How do I get Single User Mode up??

[sluthy]

Hey, I bought Panther a week ago, and I've been waiting for a new stick of RAM I ordered in before I install it. Anyway, I've been trying to do some of the clean up ideas they had in the recent MacAddict (we get them late - we just got the Jan issue on the 30th, first time in a while we've gotten it within the same calender month), and I cannot get into Single User Mode to run the fsck check. Everywhere says to hold down Command-S (Apple-S I assume) during startup until a CLI prompt comes up, but when I do it just goes straight through to Aqua as normal. I've tried that, I've tries Shift-Apple-S, I've used the keyboard through a hub as well as directly into the Mac, still nothing. What's wrong?

I'm using 10.2.6 on a slot-load iMac with standard keyboard and all.

[sluthy]

I've been looking and looking and looking and every single site just says to use Command-S and it should work. Well, it's not. Does anyone know of anything that could be wrong?

[BillClinton]

Try this:

Go to the apple menu, click restart. As soon as you've done this hold down the apple and s keys. Do this until you see a black screen with writing. You should now be in single user mode. By the way, if you're running Panther you'll need to type in fsck -y -f to get it to run fsck.

[sluthy]

Yes, that's what I've been doing. But that doesn't work. Every time I hold down Apple-S and turn on or restart, nothing happens - just goes straight through to Aqua as per usual. And yes, I am holding them down and not just pressing them:D. I don't know what's going on.

[tomf87]

Not sure why it does that... What system do you have?

Also, try this while powering on, not restart:

Command-Option-O-F

Once into Open Firmware, type:

boot -s

You might also try the Command-S while powering on.

[sluthy]

I've got 10.2.6.

I've tried command-S on powering on AND restart and no luck. I'll give that Open Firmware start a try now.

[sluthy]

Nope, won't go into OF either.

Looking at the lights on the USB hub on the other port (my keyboard is in the other right now), they don't come on until about 5 seconds after the Apple's come up. I think USB gets turned on too late for the keyboard to do anything. What can I possibly do about that? :confused:

[janey]

I think your timing is off.
You have to hold down Apple+S when you see a darkish gray screen that comes on RIGHT before you see the light gray screen with the Apple logo.
and for future reference, you can just do "fsck -yf" instead of "fsck -y -f". Hehe. Its a waste of time to type the extra space and the extra -. :)

[sluthy]

Do you have to PRESS it on the grey screen, or can you be PRESSING it when it comes on? Mostly I've been holding it down before I press the power button to be sure.

[maidus]

Hey, I've never been able to get into single user mode and I think I found the problem - LapCop. LapCop is service that runs in the background that can report where your laptop is if it is stolen. Lapcop is one of many programs that can set a Firmware Password on you. Simply put, I put my Install Disk in and ran the Firmware Password Reset Utility and set it to none. Restarted my machine into Firmware Mode: Command + Option + O + F and I was able to execute commands as if in single user mode. After I restarted again, I held down Command+S and it went right into Single User Mode. Hope this helps.