iMac login issue

[straks]

After installing Lion on my 27" iMac (jan 2011 model), i now can no longer login with my user... And yes, i have tried every password i have ever used on my iMac, several times.

I booted in single user mode and ran the commands:
/sbin/fsck -fy
/sbin/mount -uw /
and tried passwd <username>

got a nice error:
passwd: The daemon encountered an error processing request . The daemon encountered an error processing request.

Anybody got a clue what to do now?

 

[Ratatapa]

we have the same problem if you go to the gui all you have is other?

 

[straks]

we have the same problem if you go to the gui all you have is other?

My GUI shows me the login input fields, not a list (as was configured by me in SL).

BUT, /var/log/system.log shows (typing this over from my screen):

SecurityAgent[192]: User info context values set for USERNAME
SecurityAgent[192]: Unknown user "USERNAME" login attempt PASSED for auditing
UserEventAgent[11]: ServermgrdRegistration cannot load config data
UserEventAgent[11]: ServermgrdRegistration oldConfig is nil during net changed notification

It looks like it can not find my user...

Another thing indicating this, in single user mode:

ls -lha /Users/
...
drwxr-x---+ 501 staff 1.7k Jul 20 16:00 USERNAME

So, it is just completly unable to find my user

Apple, WTF did you do to my system!

Going to contact apple support on this, i might be able to fix it using single user mode and editing /etc/passwd, but that is not a good thing to do i guess...

More info:

grep -Ri 'USERNAME' /etc/*

returns nothing, but that doesn't seem to mean much, on my macbook it also doesn't and i can login in that...

 

[Ratatapa]

i'm talking to apple 1800-my-apple in canada

Guy is clueless

All my **** is in my home

Shouldve backuped up ....

 

[Ratatapa]

Edit : Booted from SL Cd

Went into Reinitialate password

Asked me for a user account

Only account present is root

YAY

 

[straks]

Yeah, i'm guessing tech support is going to be clueless here, those guys never now anything if it's not a problem about 100000 users are having.

So if only a few users are having this problem, i'm guessing you better get someone on the phone from 3rd line or engineering or something, cause first line won't be of any help.

 

[straks]

Got some more interesting things

When i try to use dscl command line (directory service tool), i get:
launctl: couldn't stat(~/System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.DirectoryServicesLocal.plist~): No such file or directory
nothing found to load
Cannot open remote host, error: DSOpenDirServiceErr

How great...

 

[Ratatapa]

wait i have the answer

 

[Ratatapa]

ive found my files giime 5min to finish with them

 

[straks]

sure, take your time (i'm not so much worried to be honest, just wondering what went wrong here)

We'll be able to fix it somehow.

And i did find my files, what i need is a working login

 

[Ratatapa]

Ok step 1

Boot your mac with Option + R holding it will boot into recovery mode
Step 2 go into disk util and take terminal

write resetpassword

Choose root and put a password to log on root

Reboot the mac and log in as root and root password that you've done

Go in System Preference then users and group

Create a new account with the SAME NAME and SAME PASSWORD as your old account and put it as an administrator


When you accept it will say that in MacHD you already have an account with the same name do you want to use THAT folder

You say YES it will take 3 mnutes about.

Then log off and your account will be there, select it and put the password

It will log and all your files will be there.

That is what i done and it worked, my desktop docs and itunes is all there

And for the time i took

They refunded my Lion purchase and will send me a 50$ itunes store card

Gotta love it hehe

 

[straks]

Thanks, i'll try that

i'm not worried about a refund or gift certificate (thou it is a nice touch), just want my system working again )

BTW, i'm guessing that the amount of time it needs for creating the user depends on the amount of data the user has in his/her homedir, cause it will probably be chowning all the files to the newly created user.

But i still don't understand how the hell it is possible for Apple to cause this kind of issue... ALL the users except root are gone? That's pretty bad...

 

[Ratatapa]

give me news D

 

[gothick]

Ok step 1

...

Thank you! Trying this now, to recover my poor missing user accounts on my iMac. Grr. Lion installed a treat on my MacBook, but so far is being a nightmare on the iMac.

 

[gothick]

give me news D

Incidentally, it seems that the bit that's taking the time after you create the new user is that it recursively changes ownership (chowns) everything in your existing Users/whoeever directory to the new account you've created. So if, like me, you've got tons and tons of files, expect it to take quite a long time.

But... After about twenty minutes, a quick reboot, and I'm back in! Don't seem to have lost much; certainly all my files are there, my Keychain works, and so on.

Thanks!

 

[Slarti]

Ok step 1

Boot your mac with Option + R holding it will boot into recovery mode
Step 2 go into disk util and take terminal

thank you for the fix, but I have a problem. I have started the Disk Utility and I can't find how I can start the terminal inside that.

Could you (or somebody else) let me know please?

Thank in advance.

 

[Koyangie]

Lion User Password Issue

For the last two hours I have been following these Lion user password discussion and tried each and every solution to no avail. My user password changes OK but the system, after accepting it, returns to the log in screen. I cannot get out of this loop! It has allowed me to change the password but will not progress to the desktop.

Any ideas or is it time to do a restore from time machine?

This is a widespread problem judging from all the post with the same issue. Thanks Apple!!!!

Koyangie

 

[gbpenn]

Worked for me

Worked for me. Upgraded my Mac Pro this morning and got zero icons and just the login/password fields. Using this procedure enabled me to fully recover.

One exception: the VMWare Fusion file I had listed me as having "mixed" permissions. So VM did not let me boot it. I had to do a Get Info, remove my own user, re-add and give read/write. Then restarted Fusion and had to kill my saved state and allow the CMOS default. Started right up.

More to come if I find anything. I am definitely not saying that the VM issue is related but just noting it was found right on the heels of this issue.

 

[siddtastic]

Re-install OS to get the terminal and then follow the steps to claim the root

thank you for the fix, but I have a problem. I have started the Disk Utility and I can't find how I can start the terminal inside that.

Could you (or somebody else) let me know please?

Thank in advance.

I had the same issue - could not get to the Terminal. I reinstalled the OS. You will have to be be connected to the internet or have the installation CD/USB.

 

[gbpenn]

Terminal in recovery mode

I had the same issue - could not get to the Terminal. I reinstalled the OS. You will have to be be connected to the internet or have the installation CD/USB.

Hey I ran into that issue. Took me a brief while to figure out that Terminal is not inside disk until. I quit disk until which took me back to the original recovery options screen. In the menu above youll see an option to launch Terminal. Good luck!

 

[SchmollMusic]

Lion won't let me into my laptop

Well. It's a good thing I decided to try out Lion on my old laptop and not on my main system. When I upgraded this laptop from Tiger to Snow Leopard last year, everything worked perfectly, and I was lulled into a false sense of security. Shame on me...

Under Snow Leopard, I had this computer set to log in automatically to my main admin account upon startup. But after the new installation, Lion booted up to log-in screen for a "guest" account that I created a long time ago for a friend who was staying with me for a few days. This account has a very simple password, and even a hint, but Lion will not accept this password, or any password I've ever used on this computer.

Even when I reboot in recovery mode, I get the same "guest" log-in screen, which, after 3 tries, displays the "hint" that I don't need (and which is, in any case, useless) and then I'm stuck there. Sure, that log-in sreen looks pretty. But now the computer is a 17" widescreen paperweight (thanks, Apple).

Anyone out there have any suggestions?

 

[squirrelmac77]

If this doesn't work for you and you use Admitmac...

If you have admitmac 5.x installed and you are having this issue, the posted fix will not work. I (after hours of trying things, and a visit to the apple store) figured out that it was admitmac and they have a posted solution.
It works:
http://www.thursby.com/after-upgrading-i-cant-login.html

 

[bluefizz87]

Lion Issue

Hey guys I know its been a couple of days. But I need help!

While I was in my regular account I clicked on login window to have it on when I got up. When it went to the login window the only account that was there said "other"

None off my accounts or passwords worked, so I tried the recovery moved. Changed the pass word for the root account (system administrator) and tried again.

When I typed in root and password, it would have the gear come up in the text box and spin, never login me in. All it did was spin

I went back in to recovery mode and in to terminal and tried again. After changing the password i typed in "login" in the terminal. typed in root and said it was incorrect

Right now I'm going to use my SL disc and repaid the permissions and try the terminal again.

Anyone care to help?!?!

Thanks