Startup loop :/

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Level 1

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Startup loop :/

Hi
I'm having bit of a problem with my girlfriends mac mini 2.0
It started out with me trying to remove the administrator password
As they don't have a disc I went into single user mode and played around in there following instructions I got
Off the Internet
Now everytime I start the mac it's goes into a startup loop
I just get the apple logo and a loading gear ten after bout 5 mins it restates itself and does the same
Thing
I've literally tried everything
Tried going into single user mode and typing in commands
Nothing seems to work
I've tried resetting nvrm and pram settings
Nothing changes
It won't boot into safe mode
Option-command-o-f wich I belive to be firmware settings doesn't work
I have no disc
My brother has sent me one but it has not arrived yet and I really need to get this mac working
For 2 pure reasons
Firstly it's not mine so I feel bad about it
Secondly ive neva been beat by a computer before so it's starting to get to me lmao
Any help would be deeply appreciated
Kind regards
Steve

Mac mini 2.0, Mac OS X (10.5.3)

Posted on Jan 2, 2011 9:53 AM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Jan 2, 2011 10:24 AM in response to Mabbsy

At this point it's impossible to know what damage you have done. You should never remove an admin password. You can change the password in single-user mode:

To start, reboot in safe mode.

At the prompt enter the following:

/sbin/fsck -fy

Press RETURN. If you receive this message: ** The volume (name ofvolume) appears to be OK then continue to the next command. If you receive this message: *** FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED *** then repeat the above command until you receive the OK message. If you repeat the command seven times without receiving the OK message then you cannot repair the drive and should not continue.

/sbin/mount -uw /

Then, type in pressing RETURN after each:

/usr/libexec/register mach_bootstrapservers /etc/mach_init.d
cd /var/db/netinfo
netinfod -s local
SystemStarter
passwd root

You’ll be asked to come up with a new password. If you want to change a login’s password, substitute ‘root’ with the username. After that, enter:

reboot

If this doesn't work then you will have to reinstall OS X, but you cannot do that without the installer DVD.

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Answer 2

Mabbsy Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 5, 2011 7:59 AM in response to Kappy

Cheers
I Gave that a shot
First bit worked fine got the ok message
Then wen I tried the second part it sed no such file or directory
So I'm bit stuck at the moment :/

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Answer 3

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Jan 5, 2011 9:51 AM in response to Mabbsy

OK, then try this one. The other must have been for an earlier version of OS X:

How to change your username and/or password from the Terminal

1. Boot into single-user mode. Enter at prompt:

fsck -fy
mount -uw /
launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.DirectoryServices.plist
dscl . -passwd /Users/username password

Replace username with the targeted user and password with the desired password.

Reboot

The above tip is attributed to Satcomer.

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Answer 4

Mabbsy Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 6, 2011 4:02 AM in response to Kappy

Ok, I tried that and first of all it said permission denied
So i did it agen and it said socket not connected :/
Is there anything else I can try?
I really do appricate all of your help so far

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Answer 5

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Jan 6, 2011 10:52 AM in response to Mabbsy

Assuming you entered the commands correctly, then I'm at a loss. I don't quite understand the permission issue since you are root when in single-user mode. I've never used that information but found it elsewhere.

At this point I would say, reinstall OS X.

Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive

Do the following:

1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions

Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.

2. If the drive is OK then quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed with reinstalling OS X. Note that the Snow Leopard installer will not erase your drive or disturb your files. After installing a fresh copy of OS X the installer will move your Home folder, third-party applications, support items, and network preferences into the newly installed system.

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