MattFarrell123
Level 1 (14 points)
Mac OS X

Q: Yosemite login loop

AAfter having to revert back to the OS my Mac Mini and with (Yosemite) because the Sierra Dev Beta was constantly crashing, i am now at a loop on my login screen. When I click the user that I always have used, it acts as usual and asks for my password. I enter the correct password, the loading widget appears, then the screen goes black, then the user selection screen appears again. I have tried logging in as a guest, same thing.

 

any help would be much appreciated.

Posted on Jul 17, 2016 9:58 AM

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MattFarrell123

Q: Yosemite login loop

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  • by Lindsay_B.,

    Lindsay_B. Lindsay_B. Jul 18, 2016 8:12 AM in response to MattFarrell123
    Community Specialists
    Jul 18, 2016 8:12 AM in response to MattFarrell123

    Hi there, MattFarrell123!

     

    Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities. Based upon the information you provided, I understand you are having trouble logging into your user accounts in Yosemite. With both your user account and the guest account, after entering any necessary passwords, the computer starts the login process but then reverts back to the login screen. I rely on my Mac every day, and know how important it is to be able to access your user account; I'm happy to help!

     

    First, I would recommend attempting to login via safe mode. If you aren't familiar with safe mode, you can use the article linked below to get more information on it, and help booting into it.

    Try safe mode if your Mac doesn‘t finish starting up

     

    Even though the title of the article isn't exactly the same as the issue you're experiencing, safe mode is still a good step to try. It will run several checks of your system during boot, and disable certain software that could be causing a conflict. If you are able to log into your user account with safe mode, restart your computer and try logging in again.

     

    If it still does not allow you to log in when booted normaly, but were able to log in in while booted to safe mode, your next step would be to boot your Mac into Recovery and repair your startup disk. The steps on how to do this are in the article below. Once you have repaired the disk, restart your Mac like normal and try logging in once again. 

    Disk Utility (Yosemite): repair a disk

     

    If you were not able to login after booting to safe mode, the next step I would recommend is reinstalling OS X. You can reinstall OS X without erasing any of your data following the steps in the article below.

    How to reinstall OS X

     

    If you're still not able to log into your user account after reinstalling OS X, the next step would be to first erase the hard drive, then reinstall OS X. Since this step will erase your information, I would encourage you to create a backup of your data, if you don't already have one. You can use the article below to find a few different methods of backing up.

    OS X Yosemite: Alternatives for backing up your Mac

     

    Once you've created a backup, you can use the article below to erase your hard drive, then the "How to reinstall OS X" article to get OS X back on your Mac.

    Disk Utility (Yosemite): Erase a disk

     

    Cheers!

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Jul 18, 2016 9:02 AM in response to MattFarrell123
    Level 9 (73,643 points)
    iTunes
    Jul 18, 2016 9:02 AM in response to MattFarrell123

    Do you have FileVault turned on?

  • by Hhhv,

    Hhhv Hhhv Aug 3, 2016 11:26 AM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Aug 3, 2016 11:26 AM in response to Eric Root

    I Have fire vault turned on. Ran into the same problem.

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Aug 4, 2016 11:57 AM in response to Hhhv
    Level 9 (73,643 points)
    iTunes
    Aug 4, 2016 11:57 AM in response to Hhhv

    When FileVault is installed, a double login is required. The first unlocks FileVault and the second logs you into your account.

  • by Hhhv,

    Hhhv Hhhv Aug 4, 2016 2:51 PM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Aug 4, 2016 2:51 PM in response to Eric Root

    Doesn't look like you read his post. He isn't complaining about the fact that it looks like you have to log in twice when FireVault is turned on. He can't log onto his account period. All of us are or were stuck in a login loop. (loop = more than 2x)

     

    What you described: Unlock FireVault --> Log onto user account --> Woo hoo! I can use my comp!

    What we're experiencing: Unlock FireVault --> Log onto user account --> Log onto user account --> Log onto user account --> **punches through screen**

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Aug 5, 2016 10:42 AM in response to Hhhv
    Level 9 (73,643 points)
    iTunes
    Aug 5, 2016 10:42 AM in response to Hhhv

    Have you tried reinstalling the OS as suggested above?