I started a discussion on this a couple days ago and thought I had it solved but it is still happening. Here is the prior discussion:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3987451?tstart=0
So I can acces via server admin but cannot log into the server from the login window at the server itself with the exact same admin credentials that I used through server admin.
Thoughts?
If you can access it via server admin I would expect that you can also access it via workgroup manager, although I'm not sure if you can change your desktop user account password in workgroup manager. You may need to reboot the server with the OS installation disc and change the root or admin password there.
Use Server Admin and read through the core logs for any relevant errors. Alternatively, use Target Disk Mode and an appropriate cable and another Mac, read through the errant server's logs and see what's going on. These logs and log directories are stored /var/log directory. The usual-culprit logs are in tjat directory.
On no evidence, I'd verify DNS is correct and operating either on your server or from whatever DNS server is operating on your network (if you have another source), as that causes errors with user authentication. This assumes you're on a NAT'd network. And if so, using ISP DNS services does not work.
I'd boot the installer DVD and use Disk Utility get a backup of your data before making too many changes here, too.
MrHoffman wrote:
Use Server Admin and read through the core logs for any relevant errors.
Server Admin tails the log files for the last 40 lines or so, it isn't useful for reading anything but the most recent events. I think the fastest way to resolve the problem would be to reboot from the OS X installation disc and reset the admin password.
Console.app does work better than Server Admin for dumping the logs, true. Or looking at the logs directly. But if you test the error and look, it's usually possible to spot the error in Server Admin, too. Patching the password is certainly quick, but it may or may not resolve the error here; if the log has details, then it can point to the trigger for the failures..
The OP reported that he couldn't log into the server from the terminal, in which case he wouldn't have been able to use the Console.app or read the logs from the command line. Resetting the admin password from the OS X installation disc was the only option to resolve that problem.
HELP: cannot login as root or admin anymore after OSX update and restart
