After problems with upgrade, now problems with Mojave 10.14.6

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Level 2

191 points

After problems with upgrade, now problems with Mojave 10.14.6

On a 2012 Mac Pro, I made the mistake of installing the July 15 security update, which worked until I decided to install some new screensavers. Everything went to H___ in a H___B_____, but quick. Most noticeable was Stalling-whatever I was doing, no matter how basic and banal, the screen would lock up, the Wacom cursor would be immobilized, and even the mouse cursor, which was still moveable, would become ineffective. Then all my moves would show up at once, in a fraction of a second, and the Wacom tablet would be useable again. Until it stalled again, a few minutes later. Now, after I wiped the boot disk and reinstalled Mojave-which gave me a few problems-the OS isn't stalling, but it's become useless in a new and different way: everything crashes. If I open Mail, it opens, then crashes. If I try to restart in Safe mode, it doesn't work. If I simply select the upper-left-corner black Apple, to do a restart, or even shut down, or restart from a different drive, I am greeted by the spinning pizza of death, and then the Finder crashes. The black Apple logo is pretty much sacrosanct, no? It's inaccessible. I'm writing this on my MacBook Pro because the Mac Pro is now a boat anchor. Any ideas?

Mac Pro, macOS 10.14

Posted on Jul 30, 2020 5:36 AM

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Answer 1

John Galt

Level 10

146,510 points

Jul 30, 2020 9:39 AM in response to Birck Cox

Were you able to perform the other actions suggested in the Apple Support document? Reinstall macOS for example?

The reason for asking is that if a problem continues in Safe Mode it usually implicates defective hardware. Exhaust all those other options before drawing that conclusion.

NVRAM (nonvolatile RAM) and PRAM (parameter RAM) are essentially interchangeable terms for the purposes of resetting their contents. The reset procedure is identical. The distinction is in hardware, and what they contain.

Reset the SMC while you're at it: How to reset the SMC of your Mac

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Answer 2

John Galt

Level 10

146,510 points

Jul 30, 2020 8:47 AM in response to Birck Cox

Please determine if the same problems occur in "Safe Mode": Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac.

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Answer 3

John Galt

Level 10

146,510 points

Jul 30, 2020 9:13 AM in response to Birck Cox

Apologies for insinuating you weren't following those instructions, which include other suggestions (login items, test user, reinstall macOS, etc). Sometimes people don't hold the Shift key long enough, or upon logging in (both are required).

Assuming you exhausted all those options also, there are other ways of booting Safe Mode. Try

sudo nvram boot-args="-x"

... which you can undo with

sudo nvram boot-args=""

... or by resetting NVRAM.

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Answer 4

Birck Cox Author

Level 2

191 points

Jul 30, 2020 9:20 AM in response to Birck Cox

Correction. I used a third keyboard, a McAlly, and I was able to bring up safe mode, but there's no change in the problem. Clicking on the dropdown Apple menu just crashes the Finder. No menu appears.

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Answer 5

Birck Cox Author

Level 2

191 points

Jul 30, 2020 10:33 AM in response to John Galt

A new problem. I am prevented from re-installing Mojave on the Mojave disk because my only choice is to quit. There is no Continue button on the Install a New OS page. I would prefer to install by the book, but I do have a second internal disk with a functional version of High Sierra on it, plus, I think, a copy of the Mojave installer in its Applications folder. The Mojave installer stopped because it doesn't recognize my metal-capable GPU and it thinks I have Filevault on. Both complaints are bogus.

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Answer 6

John Galt

Level 10

146,510 points

Jul 30, 2020 6:50 PM in response to Birck Cox

True. When things like that occur suspecting hardware failure becomes more likely. The good news is that if you can boot HS and it runs without similar problems it effectively isolates the problem to the Mojave disk. Is it a hard disk or an SSD?

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Answer 7

Old Toad

Level 10

210,615 points

Jul 30, 2020 11:17 AM in response to Birck Cox

If you have a rechargeable wireless keyboard connect it to your Mac with it's charging cable and try booting into Safe Mode again. That will make the keyboard into a wired keyboard.

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Answer 8

Birck Cox Author

Level 2

191 points

Jul 30, 2020 9:00 AM in response to John Galt

That is the first thing I tried to do. Safe mode is unavailable. Can't do it. I can hold down the shift key until the cows come home, and I get the same old desktop. No safe mode.

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Answer 9

Birck Cox Author

Level 2

191 points

Jul 30, 2020 9:28 AM in response to Birck Cox

Is booting NVRAM the same as zapping the P-RAM?

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After problems with upgrade, now problems with Mojave 10.14.6

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