BossRSA
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: What's wrong with my Macbook?

Every time I login in to my computer, This message pops up:

Screen Shot 2015-06-11 at 9.31.17 AM.png

 

I  had to click "Cancel" 7-10 times before the message disappeared, and it popped back ten seconds later! Then I tried to logout and then login again, but my Macbook just pops the message back up again. I then tried rebooting the computer, but when I switched it back on again, I got a new message, which said:

 

"The system was unable to unlock your login keychain.

If you remember your old password you can update the keychain password.

If you do not remember your old password, you can create a new login

keychain or choose to leave the login keychain using a different password.

 

Would you like to update the password, create a new keychain, or continue the login?"

 

It then gave me three options to click on: "Continue Log In", "Create New Keychain" and "Update Keychain Password".

 

I then pressed "Continue Login In", and I got the same message as I did in the beginning.

 

My computer is a MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2011) and runs OS X Yosemite, if that helps. Thanks for your help in advance.

MacBook Air, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on Jun 11, 2015 8:01 AM

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BossRSA

Q: What's wrong with my Macbook?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Jun 11, 2015 8:10 AM in response to BossRSA
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Jun 11, 2015 8:10 AM in response to BossRSA

    Back up all data before proceeding.

    Launch the Keychain Access application in any of the following ways:

    ☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

    ☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

    ☞ Open LaunchPad and start typing the name.

    Select the login keychain from the list on the left side of the Keychain Access window. If your default keychain has a different name, select that.

    If the lock icon in the top left corner of the window shows that the keychain is locked, click to unlock it. You'll be prompted for the keychain password, which is the same as your login password, unless you've changed it.

    Right-click or control-click the login entry in the list. From the menu that pops up, select

              Change Settings for Keychain "login"

    In the sheet that opens, uncheck both boxes, if not already unchecked.

    From the menu bar, select

              Keychain Access ▹ Preferences... ▹ First Aid

    There are four checkboxes in the window that opens. Check all of them. if they're not already checked. Close the window.

    Select

              Keychain Access ▹ Keychain First Aid

    from the menu bar and repair the keychain. Quit Keychain Access.

  • by BossRSA,

    BossRSA BossRSA Jun 11, 2015 8:24 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 11, 2015 8:24 AM in response to Linc Davis

    I've tried opening Keychain Access in a few of your ways, but any app I try to open just hops up and down and does nothing else. There is another user on my Mac that doesn't have the glitch, but the keychain password for each user is different. Is there any other way I can fix it?

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Jun 11, 2015 10:49 AM in response to BossRSA
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Jun 11, 2015 10:49 AM in response to BossRSA

    So you opened the Utilities folder and double-clicked Keychain Access, and it wouldn't launch?

  • by BossRSA,

    BossRSA BossRSA Jun 11, 2015 11:22 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 11, 2015 11:22 AM in response to Linc Davis

    I double-clicked the keychain access app in finder, but when I tried unlocking keychain access to edit the password, it popped up this:

    Screen Shot 2015-06-11 at 1.16.53 PM.png

    I tried some passwords, but none of them worked. I think I'm back to square one.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Jun 11, 2015 11:59 AM in response to BossRSA
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Jun 11, 2015 11:59 AM in response to BossRSA

    Originally, the keychain password is the same as the login password for the account. The login password can be changed in any of three ways:

    1. By the user, in the Users & Groups preference pane. In this case, the keychain password is automatically changed to the new login password
    2. By the administrator (if different), also in the preference pane. The keychain password is not changed.
    3. By anyone who has physical access to the computer, in Recovery mode. The keychain is replaced by a new, empty one with the new password, and the old keychain is saved with the old password.

    To change a keychain password, launch the Keychain Access application and select the keychain from the list on the left. If the list isn't showing, select

              View ▹ Show Keychains

    from the menu bar, or press the key combination command-K. Then select

              Edit ▹ Change Password for Keychain...

    You must know the old password in order to set a new one. Otherwise you'll have to reset the keychain.

  • by BossRSA,

    BossRSA BossRSA Jun 11, 2015 5:18 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 11, 2015 5:18 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Thanks for all your help. My father managed to fix it (don't ask me how!), so there is no more problem.