Mac gurus - help on password?

[jonoslack]

One of the imacs here suddenly refused to accept the user password.
we first repaired permissions, didn't help.
so we restarted it . . .
there seems to be no way to log in.
we have logged on as 'root user' and tried the password reset.
Reset Password Failed

we are rather at our wits end . . . has anyone got any suggestions?

 

[Bob]

http://kb.wisc.edu/helpdesk/page.php?id=3853
Is this the reset password that you tried?
-bob

 

[jonoslack]

http://kb.wisc.edu/helpdesk/page.php?id=3853
Is this the reset password that you tried?
-bob

HI Bob
we tried it both this way, and by logging on as root user.

the difference this way is that it didn't say it had failed, it simply didn't work.

 

[Bob]

Jono,
Were you able to log on as root in single user mode?
-bob

 

[Bob]

See http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20001217230925152
-bob

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Wish I could help here. Never run into this

 

[Godfrey]

One of the imacs here suddenly refused to accept the user password.
we first repaired permissions, didn't help.
so we restarted it . . .
there seems to be no way to log in.
we have logged on as 'root user' and tried the password reset.
Reset Password Failed

we are rather at our wits end . . . has anyone got any suggestions?

Put a Mac OS X distribution DVD into the drive and restart the system holding down the 'C' key. That boots it from the DVD. Get to an installer screen with a menubar. From the menu, choose the Password Reset utility. Reset all the passwords you want, then restart.

 

[jonoslack]

Put a Mac OS X distribution DVD into the drive and restart the system holding down the 'C' key. That boots it from the DVD. Get to an installer screen with a menubar. From the menu, choose the Password Reset utility. Reset all the passwords you want, then restart.

HI Godfrey
Tried that - it doesn't work - unlike logging on as root user (where it says that password reset failed) is that it implies that it has worked, but it simply hasn't

We've seen this once before, and there are messages on the apple boards about it, but no obvious solutions. the other time the only thing we could do was to reinstall OSx and start again.

 

[jonoslack]

See http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20001217230925152
-bob

Hi Bob
Thanks for that - but we haven't lost the root user password, and can log in as root okay. It's the main user password that seems 'stuck'

 

[Bob]

In that case, can you, as root, create a new user account?
Then I would suggest migrating the old account's data files to the new account, then deleting the old user.
-bob

 

[jonoslack]

In that case, can you, as root, create a new user account?
Then I would suggest migrating the old account's data files to the new account, then deleting the old user.
-bob

It's a possibility - and something I tried last time, but suddenly one is faced with setting everything up again.

There's no problem with losing the data (I mean it's all backed up properly) - one can, at worst, put the machine in target disk mode and then copy it off (it's backed up anyway). It's just that it would be nice not to have to go through all that

 

[Godfrey]

HI Godfrey
Tried that - it doesn't work - unlike logging on as root user (where it says that password reset failed) is that it implies that it has worked, but it simply hasn't

We've seen this once before, and there are messages on the apple boards about it, but no obvious solutions. the other time the only thing we could do was to reinstall OSx and start again.

That's quite odd. I've done this dozens of times with my client's machines. Hmm .. Maybe I'll do a test today. I need to build a test system anyway.

 

[Godfrey]

It's a possibility - and something I tried last time, but suddenly one is faced with setting everything up again.

There's no problem with losing the data (I mean it's all backed up properly) - one can, at worst, put the machine in target disk mode and then copy it off (it's backed up anyway). It's just that it would be nice not to have to go through all that

Oh yes: if the user account is FileVault protected, all bets are off if you've lost the password and there's no backup password enabled.

 

[jonoslack]

That's quite odd. I've done this dozens of times with my client's machines. Hmm .. Maybe I'll do a test today. I need to build a test system anyway.

HI Godfrey - thanks for chipping in. I've been able to reset passwords without problem on lots of occasions as well.
Turns out there are a few examples of this problem if you search around. It seems (in this case) to have been linked to a Leopard server restarting for an update, and losing all it's users

At any rate, we seem to have fixed it:

1. log on as root user
2. delete offending user - say NO to deleting home folder - this is then renamed to 'Silas Slack deleted' or something like that.
3. rename user folder back to 'Silas Slack'
4. create new user called Silas Slack
5. say YES to using existing folder
6. wait for 5 minutes while it chunters around with heart in mouth.

Bingo - everything back to normal (for now at least).

Why the server lost it's users is a different matter

so - thank you everyone for chipping in to help - I was hoping that someone had seen this before and knew a good answer, at least this one wasn't too horrid!

 

[Godfrey]

That's cool.

Sounds like the system has centralized user authentication ... Mac OS X Server? yeah, that will 'dig a trench in the desert' if the server is corrupted. Backups, backups ..

Nice fixup. I've only run into a problem like that once, glad you were able to fix it.

 

[jonoslack]

That's cool.

Sounds like the system has centralized user authentication ... Mac OS X Server? yeah, that will 'dig a trench in the desert' if the server is corrupted. Backups, backups ..

Nice fixup. I've only run into a problem like that once, glad you were able to fix it.

Hi Godfrey
The server doesn't SEEM to be corrupted . . but it's certainly doing some bonkers permissions stuff as well.

I think I only have one marketable skill, and that's lateral thinking . . . I yearn for multi-tasking, but I think you have to have a sex change for that!:bugeyes:

Thanks again for your contribution, I was hoping for an 'easy answer', but a bit of calm and sympathetic intervention is just as good!

Thanks to Bob as well for your contributions - always good to have the links.