Restart command - Monterey

Have you installed or run any "cleaning", "optimizing", "speed-up", anti-virus or VPN apps on your Mac?

Boot into Safe Mode according to Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support and test to see if the problem persists. Reboot normally and test again.

NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 3 - 5 minutes as it's doing the following; 

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts 

• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files

Suggest downloading the Application Etrecheck directly from a well Respected ASC Contributor. 

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with nor receive compensation from the Developer.

The application is free or paid from added features. 

Run the application with Full Disc Access ( Security & Privacy - Full Disc Access ).

It will take a Snap Shot -  both the hardware and software.

The Report will Not Reveal Any Personal Information. 

Post back the Full Report - copy and paste - using the Additional Text Icon ( 3rd Icon to last )

We can have a look at the report for possible issues and may have possible suggestions to resolve the issues.

Any Third Party Applications that will interfere with the normal operation of the OS, alter, modify, remove or delete or attempt to do so is an invitation for disaster and may require a Reinstallation of the OS.

This includes AntiVirus, Cleaners, Optimizes, UnInstaller etc.

The The Built in Security  is all that is required.

Thank you for posting the solution.

So if I understand correctly, you are saying that having Full Keyboard Access was what preventing your mac from restarting - I suppose you mean this box was checked:

That is really weird - as is the fact that the box was checked without you doing it deliberately.

I can't test it now, but I will see if I can reproduce that.

Just to be clear: when you started in Safe Mode, there was no problem in restarting, right? But the problem persists after you started normally. If this is the case then something that loads when you start normally is causing the problem.

Please run Etrecheck and post its full report here.

Use the “additional text” button and paste the report into the text box.

Ran Etrecheck but by then the Mac was incapable of connecting to the net.

After trying suggestions from this community (here and on other threads), and after 12 hours (!) over two weeks on chat and phone to three different Apple Support persons, I was nowhere advanced. In the end a senior Support person booked me for an appt with my local Mac shop.

I shouldn't have wasted my time with Apple Support – they were clueless, and as useful as tits on a bull. (They had access to my Mac and supposedly "looked all round" the settings etc. yet found nothing.)

My Apple dealer, an authorised, independent shop, not an Apple Store, tested everything (there were more than a dozen issues that arrived with Monterey) and found the issue to be that Full Keyboard Access was active, despite my never having knowingly turned it on. It was perhaps activated by an app that was installed, or possibly the Monterey instal. As the problems didn't exist prior to Monterey, and I hadn't installed any apps after the update, I must assume it was that OS update that caused all the issues.

After four days of exhaustive tests, the Apple shop returned my Mac and all is well.

Why the Apple Support people didn't twig to that I'll never know.

Thanks for your input.  :-)

I didn't see the Accessibility dialog; my Mac dealer reported it to me. Once he turned it off, all odd behaviour ceased and Mac returned to normal.