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General discussion

Clown Has Identity Crisis! Film at 11

Jul 26, 2007 4:40AM PDT

Hey guys,
Glad to see you're still holding it down here. I've got a problem that I've been putting up with for a while, but can't seem to nail down. I've looked to the Knowledge Base, but I think someone stole my search mojo, cause I didn't find much that helped.

I have my G4 Ti X.10.4.10 set up to log in automatically, and it works fine, until I see a Kernel Panic or anything that requires a power button restart. When that happens, I get the log in screen on reboot, but only after a long delay at the end of the progress bar. Entering my UN PW and hitting enter will not get me back in. The OS refuses the entry as if it was entered wrong. It doesn't matter what user info I enter, including root.

I cloned /Library from a back-up. No joy. I cloned /System from a back-up, but my computer still didn't know who I was. I restored log-in by cloning the user/library from my back-up, and everything was fine until the next time I had to do a button restart.

My guess is that a file gets written on shut down or restart that enables the log in, but on a button restart, it doesn't get written. There should be a second place for the log-in to look, so it knows what to do on a button restart, but that file is missing or corrupt. That would explain the delay at the end of the progress bar. It's looking for the back-up file. That tells me that the file written on shut-down is in the user/Library, but it wouldn't make sense for the master file to be there. It should be in an area common to all users, since it must be accessible for any entitled user's log in attempt.

I repeat; My guess. I may be way off and that's why my searches don't find what I need..

Anyone have any insight as to what I'm talking about, or how to fix it once and for all?

Lampie The Clown

(At least I thought I was. My computer disagrees)

Discussion is locked

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Hi Lampie
Jul 26, 2007 12:39PM PDT

Good to hear from you.

Unfortunately, I just turn the things on and off without really understanding how they do stuff and things. I always thought it was the ghost soul of an ancient alien being who resembled a very old and wise Hostess Twinkie

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Wrong info
Jul 29, 2007 10:46AM PDT

Hey Grim!,
Life's good but hurried these days. Glad to here your doing well.

Well, my statement that the user/library clone job fixes the problem was wrong. I could swear that's what did it the last time, but it took cloning the /Library and /System as well. Now I'm at a loss. Either the problem floats, or it takes cloning all 3. Probably the second one.

I've started rebuilding my system on my other computer with a fresh OS installed, a little at a time, when I have time. Most of the time is spent looking for serial numbers for my software, because I didn't write them on the install disks when I bought the software like I should have. I'd rather just fix this one if I knew what was causing the problem. Of course my back-up is a clone with the same problem, so while it will do a temporary fix, it's not the solution. I have older back-ups, but without knowing what to clone and what not to, an older back-up and the shotgun approach is a lousy answer.

If it happened every week, I'd bite the bullet and go fresh all the way around, but the last time I had to do a button restart, before this one, was in Feb.

Never put off till tomorrow what you can put off till next week, that's what I always say.

Anyone?

Lampie the Clown