URGENT - upgraded to Tiger and User Account has gone

[evoluzione]

I need help with this one, and fast...hope one of you guys can help!

I just upgraded a friend's iMac G5 to Tiger, from 10.3.9 (just did an upgrade, not an archive and install or anything) and went to log in after it restarted, but had no luck, it wouldn't accept the password.

i figured out that the user folder was in fact there but the only way i could get it to boot was by using the Install CD and starting up as Root


How can i get the old user account to be active again?? System Preferences does NOT show the account in Users, but the account does exist in the Users folder.

I'm only at my friends for a few more hours before i have to drive back home (4 hrs away) and i don't have enough HD space to back it all up and reinstall everything.

thanks!

 

[Lovesong]

Wow that's weird. That's why I aways archive and install. Hmmm.... how about creating a new account, logging in as root and transferring all his files to the new account. It would be a couple of folders- Documents, Pics, Music, videos, and Desktop. Alternatively, you might be able to do this if you had another mac, and you used your friend's computer in target mode. If all else fails, you might try to reinstall Tiger. If you're seeing his account in users, it should come up in Prefs as well.

After a smoke brake, I thought about it- did you try fixing permissions from the CD? Silly, but I thought I might ask.

 

[evoluzione]

thanks for the reply. i've installed/upgraded so many macs over the years and i never do an archive and install, just the upgrade...or, i back everything up and format, then install.

so, i tried making a new user, with the same name, and it realised there was already a user with that name, it asked me if i wanted to use that home folder...i hit YES so fast!

everything seems to be working just great now. i knew it would be a simple fix, but didn't think of creating a new user...one of the first things to do i know, so thanks for the suggestion...i was just so baffled by the whole thing!

thanks again, much appreciated!

 

[Lovesong]

Glad it worked out for you.

 

[davish]

ahhh the same thing happened to me....imac g5......upgraded to tiger......lost all but my original account! So yeh, you just pop the account name in system preferences and it all worked out dandy for me...glad its all sorted!