are loaded. These are device drivers that are located in: /System/Library/Extensions/ ... and this is where the Progress Bar should appear.

Based on your observation that the logo does not appear, something is amiss in the CoreServices folder that BootX cannot load and run. There shouldn't be anything in this location that is not Apple-provided. Why it is happening with the camera attached at this point is a bit baffling as I would have expected it during the kernel extension loading phase.

Does this issue still exist if you boot this Mac into Safe Mode with the camera connected?

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Logitech webcam keeps Mac mini from rebooting

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