Laptops :: Navigating Single User Mode?
Aug 12, 2010
I need some help copying files from the desktop of my old iBook G4 1.33ghz laptop to another USB or Firewire drive. The drive recently gave out and I need to recover files. I've tried safe boot, fsck -fy, diskutil repairPermissions... nothing seems to work I just get I/O errors. DiskWarrior gets pretty far but freezes on overlapping files in step 6. Techtool Pro struggles on the drive related functions as well and freezes. I've also tried the fsck_hfs invalid sibling fix as well. Not sure if this drive is salvageable at all but I can get into single user mode and cd Users/username/Desktop and then ls Desktop and see all the Desktop files 2 screens worth (how do I scroll up in SUM?) and can actually navigate the directory listings fairly well, everything appears to be there... so I was hoping there'd be a way I could just copy all the Desktop files to something else but I am not fluent in unix and need help. The drive name is disk0s3... ideas?
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Apr 15, 2008
I lost the install disk for my computer (Mac OS X 10.4, Tiger), and need to change my password (I forgot it ). I can only access single user mode. Is there any way that I can create an Administrator-Status user in Single User Mode? (NOTE: The "root" user isn't really an option since I enabled it a while ago and it has the same password as my current user, which I forgot...).
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Nov 23, 2010
I just purchased a new 27" iMac last week and can't get the new Bluetooth keyboard (that came with it) to boot in Single-User Mode.
I know if it were older and used a dongle it wouldn't do SUM (since it wouldn't load until later in the startup process), but I was told this new system would do SUM without having to get my cabled keyboard out every time I want to do SUM or a Safe Boot.
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Jul 1, 2009
My macbook HD has broken, and Im attempting to recover my files through a USB drive.
I've only been able to boot up in single user mode and I've ran fsck and its getting alot of I/O errors.
I've followed the instructions here: [URL] but I dont seem to be able to my attached USB drive.
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Jul 2, 2009
My daughter changed the admin password on my g5 and can't remember it. I have been trying to reset through single user mode but am unable to type. I know it is possible because I did it once before can someone please help me. I have no disc and I need the Mac for work
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Feb 2, 2012
I inherited a mid-2010 MacPro at work and am unable to access single user mode. I have booted off of an external HDD and reinstalled the OS. I have also reconfigured the RAM and reset the PRAM with no changes. When I load single user mode, I see the following prompt:
key:
The only way for me to get out of "key:" is to reboot the computer
Info:MacBookPro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)
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Oct 2, 2010
New to the forum and already I need some help. Here's my tale of woe-I purchased a mac mini on eBay and it came with no disks and I don't have the user name or password and apparently now can't get them from the seller. I did a google search and have tried getting into the single user mode (Command + s) and I end up on a page with a black background that runs through prompts and ends with a message that says 'initalization complete.' I have tried typing in the commands suggested in my google search (sh/etc/rc) and it comes back with a 'file unknown' prompt.
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Dec 4, 2010
I just installed SwitchRsX which is an app which allows you to create a custom resolution for your display (so instead of 1680x1050, you could do 1680x960).
As a last resort, if you can't even start SwitchResX itself, you'll have to delete the monitor profile that was modified when you created a new custom resolution. This file is located in /System/Library/Displays/Overrides/ and is the last modified file, that you can find if you sort by date. You should remove this file, if you can access the file system, either by
1) accessing the file system from an other Mac on the network, from ssh or by mounting a shared folders.
2) OR starting up in single user mode (or safe mode)
3) OR at last resort: reinstalling the OS above the existing install, which will keep your existing profiles, but remove the system modified files.
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Feb 22, 2009
I'm attempting to run the fsck command in single-user mode as part of my random maintenance (cause I'm too lazy to find my Leopard disk), but ran into a slight problem.
When I plug in my USB keyboard for this (otherwise I use BT) the keyboard works fine. As far as I can tell every key works when the system is running, and there is no problem getting into single-user mode at startup. However, the keyboard no longer works once in single-user mode. I can't type anything in or use the stop process command (something like ctrl or alt and Z or X or C, I couldn't remember so I tried them all).
I thought maybe the computer was frozen in single-user mode, but here's the strange thing, it's 'working'. If I unplug my external BT card, some error will report on the screen about the connection, and the same if I plug it in if it wasn't to begin with.
So basically, I can boot into SU mode, the machine does not crash, but I can't type anything in.
I don't have another USB keyboard atm, as the one I have is the backup to the BT,
I do have a USB 2.0 PCI card which I tried with the keyboard plugged into it, as well as directly into the original USB ports,
I tried unplugging all my peripherals except the PCI card (and keyboard).
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Oct 17, 2009
I've stupidly moved (not deleted) a couple of shortcut links to items in the 'private' folder, from their correct place resulting in my Macbook Pro (10.5) refusing to boot.The files were resident in the top level of the Macintosh HD after enabling the viewing of hidden files using console. I created a new folder at the same level and moved the files into it.
Problem is I cant remember the specific file names that i moved - though it was only a couple )I have started up in single user mode and know the commands for moving files around, but need to be able to view the folder/file structure of the disk.Is there a command usable from Single User interface that would list the files/folder structure?
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Nov 14, 2009
I hold down the Cmd & S keys (just like on my older iMac) and after a delay it boots up as usual. I just got this iMac yesterday (brand new).
I experienced the monitor going bland for a second a few times along with some other vertical lines and wanted to run the fsck function as I have on my other macs. No go....
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Feb 15, 2010
My Macbook (10.6) is messed up right now. It won't boot. I suspect it's RAM-related, but I don't have the time/tools available to fix it at the moment.
It can, however, boot into Single User Mode. I was just curious if there's a way to access wifi while in Single User Mode, so I can at least use elinks.
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Feb 27, 2010
My mac will not boot normally or in safe mode. I can boot to single user mode. I was trying to copy some files from the mac to a USB disk and it did not work. Now when i enter single user mode it spams USBF: 63.570 AppleUSBEHC2{0x3fc38001] found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 0xfd, timing out! The number changes but keeps going. Im just trying to transfer my paper from my mac to the usb stick in single user mode.
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Mar 6, 2009
I have been trying to read Personal ancestry Files, and had downloaded an application to help me do this. I decided I didn't want the application and so I deleted it, and before I emptied the trach, my computer froze. I powered down, then rebooted, the desktop loaded then while my computer was asking my me if I was sure I wanted to delete the files, it forze again. SInce the, it has been stuck on the blue screen countless times, spinning on the Apple screen. I found out how to check my disk, as I do not have my OSX CD, with fsck -fy, and after a few tries, the systme says the Hardrive appears to be ok, (this is after it said it was modified, I ran it a few more times to be sure). NOw I was trying to back up my computer one last time from single user mode, so I could start using the Ulantu disk, as I don't really have any other options. NOw my computer freezes as sson as I type anything after the fsck come up ok.
I thought I had a good plan. I have no idea what to do here, other than what I have been able to google...I ought I could simply use the unix lines that I found to help me and backup but I cannot even do that now. Maybe I am out of memory?
My machine is an iBook G4, running OS 10.5.4 I believe. I installed the latest updates recently.
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Feb 18, 2012
It doesn't appear to recognize that I'm holding down command-S when it boots. I'm thinking maybe it's because the keyboard isn't wired to the computer. This is a 6-month-old iMac running 10.7.3.
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May 11, 2012
I have a MacBook Air with a Solid State Drive. I am trying to boot in Single User Mode to run fsck -fy, but don't seem to be able to. I'm sure that this has to do with the SSD but don't know exactly why. Also, if there is a way to boot in single user mode
Info:
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.3)
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May 22, 2012
I got into single user mode to use Applejack, which was recommended for repairing disk permissions to clean up my hard drive. The 'exit' command didn't work, so I tried 'logout' - and now it's frozen. how I can get things working again?
Info:
MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5.8)
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Sep 14, 2009
The title pretty much says it all: When booted in single user mode, I can't get my machine to recognize the USB drive. Here's what I did:
1. inserted usb stick (memorex 4GB traveldrive, msdos filesystem)
2. booted in single user mode (cmd+s after powering on)
3. mount -uw /
3. looked for usb device in /dev
4. ...it's not there! The USB drive shows up as /dev/disk1s1 after an ordinary boot, but in single user mode it's nowhere to be found. It's not just a name issue either: the list of devices that appear in /dev in single user mode is the same whether or not the USB stick is plugged in.
Even more confusingly, out of the 10(?) times I tried this it worked twice: /dev/disk1s1 actually appeared. mkdir /mydirectory; mount -w -t msdos /dev/disk1s1 /mydirectory worked fine, and I was able to read/write from the stick as usual. I have no idea what I did differently those two times. Does anybody know what's going on? I've got a MacBook2,1 running vanilla Leopard.
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Aug 8, 2010
Is there a way to boot directly into the desktop from single user mode (without having to re-authenticate as root).
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Oct 18, 2010
I have some ibooks with cracked screens they will work with an external monitor but only when the os loads. I tried starting in single user mode and the boot option menu using the external monitor but it does'nt kick in only when loaded to the os. Anyone know a way to use single user mode or the boot option menu to display on my external monitor? Is that possible?
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Mar 6, 2012
I got a Macbook with OS X. I was too impatient to get the administrator name and password from the previous owner (BIG MISTAKE).I thought I'd follow the instructions from "How To Create A New Administrator Account" (url..) as they seemed easy and straight forward.
I followed the first step of the process and got into single-user mode (black screen white text).I saw that black screen with white text and thought, "Woah man, I'm out my my depth. My brother typed 'help' in order to find out how to exit single-user mode, he said that's how it's done on windows? (I also have limited knowledge about Windows). I typed in various things such as 'reboot' in an attempt to exit. Eventually the battery died. I turned the Macbook back on and the grey screen with the apple logo with the spinning wheel appeared. The spinning wheel span and span but the computer will not start up.
Info:MacBook
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Mar 25, 2012
I have been having problems with my Macbook Pro recently not booting up and stuck on the Apple logo screen. Now my MBP DOES mount the HD, It DOES enter Single User Mode, It DOES enter Hardware diagnostics mode and has no problem. What my MBP DOESN'T do is; accept commands in Single User Mode like the "fsck -yf' or any real command NOR does it boot into Safe Mode. i have tried resetting the PRAM also i have tried booting from an external partition that i made.
[code]...
Info:MacBook Pro (17-inch Mid 2009)
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Mar 30, 2012
how can i scroll windows in single user mode?
Info:MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5.8)
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May 3, 2012
When logout on my macbook pro and login again it does take password but not login.
Info:
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.3)
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Aug 28, 2009
I'm helping troubleshoot an issue with a Mac Mini running Tiger 10.4. Basically, it was set up to automatically login, but the original owner never wrote down the user name OR password. So I went to work trying to figure these both out. I worked in single user mode to figure out the username pretty easily. But the password became a real issue. First off, the Password Reset option on the install CD would not work. When I clicked on my Hard Drive to change that password, it would gray out the options. So, I went to single user mode commands. I tried:
1. Booting into single user mode
2. Type fsck -fy
3. Type mount -uw /
4. Type launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.DirectoryServices.plist
5. Type dscl . -passwd /Users/username password, replacing username with the targeted user and password with the desired password.
6. Reboot
Didn't work. Neither did the more Tiger-specific commands, where you'd type:
sh /etc/rc...............
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Apr 1, 2010
I do NOT want to change it; only recover it with Single User Mode.
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Dec 30, 2009
I have a Macbook Air somehow has lost/ damaged the user DB as none of the none of the user accounts are available. In single user mode, I have checked the users in the password file and my username is not listed. I tried changing the root password but I was unable to logon. I tried deleting the .AppleSetupDone file, but it always hangs on trying to configure computer. I tried adding a user but im getting errors using dscl. My last resort is to just copy the user files using SUM and then reinstall. My problem is that I am unable to detect my usb drive in SUM. It does not show up when I do ls /dev/disk* but I do get a message when I disconnect the usb drive. I do not have an OS disk, nor do I have a superdrive with me. I just want to mount the USB drive and copy the files in SUM.
Additional info:
Macbook Air 10.5.8
External drive: Maxtor One Touch II 250GB
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Apr 26, 2012
I was deleting some files last night and when I came to booting up this morning my Macbookpro (5 years old) i was greeted with a user login screen? put in my password, but all i get is the space screen and no further action...? cant get apps o my bar?
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Apr 26, 2012
I accidentally changed the disk permissions on my Macintosh HD to "none" for everyone, except system and admin, who both still have read/write/exec privileges. Now, my Mac won't boot up. What can I do to fix this from single user mode or verbose mode?
Info:
iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.1)
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May 17, 2012
for a few weeks now my MacBook's been starting up in single-user mode by itself, without me touching anything. The thing is, it only happens about half the time - otherwise it's booting up normally. I wiped my drive and reinstalled Lion, ran fsck and used disk utility several times, but it's still happening.
Info:
MacBookPro 13" (mid-2009), Mac OS X (10.5.7), 4GB RAM, airport express
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