HELP: OSX keeps logging me out...why?

[arlo22]

Hopefully someone can help me. I trying to figure out why my macbook pro running tiger has started logging me out immediately after I log in, and what I can do to fix this.

I am correctly entering the password (just in case you thought I didn't know the password) as it accepts it and logs in, starts to change the desktop background and then just as the Finder bar appears I am logged out and send straight back to the main login box.

It does this for the main User (admin) account. I have tried booting in safe mode and this does the same thing. The Guest login does work however.

I believe this started becahse my mac was taking an inordinately LONG time to shutdown (>3min) and I powered down the machine manually during the grey screen after waiting too long. Since then this log in problem has occured - essentially locking me out of my computer.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[arlo22]

anybody able to help me out?

 

[calderone]

Safe Boot and see what happens when you log in.

If you can login, check the logs. Try to login before you safe boot and take note of the exact time, this will make it easier to find the problem.

Here is what Safe Boot does: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1564?viewlocale=en_US

Look through that list and try to rule out things you would not have.

If you cannot login, let us know and I will try something else.

 

[markojug]

Can you boot to the OS X CD? If you can, try repairing permissions. Also try zapping your PRAM .

 

[arlo22]

I've tried the above suggestions but none seem to work I don't wanna have to reformat and lose all my data.

anyone else have any ideas?

 

[calderone]

I've tried the above suggestions but none seem to work I don't wanna have to reformat and lose all my data.

anyone else have any ideas?

What exactly didn't work? Could you not Safe Boot? Would it not let you log in when you Safe Booted?

We can't help you troubleshoot your problem if you don't tell us what is happening when we give suggestions. Simply saying "they didn't work," will land you nowhere.


EDIT:
Chances are you have login items from Leopard that do not work in Snow Leopard. If that is the case you should be able to Safe Boot, login and remove them. But as I said, if you don't tell us what doesn't work with our suggestions we cannot proceed.