Hi.

I have an Intel iMac which takes all of 5-10 minutes to re-start. It chimes and displays the plain grey screen. After 5-10 minutes the apple logo appears and all is well, and everything works fine.

After a shutdown it starts OK, just not from the re-start menu.

I have re-installed my system. Archive and install, using the option of not importing my old user prefs etc. (I haven't done a re-format and clean install yet, I'm rather hoping I won't have to).

Deleted these prefs files:

/Users/you/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
/Users/you/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systemuiserver.plist

I've tried starting with all peripherals removed, re-seated my RAM, re-set PRAM, re-applied the 10.4.11 combo updater and sent notes up the chimney. But no luck I'm afraid.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

iMac, Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GHz, 2 GB ram, 667 MHz
OS 10.4.11 with latest security update.

Mike

If you reinstalled via A&I over a system that had directory damage, you can make things worse. Did you check the directory with Disk Utility or a third-party app (Disk Warrior, TechTool Pro or Drive Genius) before running A&I? If not, do it now.

If there is directory damage that cannot be repaired, you'll have to erase the disk and reinstall, thus losing all data.

Thanks Jon

I did run Disk Warrior a couple of weeks ago and found no real problems.
But ran it again this evening as you suggested. But again, no real problems apart from a few folder niggles that it repaired.
On the re-start it took about 5 minutes again.

You might try launching Console (/Applications/Utilities) and seeing if there are any repeating messages logged during the times your restarts seem to be stalling.

In addition to dkmarsh's on-the-mark Console suggestion you might try booting into Verbose Mode to see whether any useful messages turn up on your screen.

I started in Verbose mode, but couldn't read it quick enough, and don't understand it anyway I'm afraid. Is it the same as in the system log?

Well, I had a look at the system log, The first few lines as follows:

Jul 3 13:19:03 mike-stewards-computer shutdown: reboot by mikstew:
Jul 3 13:19:03 mike-stewards-computer SystemStarter[759]: authentication service (767) did not complete successfully
Jul 3 13:19:04 mike-stewards-computer SystemStarter[759]: The following StartupItems failed to properly start:
Jul 3 13:19:04 mike-stewards-computer SystemStarter[759]: /System/Library/StartupItems/AuthServer
Jul 3 13:19:04 mike-stewards-computer SystemStarter[759]: - execution of Startup script failed

The next line was 8 minutes later, then all normal to fairly swift start-up.

I dumped the p.list file in /System/Library/StartupItems/AuthServer

Re-started, same again, very long start time unfortunately.

I have an Intel iMac which takes all of 5-10 minutes to re-start. It chimes and displays the plain grey screen. After 5-10 minutes the apple logo appears and all is well,

That delay is prior to mach_kernel loading (the grey apple displays) so it has nothing to do with plists, cache files, preferences, etc.

It's more likely a problem with your hard drive, directory, or damaged files. It could also be some other hardware problem.

Try re-selecting your startup drive in system preferences.

Also try booting it into the boot select mode by holding option when it chimes, see how long it takes to go from just an empty grey screen, to showing the black mouse, to showing the drives. (tell us)

Placing a CD in the drive or removing one that's in there now may produce a change in behavior also.

Verbose/single user mode begin at the point where the gear would start spinning, after the grey apple, so there's very likely nothing going to show up at that point since at that stage it's past whatever is the problem.

Sorry about the delay in responding. On top of everything else, our house was hit by lightening on Tuesday afternoon and it fried my cable modem, my Airport base station, switch hub and printer. And even worse, the ethernet port on my wife's G5.
So it's been a bit of a scramble the last day or two getting up and running again.

Anyway... held option down at the chimes and the plain grey screen stayed for 6 minutes, at which point both the iMac icon and the cursor appeared in the centre of the screen. After clicking the iMac icon the rest of the start up was quick and normal.

I restarted again after selecting my hard drive in the start up disk panel (it wasn't selected). Long start up again.