OS X Shutdown Freeze

I've had a persistent problem that the shutdown process stalls after the Finder quits and all desktop icons are gone.
jross wrote on :

I've had a persistent problem that the shutdown process stalls after the Finder quits and all desktop icons are gone. This has persisted through several versions of OS X (10.3, 10.4, currently at 10.4.6). I've searched Apple's tech site and various forums for similar reports or solutions to no avail.

I presume there is some background process that won't quit but I don't know how to find out what it is to eliminate or update it. I welcome any suggestions.

Jordan Ross iBook G4 OS 10.4.6

Stephen C. replied on :

On Tue, 9 May 2006 6:08:51 -0700, jross@redacted.invalid wrote (in message 1147180131.179591.11980@redacted.invalid):

I've had a persistent problem that the shutdown process stalls after the Finder quits and all desktop icons are gone. This has persisted through several versions of OS X (10.3, 10.4, currently at 10.4.6). I've searched Apple's tech site and various forums for similar reports or solutions to no avail.

I presume there is some background process that won't quit but I don't know how to find out what it is to eliminate or update it. I welcome any suggestions.

Jordan Ross iBook G4 OS 10.4.6

First, try a complete utilities repair, using both DiskWarrior and TechTool Pro. Run memtest in single user mode. Try creating a new test user account and try shutting down from this account. If that fails, backup your data. Unplug and/or uninstall anything that didn't come with the computer. Extra USB devices, additional PCI cards, and the like. Wipe the HD and reinstall JUST the original OS and associated apps.

StephenC

Bob Vogel replied on :

jross@redacted.invalid wrote:

I've had a persistent problem that the shutdown process stalls after the Finder quits and all desktop icons are gone. This has persisted through several versions of OS X (10.3, 10.4, currently at 10.4.6). I've searched Apple's tech site and various forums for similar reports or solutions to no avail.

I presume there is some background process that won't quit but I don't know how to find out what it is to eliminate or update it. I welcome any suggestions.

Have you run "hardware test"? After that, I'd try an archive and install of the most recent os you have.

Paul Nevai replied on :

jross@redacted.invalid aszonygya: :I've had a persistent problem that the shutdown process stalls after :the Finder quits and all desktop icons are gone. This has persisted :through several versions of OS X (10.3, 10.4, currently at 10.4.6). :I've searched Apple's tech site and various forums for similar reports :or solutions to no avail. : :I presume there is some background process that won't quit but I don't :know how to find out what it is to eliminate or update it. I welcome :any suggestions.

I had the same too and it took me more than a year to figure it out. I bet you have SpeedTools. If so, uninstall them and all should be OK.

/PaulN

Jim Gibson replied on :

In article 1147180131.179591.11980@redacted.invalid, jross@redacted.invalid wrote:

I've had a persistent problem that the shutdown process stalls after the Finder quits and all desktop icons are gone. This has persisted through several versions of OS X (10.3, 10.4, currently at 10.4.6). I've searched Apple's tech site and various forums for similar reports or solutions to no avail.

I presume there is some background process that won't quit but I don't know how to find out what it is to eliminate or update it. I welcome any suggestions.

Jordan Ross iBook G4 OS 10.4.6

Just to let you know: I have exactly the same problem on a 800 MHz Quicksilver desktop tower machine running 10.4.6. I don't remember when the problem started. I don't turn my machine off very often, but when I do I have to hold down the power button for >3 seconds to turn it off. The machine makes disk activity sounds for awhile after all of the icons and menubar have disappeared from the screen, and I always worry about a corrupted file system.

Ghengis Khan’t replied on :

In article 1147180131.179591.11980@redacted.invalid, jross@redacted.invalid wrote:

I've had a persistent problem that the shutdown process stalls after the Finder quits and all desktop icons are gone. This has persisted through several versions of OS X (10.3, 10.4, currently at 10.4.6). I've searched Apple's tech site and various forums for similar reports or solutions to no avail.

I presume there is some background process that won't quit but I don't know how to find out what it is to eliminate or update it. I welcome any suggestions.

Jordan Ross iBook G4 OS 10.4.6

Dump Speedtools if you have it installed.

Same thing happened to me, I tore my hair out trying to figure it out, someone else suggested Speedtools might be the culprit, it went away instantly when I removed them.

matt neuburg replied on :

jross@redacted.invalid wrote:

I've had a persistent problem that the shutdown process stalls after the Finder quits and all desktop icons are gone

Delete everything in /Library/StartupItems (and ~/Library/StartupItems if there is anything) and restart. See if that fixes it. The theory here is that some rogue process has installed an evil startup item. On my machine the culprit was something called SpeedTools. m.

jross replied on :

Good bet, Paul! SpeedTools startup items did indeed reside on my disk and eliminating them (including the QuickbackStartupItems folder and contents) from the /Library/StartupItems folder solved this longstanding problem. Yipeee!

Many thanks, Jordan Ross

Art Gorski replied on :

jross@redacted.invalid wrote:

I've had a persistent problem that the shutdown process stalls after the Finder quits and all desktop icons are gone

I know that the OP has solved the problem but another cause of this is .Mac iDisk automatic syncing. Sometimes the mirroragent prevents logout, although the Finder doesn't quit first.

Gene Plantz replied on :

On 5/10/06 8:48 AM, in article agorski-F66FED.08481010052006@redacted.invalid, "Art Gorski" agorski@redacted.invalid wrote:

I've had a persistent problem that the shutdown process stalls after the Finder quits and all desktop icons are gone


I've had the problem for the past month or so on my new Powermac Quad. Since I don't reboot often, not a big deal.

I would restart/shutdown and get to the blue screen (with spinning gear, no icons) and it just would never go any further.

Today, I worked on tracking this down..... It turns out it was a network connection to the volume on a Windows server. My backup program automatically connects to the network volume and leaves it connected. Not a big deal otherwise, but OSX (10.4.6) seems to have heartburn with it when shutting down.