03-21-2011, 08:58 PM

This isn't my mac but my mums, today everytime she logged into her account it would load the desktop then straight back to the login screen. She could only login to her guest accounts!.

This happened a week ago as well and I couldn't fix her admin login, so i created her a new admin account which was a great deal of faffing about with command prompts and folder rights. I basically had to tell the computer it was a new system, i then copied everything over to the new account. The desktop looked nice, new browser basically it looked as good as new, she was very happy.

Now a week later after everything was working brilliantly, she's turned the system on and same again straight back to the login! I'm really starting to hate mac systems, they are a pig to fix and my mum is abit upset.

Mac Osx Tiger, Intel...

EDIT : Is this the looped login issue?, if so why does it keep happening?, how do i fix it?

03-21-2011, 10:50 PM

If anyone can help me by tomorrow morning, 11am i'd be VERY VERY greatful

03-22-2011, 12:34 AM

Sometimes the best fix for unknown issues is to back up the important data and perform a clean install of the OS. I did that recently with my G4 running tiger and it's running quite respectable now. Also, have you tried running the disk utilities? Perhaps there is a permissions issue or a disk failure going on (Or both).

-MikeM

03-22-2011, 07:16 AM

Thought as much, bit like a windows system when all else fails format!

I'm hopeing i can some how get the files back because at this current time i can't get into the desktop at all. Even with the guest logins

03-22-2011, 12:09 PM

FIXED IT!

I was rather smart in the fact that when i first created the previous admin account before this looped login happened again i had made another account as a backup. I completely forgot that i had made this, so i went into the temp/backup account and looked to see what was going on. First i tried to delete the previous admin account that was broken while keeping the files. It kept on telling me, ERROR COULD NOT DELETE!. Uh oh

I then dragged the broken admin folder over to the desktop and it vanished, i tried clicking on my default apps/docs/pics YOU DO NOT HAVE AUTHORIZATION RIGHTS. Something wasn't right, even though i was admin i couldn't access anything. Nothing would appear on the desktop and applications would open and avnish.

Did a Hard Drive check, everything was ok bar two files that had bad permissions(shockwave). So i edited every single file/folder with the admin rights that i wanted for the owner. Pics/desktop/user folders the lot Suddenly the desktop appeared and about a 1000 files going right back to 2007

Cleaned up all the old apps and start up apps which went back years, then i made two seperate backup admin accounts with my own personal password. Deleted the old admin account and made the new account the home admin.

Rebooted the system not only does she now have access to all her original files she also has access to her email accounts and messangers. She was really pleased.

It looks as good as new !