Intel MacBook stuck on full startup progress bar

[davidjm]

Hi have an old intel macbook (2015) and it's stuck on Apple icon with full startup progress bar.
I checked on chatGPT and got this reply:

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"If your MacBook is stuck on the Apple logo with a full startup progress bar, it usually means something is preventing macOS from completing the boot process. Follow these steps to troubleshoot and resolve the issue:

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1. Perform a Forced Restart​

1. Press and hold the Power button until the MacBook turns off completely.
2. Wait for 10 seconds, then press the Power buttonagain to turn it back on.
   • If it remains stuck, move to the next steps.

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2. Boot into Safe Mode​

Safe Mode helps isolate and resolve issues by only loading essential macOS components.

• Intel Mac:
  1. Turn off the MacBook.
  2. Turn it back on while holding the Shift key.
  3. Release the Shift key when the login screen appears.
• Apple Silicon (M1/M2) Mac:
  1. Turn off the MacBook.
  2. Press and hold the Power button until the startup options appear.
  3. Select your disk, then hold Shift and click Continue in Safe Mode.

If Safe Mode works:

• Restart your Mac normally.
• If the issue persists, suspect problematic software, and uninstall recent apps or updates.

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3. Run Disk Utility in Recovery Mode​

If Safe Mode doesn’t work, use Disk Utility to repair potential disk errors.

1. Boot into Recovery Mode:
   • Intel Mac: Turn on your Mac while holding Command (⌘) + R.
   • Apple Silicon Mac: Turn on your Mac while holding the Power button until options appear, then select Options > Continue.
2. Select Disk Utility from the menu and click Continue.
3. Choose your startup disk (usually "Macintosh HD") and click First Aid.
4. If errors are found and repaired, restart your Mac.

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4. Reset NVRAM/PRAM (Intel Macs Only)​

Resetting NVRAM or PRAM can fix boot-related issues.

1. Turn off your Mac.
2. Turn it back on and immediately hold Option (⌥) + Command (⌘) + P + R.
3. Hold the keys for about 20 seconds, then release them.

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5. Reset SMC (System Management Controller)​

The SMC controls hardware functions that might affect booting.

• MacBooks with T2 Chip:
  1. Turn off the MacBook.
  2. Hold Shift (Left) + Control + Option and the Power button for 10 seconds.
  3. Release all keys and turn the MacBook back on.
• Older MacBooks:
  1. Turn off the MacBook.
  2. Disconnect the charger.
  3. Hold Shift (Left) + Control + Option and the Power button for 10 seconds.
  4. Reconnect the charger and turn the MacBook back on.

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6. Reinstall macOS​

If the issue persists, reinstall macOS without erasing your data:

1. Boot into Recovery Mode.
2. Select Reinstall macOS and follow the prompts.

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7. Erase and Reinstall macOS (Last Resort)​

If none of the above steps work:

1. Boot into Recovery Mode.
2. Open Disk Utilityand erase the startup disk.
   • Format: APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) (depending on macOS version).
3. Close Disk Utility and choose Reinstall macOS.

Important: Back up your data if possible before erasing.

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8. Contact Apple Support​

If the problem persists after trying these steps, the issue might be hardware-related (e.g., faulty SSD or RAM). Visit an Apple Store or an authorized service provider for assistance.

Let me know if you'd like more details on any of these steps!"

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in 3. Run disk utility I received the the following details:
.......
Checking the snapshot metadata tree.
error: snap_metadata_val object (oid 0x27d5): invalid extentref_tree_old (0x0)
Snapshot metadata tree is invalid.
The volumn /dev/rdisk2s1 could not be verified completely.
File system check exite code is 0.
Restoring the original state found as mounted.
Operation successful.

I then clicked restart but it still doesn't get past the startup progress bar

6. Reinstall macOS couldn't find a server.

Didn't try options from 7. and 8.



Do you have any other suggestions on how I can resolve this issue and get my macbook functioning again.

Also if I can't open it, is it possible to access the disk and retreive data?

Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[Nermal]

Boot into verbose mode with Command-V and see whether there are any helpful error messages. It might be worth posting a photo of the log.

 

[davidjm]

How do I capture a readble image of the verbose log?

 

[davidjm]

Hi, I have a new macbook m2. Can I transfer data from my old intel macbook - which I can't boot - to the mac m2 ?

 

[BaggieBoy]

Haven't you been backing up the MacBook?

 

[davidjm]

no

 

[Fishrrman]

I guess now you'll learn why it's important to keep backups...

Having said that,
Can you boot to internet recovery?

Follow these steps:
1. power down, all the way off (press and hold the power on button until the screen goes dark)

2. hold down "command+option+R". DO NOT LET GO OF THOSE KEYS.

3. While holding the above combination down, press and release the power on button.

4. KEEP HOLDING DOWN THOSE KEYS until you are asked for your wifi password. Now let them go and enter it.

5. You should see the spinning globe, which indicates that the internet utiltiies are loading. This will take a little while.

6. Can you get to the internet utilities?

IF you can get that far, open the OS installer and see if it will re-install the OS.
ACCEPT ANY VERSION OF THE OS it gives you.
Fishrrman's "Mac Rule Number 1":
A Mac that boots (to any version of the OS) is preferable to one that won't boot at all.

 

[davidjm]

Worked perfectly - chatGPT never suggested it, AI's got alot to learn.

Thank You
Very much appreciated