Logging in twice required in MBP

GoldenDelicious37 wrote:

Often I am having to log in twice to my MBP. There are different backgrounds for the user login page - there are no other user accounts on the machine and often I am told the first password attempt was incorrect although I am quite certain it was correct. It has occured less since adding a security key and prompting for PIN but still occurs. Why might this happen, and how do I get the details of these events (what is actually occurring)?

If Fiel Vault is enabled... you have to get past that before user login

ref

Use FileVault to encrypt the startup disk on your Mac

To elaborate on what leroydouglas said, the default setup for a new Mac is to use the first-provided password for BOTH drive encryption and user login. It is possible this can evolve into requiring two passwords, but changing your login password to something else is the most common reason.

If this is the case, the first password dialog is asking you to unlock the disk, where the Accounts database is stored. Once the accounts database is readable, the second password is asking you to unlock your account, and as I said, they may have diverged over time.

If this is the case, you may not be able to quickly change the encryption password for the drive.