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Level 1

40 points

Beachballing on login screen

Hi, I just installed Lion and I have noticed something very frustrating doing login.

I am using a mid-2010 MBP. Lion is a clean install.

When I startup my computer, I can see the login screen fine, but I get a never ending spinning beach ball when I try to do _any_ of the following:

1. Click in the password field.

2. Move the cursor around the screen for a while.

3. Start typing on keyboard without moving the cursor.

The beachball would not stop, and prevents my cursor from moving after it starts spinning. I am forced to reboot with ctrl+command+power button.

The only way I could get around this is to have my computer auto-login, but I really don't want that since it's a portable...

I never had this problem with Snow Leopard. I have re-clean-installed Lion three times, and still I have this issue.

Please help! Thanks!

Posted on Jul 20, 2011 1:39 PM

Best reply

Ke Sun Author

Level 1

40 points

Posted on Jul 20, 2011 4:22 PM

Solved the issue...

After reading the system logs using Console app, I found out that when you have "allow users to reset password using apple id" enabled in user account, it seems like on startup my mac keeps on trying to verify the account is a safe account with apple servers or something, and that keeps it locking up and throwing a beach ball attack...

I simply deleted the associated apple id in the user account, and also unchecked the "allow users to reset... using apple id" option, and the problem seemed to go away.

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33 replies

Ke Sun Author

Level 1

40 points

Jul 21, 2011 11:50 AM in response to gijski

You first need to disable automatic graphics switching in your power management profile in system preferences window.

This would fix the problem then and there. Your system will default to using the discrete GPU (nVidia).

But if you want to have a longer battery life, then you will need to install gfxCardStatus so you can custom select which GPU you want to use. Typically I default to the integrated (Intel HD) so it uses less power. I switch to discrete (nVidia) when I want to play games.

Jul 23, 2011 9:53 AM in response to Ke Sun

I came across this issue as well, but in my case it was not graphics related. I installed the gfxCardStatus utility and disabled the graphic card swith in power preferences and still had the issue. I did some more research and I found out that the problem was that, because of my company setting, an LDAP server got automatically added to verify account, this server was not responding and that caused the delay, which in my case was about 1 minute.

The issue can be easily solved by following these steps: http://techsmog.com/index.php/2011/02/23/fixing-the-slow-loginlogoutauthenticati on-issue-in-osx-snow-leopard/

I hope it helps you guys.

SvdH

Level 1

0 points

Jul 23, 2011 10:27 PM in response to Ke Sun

Same here, but on a 2008 MacPro running Lion Server. Very annoying...

SvdH

Level 1

0 points

Jul 23, 2011 10:37 PM in response to SvdH

Just connected from another Mac (Snow Leopard) via VNC. Instantly solved the problem. It's not a fix, but at least I can now access my Mac when the login-screen hangs.

Jul 23, 2011 10:39 PM in response to SvdH

Have you tried the LDAP I posted above?, sounds like you have the same issue I had.

SvdH

Level 1

0 points

Jul 23, 2011 10:46 PM in response to StefanAichholzer

Thanx, but I have no LDAP running AFAIK. Since this is an old machine (2008) I don't have a fancy switching GPU either. The login screen just beachballed after waking up from the screensaver and entering the password. It had been on screensaver for about 6 hours.

SvdH

Level 1

0 points

Jul 23, 2011 10:54 PM in response to SvdH

From the console logfiles, written as the login screen was beachballing:

7/24/11 7:34:38.726 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-metadata /private/var/root

7/24/11 7:34:38.729 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-metadata /private/var/root

7/24/11 7:34:38.730 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-metadata /private/var/root

7/24/11 7:34:38.732 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-metadata /private/var/root/Library/Preferences/ByHost/.GlobalPreferences.0017f2080314.pl ist

7/24/11 7:34:38.734 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-data /private/var/root/Library/Preferences/ByHost/.GlobalPreferences.0017f2080314.pl ist

7/24/11 7:34:38.736 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-metadata /private/var/root

7/24/11 7:34:38.738 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-metadata /private/var/root/Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist

7/24/11 7:34:38.739 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-data /private/var/root/Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist

7/24/11 7:34:38.741 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-metadata /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist

7/24/11 7:34:38.743 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-data /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist

7/24/11 7:34:38.744 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-metadata /private/var/root/Library/Preferences/ByHost/.GlobalPreferences.0017f2080314.pl ist

7/24/11 7:34:38.746 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-data /private/var/root/Library/Preferences/ByHost/.GlobalPreferences.0017f2080314.pl ist

7/24/11 7:34:38.748 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-metadata /private/var/root/Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist

7/24/11 7:34:38.749 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-data /private/var/root/Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist

7/24/11 7:34:38.751 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-metadata /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist

7/24/11 7:34:38.753 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny file-read-data /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist

7/24/11 7:34:38.754 AM sandboxd: ([100]) kdc(100) deny mach-lookup com.apple.CoreServices.coreservicesd

Do any of you guys have similar entries?

Jul 28, 2011 4:12 AM in response to Ke Sun

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I had the same problem last night after using the new os without failure prior. The only thing that I had done differently was uncheck the 'reopen windows when starting up'. When I finally was able to get logged in I made sure this box was unchecked when I shutdown. When I started back up the beach ball was kicked to the moon. I hope this helps. There may be other things causing the same problem. So far this solution has fixed my problem.

Jul 28, 2011 9:58 AM in response to tommoore202

Spell check changed my word from checked to unchecked. The solution was to make sure the box 'reopen windows when starting up' is checked when you shutdown.

9700pro

Level 1

10 points

Jul 28, 2011 10:25 AM in response to Ke Sun

System Preferences > Energy Settings > disable the "automatic Grafik-Mode-Switch"

This fixes a lot of other Problems, including yours.

:-)

Aug 2, 2011 1:39 PM in response to 9700pro

This may be a dumb question, but how Do I log in so that I can change this preference? I'm still stuck outside, unable to login. 😟

Ke Sun Author

Level 1

40 points

Aug 2, 2011 1:48 PM in response to Houston88

haha, I know what you mean, I had the same problem. I actually just had to try many times to login... It's a dumb way to do it, but everytime I see the screen beachballing, I just hit CTRL + CMD + Power Button and hope the next time I boot I can type in my password fast enough to login... Dumb, I know.

I highly suggest that after you login, try the gfxCardStatus utility, it's super useful, and really something Apple should have provided for us in the first place to manage GPU switching manually...

Aug 2, 2011 1:52 PM in response to Ke Sun

Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a shot, and maybe try resetting PRAM and whatever else comes to mind. I do already have that utility, and I've used it in the past, but I usually like to let the mac decide what graphics card to use, and not force it over myself. Oh well. I hope there's a fix soon. 🙂

Aug 2, 2011 4:00 PM in response to Ke Sun

By typing my password in quickly, I was able to get in. Thanks for the help! 🙂

9700pro

Level 1

10 points

Aug 2, 2011 6:09 PM in response to Houston88

If the log in isn't possible at all, you have to start in save mode ( http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1455 )

The system should not crash here, so you have time to switch the modes!

Beachballing on login screen