"You are unable to log in to the user account "X" at this time"

Question

"You are unable to log in to the user account "X" at this time"

Hello,

If anyone could please help me I'd be ever so grateful. I realise there are similar questions and I hope I've begun to tackle this, but I am stuck and need some (simple!) help if anyone can offer such!

I am using a PowerBook5,8 G4. Recently I've turned on FileVault to encrypt data and the other day I tried to log in and the above message came up, after which I have not been able to get into my account.

I only had a single account on my computer but was able to set up another account following instructions from somewhere!

Therefore I can now log on to the computer (but not to the files in my account). I then tried to carry out the instructions in this article:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2631?viewlocale=en_US

I got as far as number 18: Double-click the ".sparseimage" image file. Enter the account's password when prompted. Note: If you do not know the password and mount the image, you may not be able to verify and repair in Disk Utility.

When I do this (the password is correct as I've tried a wrong password just to check and the resul is then different!) a box comes up that says "Warning: The following disk images failed to mount" and then it says the sparseimage and the reason it gives is Input/output error.

I see that this article is then linked to http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1974 but I'm a bit loath to try it out without confirmation that I'm doing the right thing since it says to back up data first. I really don't want to lose the date in my account if possible as it's pretty important (hence why I turned filewault on!!) and I haven't bvacked up for a while so I just thought I'd ask as it seemed to be going a bit astray from the initial problem and I am not sure if I can back up the material properly when the account is locked anyway?

I am not sure if my questions even make sense, but I hope so!

I'd never even entered the main boot screen thing on the mac until trying to get thus far so unfortunately do require quite a lot of explaination with any steps (sorry!) Thanks in advance!

PowerBook, G4 5,8

Posted on Dec 2, 2011 2:40 PM

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Answer 1

Dec 3, 2011 7:10 AM in response to iamahippotoday

Please help me someone!

Here is what happened:

My computer was working normally, with filevalut, but crashed rather than turning it off so I held in the power button in order to turn it off
The next time I turned it on, it wouldn't get past the log in screen, saying "You are unable to log in to the user account "x" at this time"
I then looked around online and found a way to set up another account so I can log in to the computer: I just can't get to the files on user "x"
I tried to go through the steps here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2631?viewlocale=en_US but when I try to double click on "x"'s sparsedisc or if I drag it into disc utility and try to verify or repair there, it says that the disc can't be mounted.

I really really need a way of getting to the files: all my work is on there!! I can't believe just for filevalut it'll be impossible to retrieve any files?!

Thank you!

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Answer 2

Dec 3, 2011 1:25 PM in response to iamahippotoday

Hi! I'll be happy to help you! I decided to activate FileVault on my iBook to see what it would say but it wouldn't activate on mine because "There is not enough free space to create an encrypted copy of your home folder" so it sounds like it actually just makes a copy of your home folder and protects that (although I fail to see the point). So it may have an un-encrypted copy somewhere (i.e. the original files). So try looking for that.

The other thing you can do is a trick if you have an OS X Installation disc (I'd suggest the same as the OS you have). Witht the disc in the drive, restart the computer and hold down the "C" key until it shows the gray apple and spinning gear. When it loads up choose a language to continue, then click Utilities in the Menu Bar and select Reset Password... When the utility opens there should be a user named Root, if no one's used this utility before the Root account won't have a password set to it, but is instead unable to be logged in to. Change it's password to whatever you like (I suggest something strong because the Root account can be used to damage your computer if someone wanted to) and then exit the utility and restart the computer. When you get to the logon screen, log into Root. Hopefully from this account you will be able to at least access your files on the other account. Root is the literal Root account of the OS (Linux distro's have a Root account as well; It's a Unix thing). The Root account has the privelages to do anything that it wants to do because the OS usually uses this account and people aren't supposed to unless it's necessary. If you don't know what you're doing, then use it like you would any other account. Copy your files like normal, and NEVER delete anything if you don't know what it is.

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Answer 3

Dec 4, 2011 7:11 AM in response to tanner1294

Thank you very much for getting back to me. I am not sure the files in their normal state do exist anywhere though, sadly.

I can log in to the root but haven't found any files there. I also tried a program called data recovery but it didn't seem to recover the files either.

I don't know anything about computers, but I am presuming the files were encrypted inside the seemingly corrupted "username.sparseimage" file that now won't mount.

Can't believe it though: all that happened was that my computer crashed so I had to hold in the power key to restart... there must surely be some way of getting to them...???

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