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El Capitan Not Working After Login

J

JohnCrawley

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 28, 2016
12
0
My Mac boots up just fine but as soon as I login, the Dock is gone, Finder doesn't respond, nor does it show files or applications other than some default ones and I can't open them or use Spotlight via command-space.

I don't have a backup of my Mac. I have tried booting it in safe mode, using OS X Internet Recovery and OS X Recovery to try reinstall the OS but since the OS isn't there and replaced with a new OS it can't download, I've tried resetting PRAM. I've tried booting into single-user mode to enter commands to try installing the new OS but didn't succeed.

While in OS X Recovery, I ran First Aid in Disk Utility and it came back that it was fine and all.

I have no idea what to do to fix this. I'd rather fix the computer in my home than try and bring it to someone who can fix it in a shop.

If it helps for information, my Mac is an iMac 27" (about Mid-2012). Here's what it's like in a YouTube video:
 
I don't understand what this means: "try reinstall the OS but since the OS isn't there and replaced with a new OS it can't download".

Have you tried booting while holding down command-R and choosing the option to re-install the operating system?
 
BrianBaughn said:
He was hinting you should test it in a new user account to see if it's possible that there is some sort of corruption in your current one.
Click to expand...
I can't try create another account since I can't load up the system preference or anything else
[doublepost=1480456304][/doublepost]
JohnDS said:
I don't understand what this means: "try reinstall the OS but since the OS isn't there and replaced with a new OS it can't download".

Have you tried booting while holding down command-R and choosing the option to re-install the operating system?
Click to expand...
I was in a rush to write this sorry. What I mean was to reinstall El Capitan from recovery mode and yeah
 
what is the short name of your user account?

If you don't know then boot to single user mode and type the following:

ls /Users/

Then reply with whatever it comes up with on the next line.

Thanks
 
15281843_1405061089523746_1294985155_n.jpg

[doublepost=1480469623][/doublepost]I typed what you mentioned in and that's what I got in return
 
Ok.

Boot to single user mode and type the following:

mount -uw /
mv /Users/JohnMCrawley/Library/ /Users/JohnMCrawley/LibraryOLD/
mkdir /Users/JohnMCrawley/Library/
cp -R /System/Library/User\ Template/English.lproj/Library/ /Users/JohnMCrawley/Library/
chown -R JohnMCrawley /Users/JohnMCrawley/Library/
chmod -R 700 /Users/JohnMCrawley/Library/
shutdown -r now

Each individual line here should execute without any errors and give you a new prompt to type the next line (except shutdown -r now, that will restart your mac).

Quick disclaimer: You will lose settings to do with this user account. But it should get you back in. Also worth noting that playing around in single-user mode is dangerous. If you mess any of those lines up then the sh*t can really hit the fan. Every space, slash and capital letter must be correct as I typed it above. That said, you have a user account issue - the only way to get the machine working again is going to require an erase so hey-ho!
 
mysteryGenius said:
Ok.

Boot to single user mode and type the following:

mount -uw /
mv /Users/JohnMCrawley/Library/ /Users/JohnMCrawley/LibraryOLD/
mkdir /Users/JohnMCrawley/Library/
cp -R /System/Library/User\ Template/English.lproj/Library/ /Users/JohnMCrawley/Library/
chown -R JohnMCrawley /Users/JohnMCrawley/Library/
chmod -R 700 /Users/JohnMCrawley/Library/
shutdown -r now

Each individual line here should execute without any errors and give you a new prompt to type the next line (except shutdown -r now, that will restart your mac).

Quick disclaimer: You will lose settings to do with this user account. But it should get you back in. Also worth noting that playing around in single-user mode is dangerous. If you mess any of those lines up then the sh*t can really hit the fan. Every space, slash and capital letter must be correct as I typed it above. That said, you have a user account issue - the only way to get the machine working again is going to require an erase so hey-ho!
Click to expand...

WAIT!!!. If I do these commands into single user mode, will all my important documents, photos etc be completely wiped off the machine? or will it just reset to the default settings?
 
JohnCrawley said:
WAIT!!!. If I do these commands into single user mode, will all my important documents, photos etc be completely wiped off the machine? or will it just reset to the default settings?
Click to expand...

You haven't been deleting any apps or system files from your Mac, have you? That would cause problems that only a re-install would fix.

Instead of doing what mysteryGenius has suggested, I would instead have the Mac re-run the Setup Assistant. What this will do is let you set up a new administrator account while leaving your present account untouched. This article has a nice explanation:

http://www.theinstructional.com/guides/how-to-re-run-the-os-x-setup-assistant

If this works then you have a pretty good idea that your original user account has some serious issues.

When you set up the new admin account, don't use your name for it and also don't enter any iCloud info.
 
BrianBaughn said:
You haven't been deleting any apps or system files from your Mac, have you? That would cause problems that only a re-install would fix.

Instead of doing what mysteryGenius has suggested, I would instead have the Mac re-run the Setup Assistant. What this will do is let you set up a new administrator account while leaving your present account untouched. This article has a nice explanation:

http://www.theinstructional.com/guides/how-to-re-run-the-os-x-setup-assistant

If this works then you have a pretty good idea that your original user account has some serious issues.

When you set up the new admin account, don't use your name for it and also don't enter any iCloud info.
Click to expand...
I haven't deleted any files. I probably should've mentioned this but if I remember correctly, out of nowwhere my Mac just stopped working one day and when I came to reboot the machine, it was fine until I went to login and then my Dock was gone, finder was completely not responding and I can't access any of my files and I don't know which one to pick, you or mysteryGenius. I honestly don't want my files to be erased.
 
JohnCrawley said:
WAIT!!!. If I do these commands into single user mode, will all my important documents, photos etc be completely wiped off the machine? or will it just reset to the default settings?
Click to expand...

As long as you do it right, your data will still be there. It will just reset your account to default settings.

As it stands right now you can't get to your data anyway so not much to lose!
 
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I''ll give it a go then and I will report back on my results.
[doublepost=1480526515][/doublepost]Alright. I've typed in what you told me to and it restarted fine. I logged in and the dock is there, finder is responding but a message box has popped up stating, "OS X needs to repair your Library to run applications. Type your password to allow this" with two options, 'Cancel' and, 'Repair' but when I type in the passwand press, 'Repair' the message box comes up again.
I can view through finder now but still can't open anything.

[doublepost=1480527665][/doublepost]Also, I went to re-write the commands in single user mode to make sure I did everything correctly and realised that one of the commands isn't working for me. When I type in chown -R JohnMCrawley /Users/JohnMCrawley/Library/ in. I get this on the next line:
chown: JohnMCrawley: illegal user name
 
Last edited:
I noticed something probably worth mentioning and that's in the Devices part of a finder window, it doesn't say, "Machintosh HD". It just says, "Remote Disc"
[doublepost=1480546721][/doublepost]I went to recovery mode to first aid it and now it doesn't have that popup but I still can't open anything. :/
 
JohnCrawley said:
I noticed something probably worth mentioning and that's in the Devices part of a finder window, it doesn't say, "Machintosh HD". It just says, "Remote Disc"
[doublepost=1480546721][/doublepost]I went to recovery mode to first aid it and now it doesn't have that popup but I still can't open anything. :/
Click to expand...

When you log in can you go to
Applications - Utilities
Open Terminal

If terminal opens type:

sudo chown -R JohnMCrawley ~/Library

It will ask you to type your password. As you type the password the cursor will not move but it is working.

Should get a new line. No errors.

Restart your mac and try logging in again.
 
I'll work on it now
[doublepost=1480635996][/doublepost]Just looking at the steps and one of them requires me to use Terminal and I can't open Terminal on my Mac
 
Do all the steps you can without opening terminal.

Am I to assume that you also couldn't do the steps I posted before either?
 
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