Can't switch user

[FRMac]

Hello everyone,


A few days ago my Macbook Pro wouldn't start when selecting one of the users. After trying everything in the book, I decided to re-install High Sierra from the Recovery. It didn't work, showing me an error after 2 hours. I purchased an external HD and used the terminal to create a bootable drive. Didn't work and return an error "prelinkedkernel couldn't be copied". I then tried to install High Sierra from the recovery on my external HD, and it came up with an error after over 2 hours. I tried to switch user from the Finder, but I just get the spinning ball for hours. I just want to retrieve some info from that user and will probably reformat this SSD.

Any help would be welcome as it is very frustrating.

MacBook Pro, 2011, 16GB, SSD 500GB, High Sierra 10.13.6


Thank you

 

[chscag]

Welcome to our forums.

The errors you describe may indicate a defective or failing internal SSD. Are you able to boot the MacBook Pro from an external source or from an installation DVD?

A machine that old may also be suffering from a bad SATA cable especially if the original cable is still in place.

 

[FRMac]

Thank you for the reply. I have 2 users on this Mac and I can boot from one but not the other. I can use the Mac without any problems from one user, but if I tried to switch user I get the wheel for hours. As I said before I tried to install High Sierra from Recovery, but without success, same when trying to install High Sierra on an external HD but without success. Not sure if the problem comes from the fact that the external HD is not a SSD, but an actual hard drive.

Wondering if there is a way for me to access that user another way and retrieve the info I need, then re-format that SSD.

Welcome to our forums.

The errors you describe may indicate a defective or failing internal SSD. Are you able to boot the MacBook Pro from an external source or from an installation DVD?

A machine that old may also be suffering from a bad SATA cable especially if the original cable is still in place.

 

[chscag]

Wondering if there is a way for me to access that user another way and retrieve the info I need, then re-format that SSD.

Thanks for the clarification. The user account you can not access may be corrupt. If you log on as the Administrator of the MacBook Pro you should be able to access that other user's data provided it isn't corrupt. Sometimes a user account (even an admin account) can become corrupt causing a lock out of that account. But generally, the lockout is not total.

If the user account that can not be accessed is likewise an admin account and it is password protected, accessing it will be more difficult. You may have to try logging on as a "root" user.

Also, I suggest booting to recovery, enter utilities from recovery and run first aid on the SSD. The SSD may be okay but do that anyway as disk errors could be a factor.

And... I'm assuming you do not have a backup otherwise you could retrieve the data that way?

 

[ferrarr]

Have you tried safe mode?

Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac - Apple Support

 

[pm-r]

if there is a way for me to access that user another way and retrieve the info I need, then re-format

You could try using Carbon Copy Cloner and see if it cannot recover and clone the documents and files you need.

And the other remote chance is it if you happen to have a copy of Diskwarrior to rescue the files you need. If it still works with the macOS you are using.


Patrick
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[FRMac]

Thank you chscag for your help. I did login as root user, was able to retrieve what I needed and did reformat my SSD. I still don't know what the problem was, but now everything is working as it should

 

[chscag]

Thanks for posting back and letting us know. Visit us often.