Stop sign at boot!

[hardanger]

At Christmas I updated my failing Mac mini original hard drive to a SSD, and upgraded to Yosemite at the same time. I used the Trim enabler app to enable TRIM and disable kept signing, this worked well. Sporadically since then on boot, the no entry sign will show for a few seconds, but will then disappear and the boot will continue as usual.
however, a few dayas ago, in an attempt to fix a much lesser issue of a mission control desktop being created every time I boot, I started the Mac in Safe Mode. This was fine, but when i then tried to restart in normal mode, the stop sign came, and stayed.

I Tried to follow Cindoris instructions on how to recover from this issue via Terminal commands in Recovry mode, but it would always get to the last command before it came up with an error message along the lines of something not being able to be found.

I Keep a Time Machine backup on constantly and following the issue, I went into recovery mode and recovered to an earlier, safe time.
On completion, when the Mac auto booted, the no go error sign came, but thankfully went.

I Then used the Trim enable app to turn on trim, which it said was off, and on the restart it does to disable kept signing, the error sign occurred!

Any help would be much appreciated!

Mac mini, OS X Yosemite (10.10)

 

[harryb2448]

Uninstall Trim disabler and have a read of this. Apple designed Yosemite not to have security settings interferred with:-


https://www.cindori.org/trim-enabler-and-yosemite/

 

[hardanger]

Thanks for the reply!

Uninstall Trim disabler and have a read of this. Apple designed Yosemite not to have security settings interferred with:-


https://www.cindori.org/trim-enabler-and-yosemite/

Thanks for the reply. I understand that this is a security feature (although it also happens to help Apple prevent 3rd party SSDs). But considering this security feature didn't even exist before Yosemite anyway, I made the educated decision to go ahead with the workaround. As my original Mac HD was failing anyway, the consequences of this choice weren't too hard to swallow.

Any help with finding a solution would be much appreciated.

 

[harryb2448]

I think you are butting your head against the wall. As the developers say it is NOT for Yosemite alas. 'Safe to use on Mac OS X.7 to OS X.9'.

 

[hardanger]

Well after restarting my Mac after about a day, without doing anything - it seems to be working normally again! Still occasionally seeing the stop sign, but it always disappears after a few seconds like before. I reinstalled the OS anyway - although that doesn't seem to have changed much - and it feels like it might well be a hardware related issue due to the inconsistencies, maybe with the 3rd Party SATA cable connecting the 3rd Party SSD. Whatever the issue, I can only hope it doesn't appear again!

Thanks for all your help!

 

[Slydude]

The fact that a third party SSD is there may not be an issue. I'm currently using a third-party SSD in my 2008 MB Pro and never see that sign. I think this is the result of the kext signing / trim issue Harry pointed to in an earlier post.

 

[hardanger]

The fact that a third party SSD is there may not be an issue. I'm currently using a third-party SSD in my 2008 MB Pro and never see that sign. I think this is the result of the kext signing / trim issue Harry pointed to in an earlier post.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is. I am glad to hear you aren't having an issue. I think that must be either becuase you aren't running Yosemite, or you don't have TRIM enabled. However painful, I would recommend you to look into enabling TRIM, (read Cindori's detailed pages on it). I believe almost all SSDs need TRIM, although SSDs with SandForce processors claim they do not.

 

[lclev]

I use trim enabler on my mac pro and I have a thought. Why don't you try the following: turn off Trim enabler, restart the computer then shut it down and rest the NVRAM. Once restarted turn Trim Enabler back on - restart and see if that fixed the problem.

I am wondering if there is something that has been updated or recently written to the NVRAM/PRAM that is causing the issue and it needs to be reset? Can't hurt.

I am considering going to OWC and replacing my Samsung just because of this problem. If I had realized what a pain it could turn into I would have stuck with Mavericks.

Lisa

 

[hardanger]

I use trim enabler on my mac pro and I have a thought. Why don't you try the following: turn off Trim enabler, restart the computer then shut it down and rest the NVRAM. Once restarted turn Trim Enabler back on - restart and see if that fixed the problem.

I am wondering if there is something that has been updated or recently written to the NVRAM/PRAM that is causing the issue and it needs to be reset? Can't hurt.

I am considering going to OWC and replacing my Samsung just because of this problem. If I had realized what a pain it could turn into I would have stuck with Mavericks.

Lisa

Ahh like the idea - will definitely try that when/if the problem comes around again!

Don't think I could bare going back to Mavericks - Yosemite is just so beautiful!

Max

 

[Slydude]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is. I am glad to hear you aren't having an issue. I think that must be either becuase you aren't running Yosemite, or you don't have TRIM enabled. However painful, I would recommend you to look into enabling TRIM, (read Cindori's detailed pages on it). I believe almost all SSDs need TRIM, although SSDs with SandForce processors claim they do not.

I'm running Yosemite (see my sig). Don't think I enabled trim and it would take a bit to convince me to try it at the moment.i'm not sure the gains are worth the potential headaches.

 

[harryb2448]

You are on the right track Lisa thinking of an SSD with built-in 'grabage collection' rather than TRIM. Crucial also went this way with the collection. Have a read of this from Crucial:-


Need to enable Trim on Yosemite OS X? - Crucial Community

 

[pm-r]

You are on the right track Lisa thinking of an SSD with built-in 'grabage collection' rather than TRIM. Crucial also went this way with the collection. Have a read of this from Crucial:-

Need to enable Trim on Yosemite OS X? - Crucial Community

Interesting read, but reading some of the last and latest posts there, I'd really like to know how and where they are able to purchase a bare upgrade Apple SSD from Apple.

 

[lclev]

I read the whole Crucial posts and got the feeling that no one can agree on TRIM versus Garbage collection.

I am curious and as pm-r asked - is there anyway to purchase an actual Apple replacement SSD to solve the whole debate? I have not found any information on where or how this could be possible without actually going to an apple store and having them install a drive - at considerable cost, I presume.

Lisa

 

[harryb2448]

And I do not know what they would instal at an Apple Storel but for what it is worth I would go with OWC or Crucial.

Over the past couple of years Apple has used Toshiba and Samsung SSD's, and currently San Disk Flash Storage. Apple has never manufactured a hard drive, or memory. USB Flash Drives do not use Trim at all. Here is another interesting argument on all this:-


http://www.thessdreview.com/daily-n...n-and-trim-in-ssds-explained-an-ssd-primer/3/