iMac won't start after SD clone completes

[tuni]

Grrr.....this happens often and I don't know why.

After I do a SD clone (usually doing a restart, then Safe Mode) and whether I set the options there to "shut down computer" after completion, or "shut down SD after completion of the cloning." I have a great deal of difficulty getting my iMac to start either the next day, or hours later etc.....I either get a spinning beach ball, or just the Apple logo on a white screen.

I am unable to shut down the iMac from the white screen so my usual solution is to unplug the machine, wait a few minutes, re-plug it in and try starting again. It usually works.

Would like to know if any one here has similar issues or has a fix. Its been happening for several months now, I just live with it however, thought I'd ask anyway. (2007 iMac, Mountain Lion, all updates).

[dnanian]

Why are you using Safe Boot? That's going to clear all your system and kernel caches, which will make restarting quite slow. (It has nothing to do with the copy itself, or asking it to shut down - we're simply asking Finder/System Events to shut down normally.)

[tuni]

I read in the SD manual: "its easiest to log out of your account, and then log back in with the Shift key held down. This will prevent your startup items from running, and helps to esure that your personal data doesn't change during the backup."

So what I've been doing is selecting, "restart" then when machine closes, holding down the Shift key until the Apple logo appears and asks for my Apple ID....

Isn't that the correct way to do it, prior to beginning the SD cloning process??????? I do see a notification that I am in "safe mode" on the top right hand side of my desktop?????

[dnanian]

No...that's way more than I am suggesting in the User's Guide. That's why I say "log out", not "shut down".

If you're basically not running other applications, you should be fine.

[tuni]

I've been doing that for years.....duh!!!!

Guess I misread the instructions (ya know you got to make them "idiot-proof" <LOL>

Thanks - will let you know how I do after a few more backups...

many thanks, as always

[dnanian]

Sorry for any confusion! No intention to make you do more than was necessary...