Major Logout Problems

Question

I am working with a school lab with 30 2 Ghz Intel Core Duo iMacs. They are all running 10.5.5. We have multiple logout and shut down problems -- they vary from one machine to another, sometimes you can shut or logout fine and sometimes weird things happen.
Examples:
This one is most common -- it has happened frequently on virtually every machine -- logout begins, then the top menu in the finder vanishes and nothing else happens. You can move the cursor around the desktop, but nothing is clickable. This will continue forever, for days if you let it, until you force the machine to shut down with the power button or pulling the plug.
Sometimes logout or shut down is held up because programs like Safari won't let go. This is aggravating with thirty kids in the room.
Also, many of the machines have power button problems. One simply would not work at all for weeks, the "magically" came back to life. Reminds me of the old days with the slot-loader G3 iMacs, where power button springs failed repeatedly.
There are other issues as well, and I can't see any way out of this. Any help would be appreciated.
-=-Ron-=-

Answer 1

I am running into the same logout problems. While we wait for an Apple fix, instances of this are widely reported elsewhere (in suspicion of [smb connections|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=7801045] hanging, [launchd shortcomings|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=7503037&#793236 0], or [unknown reasons|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8197295], etc.), so with all that info I'm trying to establish robust workarounds at this point. This is particularly problematic for me as interrupting the logout means they're still connected to our servers, and when they try later on a different machine, it denies them as logged in elsewhere. In any case, I'll post back with more info, especially if a reliable fix is found.
As for problems powering up the machines, based on recent precedent, I'd venture that it isn't the actual power button mechanism. We had a recent rash of those symptoms after a before-hours 'brown-out' when the Macs had been left running. The Macs appeared off upon our arrival, but were utterly unresponsive. Suspecting they weren't really turned off, but rather 'almost off and crashed', we tried holding the power buttons, which is supposed to tell the power manager to forcibly cut power and reset itself. This, too, failed(!). In any case, unplugging them all from power for thirty seconds, plugging them back in, waiting another thirty seconds, and finally tapping the power buttons normally got them all back. I hope you're in the same boat. Good luck.
Ciao for now, Joel