starting in safe boot
- Thread starter elizalee
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2008
- Messages
- 65,248
- Reaction score
- 1,833
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Keller, Texas
- Your Mac's Specs
- 2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
Why would my macbook begin starting up in safe boot and what can I do about it?thanks
Do you have any third party apps that modify OS X installed? OnyX, MacPilot, and several others have options which when set will start your Mac in Safe Mode Boot. Otherwise it may be as member gsahi indicated.
opening in safe boot
Thanks for your replies. I pressed shift key as you suggested but it still opened in safe boot.
I do have Onyx but it is clearly marked to open in normal mode, not safe boot.
Here's the whole story. I spilled oil on the keyboard some months ago. Couldn't type as so many keys were sticky. I had it opened and cleaned and the technician said it was good as new. It worked fine for a while. Now it is again acting up- space bar not working well and typing only in caps (might be what you referred to as a sticky shift key) so I am again using an external keyboard. But also spotlight is not working, there's no sound except for the opening gong (system preferences says no output or input devices found- seems like it is no longer recognizing the internal speakers?), sometimes desktop icons open and sometimes they don't, and a few other strange quirks.
It was when the sound went and spotlight went and so on that it began opening in safe boot.
I thought of reinstalling the OS to see if it would remedy any of the above and if probs still persisted, then I would assume the oil spill caused irreparable damage. However, I only have CD's for older versions. I had it upgraded to 10.6.8 at the mac shop and didn't get the installation CD. I'd rather not go back to 10.5 but maybe it's better than nothing.
Do you have any suggestions?
thanks!
Thanks for your replies. I pressed shift key as you suggested but it still opened in safe boot.
I do have Onyx but it is clearly marked to open in normal mode, not safe boot.
Here's the whole story. I spilled oil on the keyboard some months ago. Couldn't type as so many keys were sticky. I had it opened and cleaned and the technician said it was good as new. It worked fine for a while. Now it is again acting up- space bar not working well and typing only in caps (might be what you referred to as a sticky shift key) so I am again using an external keyboard. But also spotlight is not working, there's no sound except for the opening gong (system preferences says no output or input devices found- seems like it is no longer recognizing the internal speakers?), sometimes desktop icons open and sometimes they don't, and a few other strange quirks.
It was when the sound went and spotlight went and so on that it began opening in safe boot.
I thought of reinstalling the OS to see if it would remedy any of the above and if probs still persisted, then I would assume the oil spill caused irreparable damage. However, I only have CD's for older versions. I had it upgraded to 10.6.8 at the mac shop and didn't get the installation CD. I'd rather not go back to 10.5 but maybe it's better than nothing.
Do you have any suggestions?
thanks!
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2008
- Messages
- 65,248
- Reaction score
- 1,833
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Keller, Texas
- Your Mac's Specs
- 2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
You didn't tell us about the spill in your first post or we would have advised you differently. Spills are unpredictable and it often takes a while for derogatory symptoms to show up. It seems that's what's happening to your machine.
Reinstalling OS X will likely be a waste of your time as that will not cure the mechanical defects and most likely electronic defects that are plaguing your Mac. My advice is to continue using your Mac as best you can and at the same time save your $$ to buy a new one.
Reinstalling OS X will likely be a waste of your time as that will not cure the mechanical defects and most likely electronic defects that are plaguing your Mac. My advice is to continue using your Mac as best you can and at the same time save your $$ to buy a new one.
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2007
- Messages
- 25,564
- Reaction score
- 486
- Points
- 83
- Location
- Blue Mountains NSW Australia
- Your Mac's Specs
- Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
Alas liquids + electronics = death all too often.
Yes, I do indeed believe you are right that this computer is in its last days. Didn't want to give up hope on the patient but I think accepting the inevitable is my only choice. Thanks again for your replies. Good to know you are there (or here).
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2007
- Messages
- 25,564
- Reaction score
- 486
- Points
- 83
- Location
- Blue Mountains NSW Australia
- Your Mac's Specs
- Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
Try and advertise it as parts only on auction sites such as eBay explaining oil spill. There is always someone on the lookout for screens and other parts.
Just want to let you know that my computer has come back to life a bit. I kept researching and found out about resetting the PRAM, which I did and the audio and spotlight came back. Then I found out how to boot into normal mode by pressing the option key at startup and now it boots up fine. The other small quirks like desktop icons sometimes not opening and the power button dialog box not showing up seem to be ok now.
The keyboard still doesn't work well due to the oil spill although it is no longer typing only in caps. Don't have a clue how that one came around but it did. I need to use an external keyboard but that's manageable.
Still saving for a new one but I'm glad to say the patient has made a great recovery.
The keyboard still doesn't work well due to the oil spill although it is no longer typing only in caps. Don't have a clue how that one came around but it did. I need to use an external keyboard but that's manageable.
Still saving for a new one but I'm glad to say the patient has made a great recovery.
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2007
- Messages
- 25,564
- Reaction score
- 486
- Points
- 83
- Location
- Blue Mountains NSW Australia
- Your Mac's Specs
- Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
Fingers crossed for you. it does happen it may take weeks for the logic board to fail. never ever know with these spills.
Shop Amazon
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.