Dr. Power User
Level 1 (4 points)
Desktops

Q: Unable to log on

Hi all,

 

I have a Power Mac G3 (blue/white case), 400MHz processor, 512MB RAM, 120GB hard disk and currently run OS 9.2.2/OS X 10.4.11, and am unable to log into my user profile on OS X.

 

The problem began as a login loop - I kept entering my password only to be thrown back to the login screen. Following the advice of another website, I deleted the "Preferences" folders in the user and system library folders. The system now creates new folders, boots to the login screen, however entering any letter on the keyboard results in the system locking up in a 'busy' state/the cursor switches to the rainbow ball and just sits there - I can't do anything else but reset the system or put it to sleep with the power button

 

I have done everything I can think of to try and fix it - safe mode displays the same symptoms as listed above, booting verbose freezes with a blue screen once booted, fsck in single user mode says the disk is ok, as does Disk First Aid in OS 9. I have tried also reconfiguring the memory (one of the modules is intermittently problematic, but no problems are apparent with OS 9 (and haven't been apparent in the past with OS X) when it's working - I have tried removing any possible problem modules but the login problem persists)

 

One thing I have not tried yet is to do a system repair/archive and install - my install disc is of an older version (10.4.1) than what is currently installed - would doing this have any effect on the system in its current state with all of my applications and files present?

 

Thanks very much

PowerMac, Mac OS X (10.4.11), also with Mac OS 9.2.2

Posted on Sep 1, 2016 5:21 AM

by Dr. Power User,Solvedanswer
Dr. Power User Dr. Power User
Level 1 (4 points)
Desktops
A:

Hi all,

 

Thanks for your suggestions, unfortunately none of them seemed to clear anything up with OS X - by the looks of it something had corrupted something important, rendering the system unusable. Or, at least, that was the case when I originally asked - I came to the system today to see if I could make any sense of the install, only to find the hard drive isn't working anymore - something electronically wrong with it (spins up and makes normal noises, but isn't detected on either primary or secondary controller - both controllers are fine as they both detect the CD drive). By the looks of it, failure or no failure, the easy way out would definitely have been to just reinstall the system from scratch.

Posted on Sep 4, 2016 4:21 AM

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Dr. Power User

Q: Unable to log on

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Limnos,

    Limnos Limnos Sep 2, 2016 6:29 AM in response to Dr. Power User
    Level 9 (53,552 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 2, 2016 6:29 AM in response to Dr. Power User

    Are you sure your keyboard is working correctly?

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Sep 2, 2016 6:44 AM in response to Dr. Power User
    Level 10 (123,467 points)
    Sep 2, 2016 6:44 AM in response to Dr. Power User

    As I recall in 10.4.x installing an older 10.4.x can remove existing data used by apps, well, it moves it to a pretty useless Previous System folder.

     

    Reset OS X Password Without an OS X CD...

     

    http://ccm.net/forum/affich-73393-change-mac-admin-password-without-the-disk

     

    http://theappleblog.com/2008/06/22/reset-os-x-password-without-an-os-x-cd/

     

    It'll boot like a newly setup Mac, but all your stuff should still be there once filling out the stuff.

     

    Or, an Archive & Install, which gives you a new/old OS, but can preserve all your files, pics, music, settings, etc., as long as you have plenty of free disk space...

     

    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107120

    Reapply the Combo update...

  • by Dr. Power User,

    Dr. Power User Dr. Power User Sep 2, 2016 7:31 AM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 2, 2016 7:31 AM in response to BDAqua

    Hi,

     

    I tried with the disc I have, and the installer will only allow the install to continue if I format the disk first, owing to the fact that the version installed on the hard disk is newer.

     

    I haven't forgotten the password, I know it, the system, or at least OS X is acting rather strange - entering a wrong password before I went and did the (seemingly stupid) thing of deleting the /Library/Preferences folders resulted in the normal behaviour of the password window shaking - now trying to enter anything at all results in the system, or at least the LoginWindow process (or whatever it is in 10.4) completely locking up and the rainbow cursor comes up on the screen as if to say the system is going to do something, but leaving it doesn't do anything - it threw up a kernel panic once, but this seems no longer the case.

     

    I have a feeling that more than likely the easy way out of this would be to just start all over again - hardly surprising considering that it isn't even a 'proper' install, it's a copy of an installation taken from a smaller drive, which was taken originally from an even smaller drive

  • by Dr. Power User,

    Dr. Power User Dr. Power User Sep 2, 2016 7:33 AM in response to Limnos
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 2, 2016 7:33 AM in response to Limnos

    Hi,

     

    The keyboard works fine - it's working in OS 9, also I got OS X to a point where I could quickly enter the password in the box before the system focused on it (there's a delay on my system, probably owing to it's quite low speed), however clicking the login button resulted in the same symptom - LoginWindow locking up to the rainbow cursor.

  • by Dr. Power User,Solvedanswer

    Dr. Power User Dr. Power User Sep 4, 2016 4:21 AM in response to Dr. Power User
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 4, 2016 4:21 AM in response to Dr. Power User

    Hi all,

     

    Thanks for your suggestions, unfortunately none of them seemed to clear anything up with OS X - by the looks of it something had corrupted something important, rendering the system unusable. Or, at least, that was the case when I originally asked - I came to the system today to see if I could make any sense of the install, only to find the hard drive isn't working anymore - something electronically wrong with it (spins up and makes normal noises, but isn't detected on either primary or secondary controller - both controllers are fine as they both detect the CD drive). By the looks of it, failure or no failure, the easy way out would definitely have been to just reinstall the system from scratch.