Monolingual cut English from my MBP. No way to type in password. Can't reinstall OS X.

Question

Level 1

8 points

Monolingual cut English from my MBP. No way to type in password. Can't reinstall OS X.

The problem is that when the password window comes up, I can't type anything in any language in the password window to get into my system. So far I've tried to boot up a copy of OS X from my Maxstor USB drive & also from a disk I burned from the Maxstor, both times holding down either the C key, the Option key, or the combo Command/Option/Shift/Delete, but nothing has worked. I still either just get to my password window, or with the Option key only held down, I get to a screen with a hard drive icon & an arrow, but if I click on the arrow or icon (either with or without the Option key still held down), it goes to the Apple and my password window. Does anyone know how to restore my OS X or the languages package from an external source or CD/DVD in this situation? If not, when Lion comes out in a week or so, is my Mac likely to even boot up from that if it won't from my copy of OS X? I'm in rural Costa Rica right now, 6 hours away from the nearest Apple help, so any advice given is really appreciated. Thanks!!!

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Jul 3, 2011 8:17 PM

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Answer 1

ds store

Level 7

30,745 points

Jul 3, 2011 8:36 PM in response to VanderVen

Oh sweet lord you really did screw up.

Your going to have to boot into Single User mode and follow these commands to set your password to nothing so you hopefully can press enter and get in.

The Easy Password Reset Way. (no disk required)

1: Reboot the machine holding Command and S keys,you'll boot into single user mode.

2: Type in each command below followed by Enter or Return (you might have to wait a bit)

fsck -fy


mount -uw /


passwd "username"

(where "username" is the users name of the password yourtrying to change)

If you don't know the name of the users then enter

ls /Users/

and you'll see three items: .localized, Shared, and a "username"

When done

exit

or

reboot

That should get you into your machine, but I don't know what's going to happen after that without a language. 😀

Once you have copied off all your data to a another drive, then hold c and boot from the disk that comes with the comptur and reinstall OS X.

If that don't work then your going to have to reformat the drive in Disk Utility then reinstall OS X, all your programs and files from backup.

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Answer 2

VanderVen Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 4, 2011 9:35 AM in response to ds store

When I get to the point of typing in my User Name, it then wants me to put in a new password & doesn't want to let me put nothing in that space. If I just shut down & reboot, it doesn't save "nothing" as a password. How do I change it to no password at all?

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Answer 3

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,559 points

Jul 4, 2011 9:46 AM in response to VanderVen

Why haven't you booted from your original installation DVD?

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Answer 4

VanderVen Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 4, 2011 12:00 PM in response to Linc Davis

I'm in Costa Rica for 7 months & didn't bring it with me. I managed to get a copy of the OS X install disk on a DVD that someone burned, but when I try to boot from it, I only get my password screen (or the hard drive icon) -- see first message above.

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Answer 5

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,559 points

Jul 4, 2011 12:08 PM in response to VanderVen

You're out of luck unless you can get your hands on a valid installation disc. The copy that "someone burned" is obviously useless.

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Answer 6

ds store

Level 7

30,745 points

Jul 4, 2011 2:05 PM in response to VanderVen

VanderVen wrote:

When I get to the point of typing in my User Name, it then wants me to put in a new password & doesn't want to let me put nothing in that space.

So put in a new password like "qwerty" instead.

The object is your just using a sequence of keys on the keyboard.

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Answer 7

Kurt Lang

Level 9

58,584 points

Jul 4, 2011 2:08 PM in response to VanderVen

If I just shut down & reboot, it doesn't save "nothing" as a password. How do I change it to no password at all?

You can't. Snow Leopard does not allow null passwords. You are required to put something in.

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Answer 8

VanderVen Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 5, 2011 2:56 PM in response to ds store

Changing passwords won't help because if I get to the password screen on my MBP, the point is that Monolingual screwed up my ability to type at all, I'm assuming because it erased the English language. I'm surprised I can type in the single user mode! I think my only hope is when Lion comes out to buy a copy here in Costa Rica somewhere & to HOPEFULLY be able to boot from that.

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Answer 9

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,559 points

Jul 5, 2011 3:38 PM in response to VanderVen

Lion will distributed only through the App Store. If your system isn't usable, you won't be able to install it. You need a valid installation disc or you're going nowhere. Ask someone in the U.S. to send you one.

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