iMac Automatically Booting in Single-user mode since upgrading to ML

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Level 1

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iMac Automatically Booting in Single-user mode since upgrading to ML

Hi All...

Since up grading my mid 08 iMac to mountain lion whenever I cold boot my mac it boots automatically into single user mode, entering exit at the command prompt continues the boot process.

so far I've

1. reset the PRAM

2. reset the SMC

3. reinstalled mountain lion

4. removed all 3rd part apps

5. checked the right boot drive is selected

6. repaired disk permissions

7. repaired the disk.

8. Spent two days on the telephone to a rather bamboozled Apple technician.

Any input would really be appreciated!

iPhone 3GS, iOS 5, imac & 2 MacBooks

Posted on Aug 3, 2012 9:01 AM

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Answer 1

mende1

Level 10

93,538 points

Aug 3, 2012 9:14 AM in response to ruby*rocket

Install Onyx. http://www.titanium.free.fr/download.php?sid=d1e665ccc5579e18b1274231aba1778f

1. Open it

2. Parameters > Login and change boot

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Answer 2

Aug 7, 2012 7:40 AM in response to mende1

Thanks "mende1". I'm giving "Onyx" a try because I have been getting that "single user" screen too, I think. I have to exit this DOS-like text based screen to enter what I recognise as the normal graphical boot up sequence.

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Answer 3

ruby*rocket Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 7, 2012 12:12 PM in response to ruby*rocket

Hi Guys...

Thanks for the Onyx tip Mende1, I gave it a go but still no joy :-(

I have however noticed that when I shut my iMac down I'm briefly getting some script that has the words 'mount' & 'failed' I know thats a bit sketchy but it flicks up so quickly you can't read it properly so I'm wondering if something is occuring in the shut down thats prompting it to boot in single user mode next boot cycle :-S

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Answer 4

p-smyth

Level 1

5 points

Aug 8, 2012 2:23 AM in response to ruby*rocket

Hi,

I had this problem, which was temporarily cured by resetting the PRAM i.e. it would cold boot fine once or twice, then return. I noticed in the black screen at shutdown that Sophus Anti-Virus was somehow related. I removed it from login items and the problem remained, so I just completely uninstalled it using the Sophus uninstall programme. This appears to have cured the problem for now.

Hope this helps.

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Answer 5

ruby*rocket Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 10, 2012 5:55 AM in response to ruby*rocket

Hi All....

Just dropping in to give you a quick up date. I'm not sure if apple have released any patches in their automatic updates over the last few days but my iMac suddenly seems cured! For the last two days it's been booting perfectly normal! Am keeping my fingers crossed this is a perminant fix.

How's things for the rest of you, seen any improvements?

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Answer 6

p-smyth

Level 1

5 points

Aug 11, 2012 2:52 AM in response to ruby*rocket

My iMac has also been stable for a few days, though there has been no update. The problem reoccurred after having removed my anti-virus software, so I am now booting without any login items (quicksilver and dropbox for me) and without turning on the keyboard and mouse. No problems so far.

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Answer 7

ruby*rocket Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 11, 2012 6:07 AM in response to ruby*rocket

After rejoycing that my problems were over I switched on my iMac this morning and bam single user mode, so after a spot of tanturm throwing I suddenly had an idea, this morning I switched my wireless keyboard & track pad on prior to booting up the mac which I hadn't done the past couple of days so I switched everything off & went to do battle in Asda, when I came home I booted up the iMac then switched on my keyboard & mouse.... Eureka!! normal boot, so to rule out the chance of a fluke I switched everything off again, left it for 20 mins tried it again switching keyboard & mouse on after boot & again normal boot. So I'm thinking it maybe something to do with the bluetooth firmware.

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Answer 8

Aug 12, 2012 4:27 AM in response to ruby*rocket

Thanks for being so observant! I was tearing my hair out as this was an intermittent problem for me and it does seem to be a Bluetooth issue. I hope Apple sort this in the next update.

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Answer 9

oreohom

Level 1

0 points

Aug 13, 2012 6:39 PM in response to ruby*rocket

Thanks to all of you, i also have upgraded to mountain lion with my Imac late 2009, and having same problems. Luckily i came upon your advice and it works for now.

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Answer 10

vonundzu

Level 1

0 points

Aug 16, 2012 3:22 AM in response to ruby*rocket

Indeed, it seems to be bluetooth! Thanks a lot for this information!

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Answer 11

prc62

Level 1

5 points

Aug 24, 2012 4:12 PM in response to vonundzu

Just found this thread, having experienced the same problem on a late08 iMac with wireless keyboard and trackpad. Booting with keypad and trackpad OFF appears to solve the problem EXCEPT the console still displays a series of errors:

25/08/12 11:06:03.918 AM com.apple.launchd[1]: (com.apple.launchd.peruser.423[236]) getpwuid("423") failed

25/08/12 11:06:03.918 AM com.apple.launchd[1]: (com.apple.launchd.peruser.423[236]) Job failed to exec(3). Setting up event to tell us when to try again: 3: No such process

25/08/12 11:06:03.918 AM com.apple.launchd[1]: (com.apple.launchd.peruser.423[236]) Job failed to exec(3) for weird reason: 3

25/08/12 11:06:03.920 AM com.apple.launchd[1]: (com.apple.launchd.peruser.423) Job should be able to exec(3) now.

25/08/12 11:06:03.920 AM com.apple.launchd[1]: (com.apple.launchd.peruser.423) Throttling respawn: Will start in 10 seconds

25/08/12 11:06:03.922 AM com.apple.launchd[1]: (com.apple.UserEventAgent-System[11]) Could not find stream/token: com.apple.launchd.helper/5

25/08/12 11:06:03.922 AM UserEventAgent[11]: Could not set XPC event state to true for stream/token: com.apple.launchd.helper/5: 0x3: No such process

25/08/12 11:06:13.923 AM com.apple.launchd[1]: (com.apple.launchd.peruser.423[243]) getpwuid("423") failed

25/08/12 11:06:13.923 AM com.apple.launchd[1]: (com.apple.launchd.peruser.423[243]) Job failed to exec(3). Setting up event to tell us when to try again: 3: No such process

25/08/12 11:06:13.923 AM com.apple.launchd[1]: (com.apple.launchd.peruser.423[243]) Job failed to exec(3) for weird reason: 3

25/08/12 11:06:13.924 AM com.apple.launchd[1]: (com.apple.launchd.peruser.423) Job should be able to exec(3) now.

25/08/12 11:06:13.924 AM com.apple.launchd[1]: (com.apple.launchd.peruser.423) Throttling respawn: Will start in 10 seconds

Is this normal, related, or what?

What now??

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Answer 12

cozar

Level 2

347 points

Aug 24, 2012 4:34 PM in response to prc62

I can guess. You may have deleted an application without proper uninstalling and some lingering process is still looking for information and fails.

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Answer 13

prc62

Level 1

5 points

Aug 24, 2012 7:31 PM in response to cozar

Thanks. We may well have deleted some apps along the way. Will try to find out which one and kill the process(es)

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Answer 14

prc62

Level 1

5 points

Aug 24, 2012 10:09 PM in response to cozar

Further...I found an old discussion thread that suggested going to:

/library/launchagents, and

/library/launchdaemons

and removing any/all files that relate to programmes you previously (tried to) deleted. In my case, there were Adobde files lingering from when Adobe CS was installed.

Removed the files.

Emptied the trash.

Rebooted.

Repeating errors in Console gone!

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Answer 15

prc62

Level 1

5 points

Aug 24, 2012 10:14 PM in response to vonundzu

Hello everyone.

I have just upgraded to 10.8.1 and the single-user mode that occurs with bluetooth keyboards and trackpads seems to be fixed!

after upgrading I rebooted with the keyboard/trackpad ON. Previously got the DOS-like screen, but now with 10.8.1 no such problem.

So, all fixed by the looks! YAY!

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