MacBook Pro 13 inch 2017 weird display glitches and sluggishness

Timbo_Slice · May 2, 2020, 4:34am

This video just shows one of the weird things that’s been happening. When I shutdown it takes awhile and then does this weird glitchy thing. Stuff like this happens in other scenarios too.

This MacBook has a fresh Catalina install. I’m pretty sure similar things happened on Mojave.

I have also reset the Pram and SMS before, but you never know. I could’ve done that wrong somehow.

Please let me know if you have any ideas.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0_3YoOxmZ9gFQZSAE0Z95x9bQ

(Didn’t know I couldn’t post video when I started this post. Hopefully the iCloud link worked)

jec0047 · May 2, 2020, 6:11pm

Try running Apple Diagnostics.

Timbo_Slice · May 2, 2020, 11:35pm

Just did per your suggestion. Came back with “no issues”.

jec0047 · May 3, 2020, 7:29pm

The next thing I would try is booting into Safe Mode and see if the problem persists.

Timbo_Slice · May 4, 2020, 5:47am

It shut down completely normally (fast and no weird glitch) when I shut down in SAFE MODE… so what does that mean?

Timbo_Slice · May 4, 2020, 8:13am

Okay so i disabled all my login items in system preferences and disabled some third party launchagents using cleanmymac (which I don’t usually use, I installed just for help with the launchagents). I figured that maybe since the issue wasn’t occurring in SAFE MODE, that for some reason it was an issue with some launch item.

However, that didn’t stop the issue from occurring.

Right now, I am reinstalling a fresh version of Catalina. This time I am going back to Mac OS extended (journaled). For some strange reason, and this is strictly a gut feeling, I’m not sure my computer plays well with APFS. I believe that they made the switch to APFS like during the launch cycle of my 13 inch 2017 w/ Touch Bar.

I am not even sure if it’s even possible that that has anything to do with it. Again, just a gut feeling.

jec0047 · May 4, 2020, 5:16pm

It probably means you have a software problem. See this support article.

jec0047 · May 4, 2020, 5:43pm

I don’t think you can do this with Catalina.

Timbo_Slice · May 4, 2020, 11:25pm

I was able to install a fresh copy of Catalina on Mac OS extended(not sure if Catalina forces a switch back to AFPS). It didn’t fix the issue.

bowline · May 5, 2020, 12:41am

If you don’t already own the free Onyx utility app download and run it, then restart.

Timbo_Slice · May 5, 2020, 1:00am

Okay, I’ve used Onyx in the past… Do I need to worry about screwing up any deeper system files with Onyx? I know it’s a pretty powerful tool.

Timbo_Slice · May 5, 2020, 1:06am

Also, will Onyx even help a freshly installed Catalina?

bowline · May 5, 2020, 1:06am

Not in my experience. Before you run those maintenance utilities (which I believe will necessitate a restart after completion) I’d first perform the next tab’s macOS maintenance scripts: daily, weekly and monthly.

jec0047 · May 5, 2020, 1:08am

Take a look at Disk Utility to see what kind of filesystem you have now.

Timbo_Slice · May 5, 2020, 1:17am

Yea, you are right… it went back to APFS

jec0047 · May 5, 2020, 2:27am

When you did the "fresh install” of Catalina, did you erase the drive (aka “nuke & pave”)?

Timbo_Slice · May 5, 2020, 2:33am

Yes, I did.

(I need to type this sentence to have enough characters to post)

jec0047 · May 5, 2020, 3:07am

Have you installed any other software since reinstalling Catalina?

Timbo_Slice · May 5, 2020, 3:09am

When I first opened up the fresh install of Catalina, I was able to recreate the issue before I installed anything.

Since then I have installed some apps.

jec0047 · May 5, 2020, 3:17am

The support article I linked to earlier basically listed 3 things:

Test your login items
Try another user account
Disconnect all hardware accessories

Of these 3, login items are IMHO the most likely but also the most difficult to test. I suggest doing them in reverse order.