Spotlight (and many other things) wants to use the login keychain

My Mac's become unresponsive and crashed two days in a row because I get asked for my passwords. Whether I enter them or press cancel, everything grinds to a halt.

I saw the advice to go to the Keychain Access app and delete all things asking for passwords, but most of them aren't there.

I also saw the advice to change the lock settings on the keychain login, but neither of the locks are on.

It's been ages since I had computer trouble and I've forgotten what to do and how to get help.

This has happened just as I have deadlines and am moving house at the same time.

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.2

Posted on Apr 11, 2022 10:12 AM

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Apr 12, 2022 10:26 AM in response to Iamnotanumber2

Hello Iamnotanumber2.


Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. Try updating or retting your Keychain password on your Mac: If you need to update your keychain password on Mac - Apple Support


1.) In the Keychain Access app on your Mac, choose Keychain Access > Preferences.
2.) Click Reset Default Keychains.
3.) Choose Apple menu > Log Out. When you log in again, save your current login password in a keychain.

If that doesn't help, there are additional steps you can try. First, test this issue under a new user account: Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac - Apple Support


If you haven't created a new user before, follow the steps listed under "Add a user". If you confirm this issue only occurs under your main account, you might have remove specific login items from your main user account: Remove login items to resolve startup problems on your Mac - Apple Support


1.) On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Users & Groups .
2.) Click your account name below Current User, then click Login Items at the top of the window. Make a list of the login items—you’ll need to remember them later.
3.) Select all of the login items, then click the Remove button .
4.) Choose Apple menu > Restart.
5.) If this solves the problem, open Users & Groups preferences again, add the login items one at a time, and restart your Mac after adding each one.

When the problem occurs again, follow the steps above to remove only the last login item you added.


Additional troubleshooting steps you can try is to test this issue in safe mode and also install any pending updates your Mac might have. How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support


If you're using Apple silicon:

1.) Shut down your Mac.
2.) Turn on your Mac and continue to press and hold the power button until you see the startup options window.
3.) Select your startup disk, then press and hold the Shift key while clicking “Continue in Safe Mode.”
4.) Log in to your Mac. You might be asked to log in again.


If you're using Intel processor:

1.) Turn on or restart your Mac, then immediately press and hold the Shift key as your Mac starts up.
2.) Release the key when you see the login window, then log in to your Mac.
3.) You might be asked to log in again. On either the first or second login window, you should see ”Safe Boot” in the upper-right corner of the window.


Keeping your Mac fully updated can help resolve various issues. Just in case, steps are below: Update macOS on Mac - Apple Support


We hope this information is helpful. Cheers.


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Spotlight (and many other things) wants to use the login keychain

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