(Resolved) Extreme long delays at login for 2 of 3 accounts

[Hack5190]

Performed an in-place upgrade from El-Cap to Sierra on 2015 retina macbook pro. Since then 2 of 3 accounts experience extreme long delays during log on. After entering the users password it displays a spinning circle for between 3 and 6 minutes. Finally it will show the desktop and the machine works as expected.

One of the 2 accounts with this problem existed under El-Cap, the other created today as a test. Open to any suggestions because the typical troubleshooting hasn't helped.

 

[KALLT]

Can you check the Console application for any log entries?

 

[Hack5190]

I've looked and perhaps the most telling is the 3 minute gap between these two entries:

Nov  7 20:15:08 MacBook-Pro syncdefaultsd[5887]: BUG in libdispatch client: kevent[EVFILT_MACHPORT] monitored resource vanished before the source cancel handler was invoked
Nov  7 20:18:11 MacBook-Pro com.apple.xpc.launchd[1] (com.apple.xpc.launchd.oneshot.0x10000039.SetupAssistantSpringboard[6178]): Service exited with abnormal code: 255

 

[KALLT]

That SetupAssistantSpringboard is involved is odd. Was there anything unusual during the first login with each of the accounts? Have you set up iCloud?

 

[Hack5190]

Nothing unusual - as I mentioned one (of the 2 having the problem) was an account from El-Cap the other brand new. iCloud is not in use on either of the slow accounts, it is connected to the 3rd (non-delayed) account.

Just discovered this thread that describes a similar issue - https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/7398

 

[KALLT]

They also mention iCloud there.

Can you check in Console under ‘Diagnostic and usage information’ and look for entries pertaining to syncdefaultsd or
SetupAssistantSpringboard?

 

[Hack5190]

They also mention iCloud there.

Can you check in Console under ‘Diagnostic and usage information’ and look for entries pertaining to syncdefaultsd or
SetupAssistantSpringboard?

SetupAssistantSpringboard is not present - syncdefaultsd appears, but not during the logon time window. It first appears at 20:33

 

[Hack5190]

Did a quick test this morning:

working user
07:23 - enter password
07:24 - working desktop

slow user
07:17 - enter password
07:18 - blurry background, cursor moves, bong when any key pressed
07:22 - working desktop

searched back through the system.log and found the following - otherwise no red flags . . .

Nov  8 07:22:31 MacBook-Pro com.apple.xpc.launchd[1] (com.apple.xpc.launchd.oneshot.0x10000000.SetupAssistantSpringboard[400]): Service exited with abnormal code: 255

UPDATE

As a safety net I performed the Sierra in-place update to an external SSD - a clone of the internal El-Cap drive. After being satisfied with Sierra I clone it to the internal SSD and toss the external in a drawer.

As another trouble shooting step I booted from the Sierra external SSD. Surprisingly the 'slow user' account did NOT exhibit the delay issue when logging in. Then I copied the entire contents of the slow users home directory from the external SSD to the internal SSD. Very happy to report that the login delays are gone (for that user anyway).