How to remove "Other..." from my sign-in screen?

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Level 3

791 points

How to remove "Other..." from my sign-in screen?

How to remove "Other..." from my sign-in screen?

I was trying to change an Administrator Account by starting from my Leopard Install DVD and from the Utilities menu choosing Reset Password, etc. A longish story involving my inability to shut-down the computer while others are signed in but not actually using the computer. In Tiger I was able, since moving to Leopard I need to go into each of their accounts and manually log each of them out. A headache.

For right right now I need to get rid of the Other... account name, etc from my sign-in screen. How do I do this in plain English please? I find all this Admin jargon does my head in.

Cheers, SZ

iMac 24" 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB memory, 320GB HD, iBook 12" G4, A/X, Mac OS X (10.5.2), 1TB+ Ext HD, iPod 80GB(6G), Etymotic ER•4P, Nikon cameras/glass

Posted on Apr 20, 2008 2:28 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

deh2k

Level 4

1,871 points

Apr 20, 2008 3:19 PM in response to ShakuZen

What if you uncheck the "Enable fast user switching" option in the Accounts System Preference? Then only one user can sign on at a time.

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Answer 2

V.K.

Level 9

56,174 points

Apr 20, 2008 3:22 PM in response to ShakuZen

You need to disable the root user. From what I understand you enabled it from the install DVD's password reset.

Use [these instructions|http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106290] to disable it.

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Answer 3

Apr 20, 2008 3:28 PM in response to V.K.

I've found that this "Other..." user occurrence seems rather random. I've not cared about it too much, but it shows up in my login window in a kinda random manner. Sometimes it'll show that option and other times it wont. I dont have the root user enabled and havent enabled it in the past.

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Answer 4

V.K.

Level 9

56,174 points

Apr 20, 2008 3:35 PM in response to Topher Kessler

well, that's how it's supposed to work and it does work like this on my computer. If I enable the root I do see "Other.." in login window and if I disable it, I don't. It's pretty clear that the OP enabled the root user so it might help him.

I have no idea what's happening in your case. Tweaking some plists can bring it up. For example, you can hide some users from the login window by modifying the loginwindow plist and then "Other.." shows up so that you can enter the hidden names and still log in.

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Answer 5

Király

Level 6

10,017 points

Apr 20, 2008 4:06 PM in response to V.K.

There is a bug where the "Other..." option will sometimes remain in the login window list, even after root login has been disabled. If that's the case, it can be removed with this command in Terminal:

dsenableroot -d

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Answer 6

V.K.

Level 9

56,174 points

Apr 20, 2008 4:14 PM in response to Király

Thanks for sharing - I didn't know about this command. It's certainly quicker than disabling root from Directory Utility.

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Answer 7

ShakuZen Author

Level 3

791 points

Apr 20, 2008 5:31 PM in response to deh2k

deh2k wrote:
What if you uncheck the "Enable fast user switching" option in the Accounts System Preference? Then only one user can sign on at a time.

An idea worth using in a "normal" situation. Since I bought this 24" iMac, what I assumed to be all mine, my wife has not touched "her" old 12" iBook. There it sits collecting dust. We really need to have the Fast User Switching, saves plenty of time. For what it is worth, one iMac is not enough for a content relationship.....iBook as doorstop.

SZ

Message was edited by: ShakuZen

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Answer 8

ShakuZen Author

Level 3

791 points

Apr 20, 2008 5:36 PM in response to V.K.

V.K. wrote:
You need to disable the root user. From what I understand you enabled it from the install DVD's password reset.

Use [these instructions| http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106290 ] to disable it.

Those instructions led me down this path, I have not the head to deal with them again today. My eyes glaze-over listening to myself read them aloud. SZ

Message was edited by: ShakuZen

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Answer 9

ShakuZen Author

Level 3

791 points

Apr 20, 2008 5:37 PM in response to Király

Thanks! An easy fix. Love Terminal.

SZ

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Answer 10

BellyLeB

Level 1

0 points

May 30, 2008 1:25 AM in response to Király

Hi, as a novice to mac, cld you possibly let me have a step by step guide to removing the "other" on log in, which mysteriously has appeared, cheers, BellyLeB, no idea what or where I would find the terminal some guys write about!

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