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Powaqqatsi · Mar 21, 2004, 04:16 AM

Hello everyone. Yesterday I put my mac to sleep when I wen't to sleep. It would show a black screen but didn't go to sleep. I thought no big deal I had this before. I force rebooted the machine and I put it to sleep at the login window. This morning I wake the computer and I wan't to log in. But now I'm unable to type in my password ! It doesn't react to the keyboard. The volume and brightness buttons work but input from the letters, numbers and the return keys doesn't work. I tried to reboot in OS9 from a CD but that didn't work (Type 11 system error, that's a long time since we met..). Anyway I wen't on and installed 10.2.1 on an external hard drive. The problem is that my Panther CDs are not here. They are about 1200 km away from me

. I deleted all the caches and prefs I could find. But still no dice. I downloaded the 10.3.3 combo update again to install from 10.2 but apparently it can only be installed with the 10.3 installer app. Other things that I did yesterday that could be related: I created a new account but I deleted it a few minutes later. And I played a little bit with Japanese input in that account I created. Maybe that account has something to do with it ? This is really the worst moment for this to happen

I seriously need the machine today so pleaaase post some other things I could try out.

thanks

ryju · Mar 21, 2004, 06:54 AM

Have you tried reconnecting the keyboard or plugging in a different keyboard? Zapping the PRAM might fix it but I'm not sure.

Powaqqatsi · Mar 21, 2004, 07:09 AM

Yep I tried my external keyboard and internal (I'm on a PowerBook G4/867). I tried the external keyboard connected directly into the USB port of my computer and with the USB-hub in between.
And yep, I tried zapping PRAM/NVRAM and the PMU. I don't think it's hardware because before this happend I was running 10.3.3 without any problems. That force reboot I did yesterday must have corrupted something. I also reinstalled the 10.3.3 combo update from 10.2.1 using Pacifist. That didn't help it either.

pat++ · Mar 21, 2004, 08:20 AM

Did you try to repair the disk/permissions with disk utility?

Detrius · Mar 21, 2004, 08:21 AM

Try booting from the 10.2 CD and resetting the user password. (It's a utility that is included on the CD.)

Powaqqatsi · Mar 21, 2004, 08:45 AM

Originally posted by Detrius:
Try booting from the 10.2 CD and resetting the user password. (It's a utility that is included on the CD.)

Yeah I thought about this but would this reset the 10.3 password ?

and Pat++: can I repair the 10.3 permissions with the 10.2 disk util ?

ryju · Mar 21, 2004, 08:54 AM

Is CAPS LOCK on?

pat++ · Mar 21, 2004, 09:03 AM

Originally posted by Powaqqatsi:
Yeah I thought about this but would this reset the 10.3 password ?

and Pat++: can I repair the 10.3 permissions with the 10.2 disk util ?

It shouldn't hurt. Otherwise you can boot in single user mode (hold command-S during startup) and type the following command :

fsck -y -f /

(to repair the disk)

Powaqqatsi · Mar 21, 2004, 12:45 PM

Originally posted by ryju:
Is CAPS LOCK on?

I'm not that stupid

Anyway activating caps lock was possible (it showed the caps lock icon in the password field) but the problem was that it didn't register any input from the other keys on the keyboard.. (no black bullets appeared).

I got a hold on Panther install CDs from a friend of mine I just reinstalled it. An entire day wasted with this ****. Anyway thanks for the help !

PS: could it be that my keyboard was stuck on somthing like japanese or chinese input and that it wouldn't recognize my keyboard or something ?

ryju · Mar 21, 2004, 01:46 PM

Originally posted by Powaqqatsi:

PS: could it be that my keyboard was stuck on somthing like japanese or chinese input and that it wouldn't recognize my keyboard or something ?

That could have something to do with it, I couldn't log into my Mandrake OS I just installed because I picked the wrong keyboard input language, couldn't enter the right keys.