iMac Boot Issue

Post by Colour Sergeant Bourne
My 2019 21.5" Intel Time Machined iMac 8 GB memory, 1TB Fusion drive.
has developed a boot issue. From power-off, boots normally to lock
screen with proper wallpaper displayed.
After entering password, wallpaper turns black and beach ball spins for
a good while. Correct desktop icons appear as does top menu bar.
Eventually, correct wallpaper replaces the black. Everything works
normally after that.
I reset SMC and NVRAM, even reinstalled Sononma 14.5. No joy.
Ideas?

1. Try logging out, and then when you log back in, hold down the Shift
key immediately after entering your login password. This will disable
any login items you have set. If the problem goes away, one or more of
your login items is at fault.

2. Try creating a brand-new macOS user account and logging into it. If
the problem goes away, the problem is something in your user account.

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

Colour Sergeant Bourne

2024-05-23 13:18:48 UTC

Post by Jolly Roger

1. Try logging out, and then when you log back in, hold down the Shift
key immediately after entering your login password. This will disable
any login items you have set. If the problem goes away, one or more of
your login items is at fault.
2. Try creating a brand-new macOS user account and logging into it. If
the problem goes away, the problem is something in your user account.

Thanks, all. for the suggestions.

I tried holding SHIFT after login, safe boot, creating new user account.

Damnedest thing-- after I reset everything back to the way it was
beforehand, the problem just went away. After a week of being there, it
was gone. No clue about what caused it or what fixed it!

Percival John Hackworth

2024-05-23 15:58:37 UTC

Post by Jolly Roger

1. Try logging out, and then when you log back in, hold down the Shift
key immediately after entering your login password. This will disable
any login items you have set. If the problem goes away, one or more of
your login items is at fault.
2. Try creating a brand-new macOS user account and logging into it. If
the problem goes away, the problem is something in your user account.

Thanks, all. for the suggestions.
I tried holding SHIFT after login, safe boot, creating new user account.
Damnedest thing-- after I reset everything back to the way it was
beforehand, the problem just went away. After a week of being there, it
was gone. No clue about what caused it or what fixed it!

I'm running 14.5 which runs the standard screen saver. My custom background
doesn't display until after I login, but it can take up to 5 seconds to go
from a black background to my custom one. It's been this way for a while.

--
DeeDee, don't press that button! DeeDee! NO! Dee...

Alan Browne

2024-05-23 18:34:23 UTC

Post by Jolly Roger

1. Try logging out, and then when you log back in, hold down the Shift
key immediately after entering your login password. This will disable
any login items you have set. If the problem goes away, one or more of
your login items is at fault.
2. Try creating a brand-new macOS user account and logging into it. If
the problem goes away, the problem is something in your user account.

Thanks, all. for the suggestions.
I tried holding SHIFT after login, safe boot, creating new user account.
Damnedest thing-- after I reset everything back to the way it was
beforehand, the problem just went away. After a week of being there, it
was gone. No clue about what caused it or what fixed it!

Cruft has a habit of going away after doing something new and different
and then going back. Things get re-written or things get thrown out...

(This is not unique to Apple).

--
“Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first;
nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.”
- Charles de Gaulle.

Jörg Lorenz

2024-05-22 05:44:52 UTC

Set up a new user account on the Mac and test whether it is still
showing the same effects.

--
"Gutta cavat lapidem." (Ovid)

Bernd Froehlich

2024-05-22 06:48:28 UTC

On 22. May 2024 at 01:07:29 CEST, "Colour Sergeant Bourne"

Could be a dying HD.

Colour Sergeant Bourne

2024-05-23 12:36:27 UTC

Post by Bernd Froehlich
On 22. May 2024 at 01:07:29 CEST, "Colour Sergeant Bourne"

Could be a dying HD.

I sure hope not!

Alan

2024-05-23 14:53:21 UTC

Post by Bernd Froehlich
On 22. May 2024 at 01:07:29 CEST, "Colour Sergeant Bourne"

Could be a dying HD.

I sure hope not!

You do regular Time Machine backups, right?

Colour Sergeant Bourne

2024-05-23 22:28:49 UTC

Post by Bernd Froehlich
On 22. May 2024 at 01:07:29 CEST, "Colour Sergeant Bourne"

Could be a dying HD.

I sure hope not!

You do regular Time Machine backups, right?

Recheck 5th and 6th words in OP ;-)

--
Luke, what’s your dirt doing in Boss Keen’s ditch?
- Boss Paul.

Alan

2024-05-24 03:28:27 UTC

Post by Bernd Froehlich
On 22. May 2024 at 01:07:29 CEST, "Colour Sergeant Bourne"

Could be a dying HD.

I sure hope not!

You do regular Time Machine backups, right?

Recheck 5th and 6th words in OP ;-)

Sorry...I've never seen it used as adjective before, so my eyes glossed
over it.

Jolly Roger

2024-05-24 14:58:18 UTC

Post by Bernd Froehlich
On 22. May 2024 at 01:07:29 CEST, "Colour Sergeant Bourne"

Could be a dying HD.

I sure hope not!

You do regular Time Machine backups, right?

Recheck 5th and 6th words in OP ;-)

Sorry...I've never seen it used as adjective before, so my eyes glossed
over it.

That struck me funny as well.

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

Colour Sergeant Bourne

2024-05-24 18:06:16 UTC

Post by Bernd Froehlich
On 22. May 2024 at 01:07:29 CEST, "Colour Sergeant Bourne"

Could be a dying HD.

I sure hope not!

You do regular Time Machine backups, right?

Recheck 5th and 6th words in OP ;-)

Sorry...I've never seen it used as adjective before, so my eyes glossed
over it.

No problem, admittedly it was a bit of a reach :-)

--
Because we're here lad. Nobody else. Just us.

Fishrrman

2024-05-22 17:38:15 UTC

I can only speak to what I would do.

I'd get a USB3.1 gen2 external SSD (either pre-packaged or
make one myself).

Then I'd set it up to be the new external boot drive.

Then... I'd boot and run that way, bypassing the fusion drive.

(luckily, I've never owned a Mac with a fusion drive...)

Alan

2024-05-22 19:28:37 UTC

Post by Fishrrman

I can only speak to what I would do.
I'd get a USB3.1 gen2 external SSD (either pre-packaged or make one
myself).
Then I'd set it up to be the new external boot drive.
Then... I'd boot and run that way, bypassing the fusion drive.
(luckily, I've never owned a Mac with a fusion drive...)

You're getting a little bit ahead of yourself, aren't you?

The first test should be booting in Safe Mode.

Next, building a new, clean user account.

Chris Schram

2024-05-22 21:30:14 UTC