Macbook startup issues after El Capitan update

[bruschetta1]

Hi, everyone.

This morning I downloaded the update to El Capitan hoping for some bug fixes, but now I'm unable to boot up my computer. Here's the issue and what I've tried:

• Download iOS - successful
• Install iOS (black screen with apple logo) - Successful
• Boot up computer (gray screen with my name/photo) - Failure; stays stuck around 75% loaded

After a lot of googling, it sounded like the problem was some .kext files, but I'm unable to delete them. I've booted up holding shift, command+r, and command+control+r+p. The only options I'm given are restore from backup (I would rather not do this because my last backup was 3 weeks ago), reinstall iOS (I've done this already), get help online, and disk utility. I've run first aid in disk utility but nothing really needed repairing, it seems. What I've read says that I need to get into Finder, but I don't know how to from where I am. My harddrive is also encrypted (thanks, work) if that changes anything.

I am able to get into the terminal and found instructions for deleting kext files that way, but I'm getting a message that the code I type in "is a directory."

Any suggestions? I may be completely off-base with the kext thing, but that's the only solution I was able to find.

 

[chscag]

You downloaded an update to OS X not iOS. iOS is the operating system used on mobile devices, OS X is the operating system used on your Mac. To your problem: Download and install the El Capitan combo update to see if that resolves the problem. And... stay out of the terminal as that will only make matters worse. Especially do not mess with kext files.

 

[boast]

Do the following:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press the power button to start up your Mac.
3. Immediately hold down the following keys:

• Hold down Command-V for verbose mode.

and tell us where it gets stuck at.

 

[bruschetta1]

Sorry for the mixup (ios vs osx). It's been a long day.

It doesn't get stuck on the initial screen. It's after I put in my password and try to login that things get jammed up.

This may be a stupid question, but how do I download and install the combo update if I can't boot up my computer? Do I need to download it on another device and save it to an external drive?

 

[richard2]

Is FileVault enabled on your boot volume? If so, then you must quickly press command-V after entering your password.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

Considering when your startup hangs, this could be an issue with your user account data/configuration, rather than the OS.

You said you updated OS X - did you already have El Capitan installed and working prior to the update, or did you update from an older version of OS X (Snow Leopard, Lion, Yosemite, etc.)?

Don't bother with the combo update at this point.

Don't try to delete kexts! Kexts are essential to the operating system - perhaps you do have one bad kext, but the solution isn't to delete them all. Deleting kexts is a form of brain surgery - deleting all kexts is the equivalent of decapitation.

You said you tried booting to Safe Mode (holding Shift). What happened when you tried that? https://support.apple.com/HT201262

Try to login using a different user account (even Guest). What happens?