High Sierra Upgrade Stalled Now Can't Login

[Dudersup]

I'm using a MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013) w 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5.

I went to to upgrade to High Sierra (this was straight from Yosemite so maybe that was the problem?). On Yosemite, I couldn't download any upgrade for a while because of hidden email files using all my storage which I finally resolved.

I then downloaded High Sierra from the App Store, and all seemed to go fine, bars moving and loading etc, until a black screen and a single bar seemed to just stall at what appeared to be 80% of the way completed. I read that it can take a few hours to install so I waited even a couple days and nothing happened.

Finally, I just powered the thing off, and when I turned it back on it appeared that High Sierra had installed (background changed), but I can't login to any of my users. All I get is a spinning wheel that will sit there forever if I let it. The only way to stop is to hold down the power button to turn it off. However, I can access the computer via the guest user.

I have tried reinstalling from recover (Command + R), no success. I have also tried resetting the password from the guest access and recovery; still no success.

Any ideas what is going on here?

 

[DeltaMac]

Is your boot drive full?
If you can boot to the guest user, you should also be able to see how much free space you have on your hard drive.
I expect that you might have problems with a reinstall if your free space is less than twenty (20) GB.

Best next step - download the High Sierra installer from the App Store. DO NOT run the installer. Quit the app when it auto-launches at the end of the download. Create a High Sierra bootable drive, using the terminal. The steps to do that are easy to find. Apple has the steps here.
Or, if you are nervous about using the terminal, you can download one of the apps that makes the process simple, such as DiskMakerX. http://diskmakerx.com

Once you have the bootable installer made, boot to that, try a reinstall.
Give that reinstall a chance, you may need to wait a couple of hours.
If that fails to complete again, you may need to erase, then reinstall, and restore your own files from your backup (I HOPE you made a backup of your system BEFORE you started the upgrade)

 

[Dudersup]

Thanks for the information. I will check this out. Is there anything quicker? Would it work if I just completely reformat and start from scratch? I have everything backed up.

 

[DeltaMac]

Yes. In your situation, an erase and install/restore is a good plan, I think.
I like to format, then do a shutdown, and then do an NVRAM/PRAM reset, and finally to install macOS.
That multistep process does not really add to the time involved, but can sometimes avoid the "glitchy" things that can happen during an OS install.
You DO want to be sure that you have a good bootable installer before you erase your drive.
Make the installer, then do a test boot to that. If you get a successful boot to the installer, then the install itself will usually work, too!

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"Would it work if I just completely reformat and start from scratch? I have everything backed up."

My oft-repeated advice:
Create a bootable USB flashdrive and use that to boot and install from.
1. Get a flashdrive 16gb (8gb might work)
2. Have a copy of the OS installer handy
3. Download "Boot Buddy" free from here:
https://sqwarq.com/boot-buddy/
4. Use BB to create the flashdrive installer.

Now...
Boot from the flashdrive (hold down option key at bootup until startup manager appears)
DON'T go directly into the installer.
Instead, quit the OS installer and open Disk Utility
Use DU to ERASE the internal drive to HFS+ with journaling enabled.
NOW reopen the installer and do the install.

When the install is complete, begin the setup process.
If you have a TM backup or a cloned backup, at the appropriate time setup assistant will ask if you wish to migrate from another drive.
Connect the backup and "aim" setup assistant at the drive.
Select that which you wish to migrate, and .... "let 'er go"...