Mac freezes at login screen

Question

Hello,It's been two days since after installing an update, my Mac won't start anymore... I can turn it on, choose my account, enter my password but after that, the white bar fills up and then nothing happens...However, I can still launch the Guest session.I have tried starting in Safe Mode and starting with cmd alt P R but to no avail...The Mac in question is from mid-2012 and runs on El Capitan.Thank you in advance!Configuration: iPhone / Safari 9.0

EnjoyComeBack · Accepted Answer

Good evening,  I tried this manipulation last night, but without success...  I tried to access it again but I can no longer launch an "SOS" on the "Macintosh HD" disk...

*_Francis_* · Answer

Hello,

and starting from the recovery partition + repairs with Disk Utility?

https://forums.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich-37641569-entretenir-et-reparer-macos-x-10-12-10-13-et-suivants

Best wishes

Have a nice day :-) - Francis
Always indicate your exact system configuration and read the entire provided response.

*_Francis_* · Answer

The Mac needs to boot properly from its recovery partition in order to perform disk repairs using Disk Utility. (press and hold the command and R keys during the Mac's startup)

Then, once Disk Utility is launched from the recovery partition, we have 2 options to click on the SOS button.
The first option is after selecting the physical disk. This will check the partitioning system.
The second option is after selecting the existing partition, which is located right below the icon of the physical part. This SOS will then attempt to repair the file system.

In both cases, if you are unable to click on the SOS button, please provide us with more details about what is preventing it.

--
Have a nice day :-) - Francis
Always provide your exact system configuration and read the entire response given.

EnjoyComeBack · Answer

Yesterday, I was indeed able to initiate this procedure and run SOS on everything available in the dropdown menu on the left.

However, tonight I can run SOS on the physical disk "APPLE SSD SM256E Media" but I can no longer do so on the partition "Macintosh HD," which is now displayed in gray instead of black... I can only click on "Erase" or "Info" for this partition.
The volume display is also strange: it shows full with 250GB of "Other," whereas my hard drive is not full..

*_Francis_* · Answer

The "Others" indication may be erroneous. That could be the issue...

See these messages:

https://forums.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich-33267275-probleme-stockage#1

https://forums.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich-27061854-signification-de-autre-dans-la-memoire-des-mac#2

Try starting again with extensions disabled by holding down the Shift key during startup.

Have a good day :-) - Francis
Always specify your exact system configuration and read the entire response provided.

EnjoyComeBack · Answer

Thank you for these links, but since I can't get past the login stage, I can't apply the proposed solutions...  Starting in safe mode still doesn't allow me to log in.

*_Francis_* · Answer

Now we’ll have to trick the system.

First of all, we’ll still try to repair the disk, but with the fsck -fy method. This method always works under El Capitan:

https://www.commentcamarche.net/faq/15279-entretenir-et-reparer-mac-os-x-10-6-et-versions-anterieures#demarrage-en-single-user-mode-et-procedure-fsck-sans-le-disque-d-installation

And if that doesn’t work, it should be possible, since Guest mode is available, to create a new Admin user. That will be something.
The goal is to make the system believe that there is no existing user on this Mac yet, and therefore to create a brand new one.

https://www.commentcamarche.net/faq/44961-reinitialiser-un-mot-de-passe-utilisateur-sous-mac-os-x-10-6-et-versions-anterieures-sans-disque-d-installation#methode-alternative

I won’t be able to follow up tonight, so I’ll come back tomorrow...

Good luck

--
Have a nice day :-) - Francis
Always indicate your exact system configuration and read the entire response given

EnjoyComeBack · Answer

Unfortunately, starting with the cmd and S keys held down does not give the expected result: a line "BuildUser(): error building a user of type 0x20010008" appears for a few seconds and then I am sent back to the session selection, without having had the opportunity to enter any commands...

Thank you again for all the time you are dedicating to my request!

*_Francis_* · Answer

Hello,

Not a good sign with the message "BuildUser() : error building a user of type 0x20010008"...

It's surprising that the Guest user works with this error message.

=> We should run an AHT. (Apple Hardware Test)
https://support.apple.com/fr-fr/HT201257

=> Another question: has FileVault been enabled on this Mac?

I will do some tests after booting from the recovery partition, checking some procedures from El Capitan to see if we can still enable the root user from Terminal after booting from the recovery partition. Under El Capitan, the new SIP protection has been implemented, and it is likely more complicated than in previous versions. So I need to test a few things before making any statements. In the meantime, we should already run the AHT test.

See you later

--
Have a Good Day :-) - Francis
Always provide your exact system configuration and read the entire response given.

*_Francis_* · Answer

Hello,I just did a test to enable the root user while in Guest session. And it works. The root user is a superuser who has all rights over other users, and so, being in a root session, it will be possible to delete the excess files present on the Mac, including in your usual directory, if this issue is real, and you will be able to create a new Administrator user if necessary, and possibly remove the problematic user account.The procedure then:- you start in Guest mode.- you launch System Preferences and select Users and Accounts:you unlock the padlock to gain access to the modification options:You click on the Join button:You click on the Open Directory Utility button:You open the padlock:You go to the Edit menu to request Activate the root user:The system will ask for a password for the root user. Use the same password as the one you usually use to avoid confusion.Throughout the process, the system will require entering an Administrator username and its password. Each time, you will need to enter your usual Admin name and its usual password from your regular Admin session that you were using when the Mac was operational.Then, you log out of the guest session.You log in as the root user. The name of this user will be root, and the password will be the one you set earlier.Once in the root session, you have access to all the contents of the Mac and you can delete anything that is in excess, if this problem really exists, and you can even delete what should not be deleted. This is why we only work as a root user exceptionally. It is best to disable this user when it is no longer necessary.With this, you should be able to resolve the issue, if, as mentioned earlier, there is no other problem besides the disk being too full, and you can especially create a new Administrator user and possibly remove the one that is problematic.Take care--Have a nice day :-) - FrancisAlways specify your exact system configuration and read the entire response given.

EnjoyComeBack · Answer

Good evening.

Thank you again for all your answers.

When I launch the Guest session, only Safari is available and I cannot access System Preferences, only Safari preferences... If I click on the Apple in the top left while in the guest session, only these options are available:
"Startup Disk..."
"Restart"
"Shut Down"

*_Francis_* · Answer

Good evening,

We will then try by using the Terminal after starting again from the recovery partition.

So, as always,
-start the Mac with the cmd and R keys pressed.
-When the Mac has booted from the recovery partition, instead of launching Disk Utility as mentioned at the beginning,
-Go to the menu bar, under Utilities and launch the Terminal
-In the Terminal window, type this:

resetpassword

The system will then offer:
-the hard drive to select: you select the internal hard drive, of course
-the user to choose: here you select: System Administrator (root)
-you type a password, (and write it down)
-you confirm this password
-you click on Reset.

=> This operation will activate the root user.

-You exit the Terminal
-You exit the OS X Utilities
-You restart the Mac normally and choose to log in with root as the username and your chosen password.

Note:
- If you had set the Mac not to display the option to choose the username and password at login, but only your name or the guest session, you take the Guest session, and once in the Guest session, you log out from the Apple menu. Then you will have the option to log in as root.

- If, on the other hand, you have a list of users to choose from at login, you will not have the root user proposed directly, but "Other", so you select this Other, and then you can enter root and its password.

Have a good continuation

--
Have a Good Day :-) - Francis
Always indicate your exact system configuration and read the entire response given.

EnjoyComeBack · Answer

Hello,

After typing the command "resetpassword", the "Password Reset" window appears but no volumes are displayed under the phrase "Select the volume containing the user account"...
As a result, for selecting the user account, no users are available..

*_Francis_* · Answer

Well…

It is really surprising, as I mentioned earlier, that the Guest account works in this situation. I see no other option than to reinstall OS X. This can be done from the OS X Utilities after booting from the recovery partition, either via the internet from the Apple site or after creating a USB installation drive on another Mac.
https://www.commentcamarche.net/faq/44770-creer-une-cle-usb-d-installation-os-x-10-11-alias-el-capitan

Unless you start this Mac in target mode, with this Mac connected via FireWire to another Mac:
https://support.apple.com/fr-fr/HT1661

--
Have a great day :-) - Francis
Always provide your exact system configuration and read the entire response given.

EnjoyComeBack · Answer

That surprises me too...  On the other hand, reinstalling OS X will make me lose everything on my hard drive, right..?

EnjoyComeBack · Answer

Ah great, thanks! I'll give it a try and keep you posted!

EnjoyComeBack · Answer

The reinstallation went through to the end without any error messages.

But the problem remains the same... At startup, I now have to select my session (the guest session no longer appears), I enter my password, the white bar fills up, and it freezes like before...

EnjoyComeBack · Answer

Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to answer that question! I don't know what FileVault is, so I don't think it's enabled on my Mac...

I've noted the rest of your message, I'll move forward in that direction and keep you updated on my progress!

Thanks again for all the time you've dedicated to my issue.

EnjoyComeBack · Answer

Hello,

Just wanted to keep you updated:

I contacted Apple last night, who tried to have me perform similar actions to what you had me do. It seems that FileVault is active on my Mac (without me knowing...) and we tried yesterday to enable the Root user using the method you described (after unlocking the hard drive via Disk Utility) but after saving the password change and restarting the computer, only my session was available for selection...

They then advised me to go to an authorized service center, which I will do as soon as my schedule allows.

Thanks again for all your help!

Mac freezes at login screen

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