alberthai_
Level 1 (4 points)
Mac OS X

Q: Upgraded to El Capitan, boots onto list of users even with guest user disabled

I just upgraded my MacBook Pro to El Capitan from Yosemite 10.10.5.
The problem is, when I start it up, there's a grey screen showing my main user account and a guest user account even when I disabled the guest user in the system preferences.

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11)

Posted on Oct 17, 2015 5:57 PM

by Linc Davis,Solvedanswer
Linc Davis Linc Davis
Level 10 (208,000 points)
Applications
A:

Set your Mac to automatically log in - Apple Support

Posted on Oct 18, 2015 9:50 AM

Close
alberthai_

Q: Upgraded to El Capitan, boots onto list of users even with guest user disabled

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Page 1 Next

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Oct 17, 2015 6:13 PM in response to alberthai_
    Level 10 (208,000 points)
    Applications
    Oct 17, 2015 6:13 PM in response to alberthai_

    There are two guest accounts, not related to each other.

    One is the Guest account that you enable or disable in the Users & Groups preference pane.

    The other is the "Guest User" pseudo-account that is enabled automatically when you activate "Find My Mac" in the iCloud preference pane. This is not a real account, but a Recovery mode in which Safari is the only available application. The idea is to allow a thief who steals your computer to surf the Web so he'll stay online and give you time to locate the device.

    When "Find My Mac" or Filevault is active, the first guest account is automatically disabled and can't be re-enabled.

  • by alberthai_,

    alberthai_ alberthai_ Oct 17, 2015 7:21 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 17, 2015 7:21 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Do I also need to disable Filevault to remove the "Guest User" pseudo-account ?

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Oct 17, 2015 7:51 PM in response to alberthai_
    Level 10 (208,000 points)
    Applications
    Oct 17, 2015 7:51 PM in response to alberthai_

    No. You need to disable "Find My Mac."

  • by alberthai_,

    alberthai_ alberthai_ Oct 17, 2015 8:22 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 17, 2015 8:22 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Ok, I went in System Preferences > iCloud and unchecked "Find My Mac", shut it down and started it back up. The guest user is still there.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Oct 17, 2015 9:55 PM in response to alberthai_
    Level 10 (208,000 points)
    Applications
    Oct 17, 2015 9:55 PM in response to alberthai_

    Do you see the guest user when you log out without restarting?

  • by alberthai_,

    alberthai_ alberthai_ Oct 17, 2015 9:59 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 17, 2015 9:59 PM in response to Linc Davis

    No I do not see it if I just log out, but I wish that starting up the computer would go directly onto my account, just like before the update.

  • by Barney-15E,Helpful

    Barney-15E Barney-15E Oct 18, 2015 7:45 AM in response to alberthai_
    Level 9 (50,339 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 18, 2015 7:45 AM in response to alberthai_

    That is FileVault. You cannot have auto-login under Filevault as it would make no sense. The initial login decrypts the drive. Setting it to auto-login would defeat the purpose of encrypting the drive.

  • by Linc Davis,Helpful

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Oct 18, 2015 7:45 AM in response to alberthai_
    Level 10 (208,000 points)
    Applications
    Oct 18, 2015 7:45 AM in response to alberthai_

    I wish that starting up the computer would go directly onto my account

    Then you do have to deactivate FileVault and reactivate automatic login.

  • by alberthai_,

    alberthai_ alberthai_ Oct 18, 2015 7:46 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 18, 2015 7:46 AM in response to Linc Davis

    How does one reactivate automatic login after disabling FileVault ? Sorry I'm new to OS X.

  • by Linc Davis,Solvedanswer

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Oct 18, 2015 9:50 AM in response to alberthai_
    Level 10 (208,000 points)
    Applications
    Oct 18, 2015 9:50 AM in response to alberthai_

    Set your Mac to automatically log in - Apple Support

  • by williammacbookair,

    williammacbookair williammacbookair Dec 7, 2015 11:11 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (7 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 7, 2015 11:11 AM in response to Linc Davis

    Did this recently change? I've always had Find My Mac enabled, always disabled the Guest User account in System Preferences > Users & Groups, and never seen this Guest User on the login screen until a very recent (the last few days) fresh install of 10.11.

  • by aak77,

    aak77 aak77 Jan 1, 2016 5:54 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 1, 2016 5:54 AM in response to Linc Davis

    I have the same issue. I have disabled Guest account under Users & Groups and I did not sign in to iCloud, trying to keep my data completely offline. Therefore I suppose Find My Mac is off. But when I start my MacBook I see three options - Administrator, my main working non-admin user and Guest. There's also something wrong with that screen- the Guest grey pictogramm slightly changes it's color as I move mouse pointer over it.

     

    I have FileVault2 enabled and have no intention to disable it.

  • by Barney-15E,

    Barney-15E Barney-15E Jan 1, 2016 8:29 AM in response to aak77
    Level 9 (50,339 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 1, 2016 8:29 AM in response to aak77

    I have FileVault2 enabled and have no intention to disable it.

    Then the decryption screen you see is what you'll get, there will be a Guest user on that screen, and you cannot set up Automatic Login as it would completely invalidate the purpose of FileVault.

  • by aak77,

    aak77 aak77 Jan 1, 2016 11:45 AM in response to Barney-15E
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 1, 2016 11:45 AM in response to Barney-15E

    Barney-15E wrote:

     

    I have FileVault2 enabled and have no intention to disable it.

    Then the decryption screen you see is what you'll get, there will be a Guest user on that screen, and you cannot set up Automatic Login as it would completely invalidate the purpose of FileVault.

     

    Sure, I understand it perfectly. I'm not after Automatic Login at all. What I don't understand is why, under completely the same settings but before upgrade to El Capitan, there was to Guest login option? What turned it on? And why it stays and allows for guest login to Safari when every setting related to Guest account is turned off?

     

    It seems to be pretty cosmetic and it's easy just to forget about this third icon on the login screen. But it could be some sign of serious flaw too.

Page 1 Next