Techsurvivors

Archives => 2008 => Topic started by: Buck on February 03, 2008, 11:13:40 AM

Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Buck on February 03, 2008, 11:13:40 AM
Cursor frozen in the upper left corner of monitor.
Is there a simple remedy? Zapped the P-Ram.
That is all I can do. Can't run Applejack.
Can't run TT or DW. Optical drive is non functional. Hope ya'll can help. Thanks, Buck
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Jack W on February 03, 2008, 11:24:15 AM
Buck,

Computer model?
OS version.

It might be as simple as unplugging the keyboard and mouse and re-plugging.

- jack
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Paddy on February 03, 2008, 11:27:18 AM
Does it go all the way through the start-up process properly and then the cursor freezes?

Do you have another mouse to check that it's not the mouse itself? (Check the mouse cable etc. too)

Have you tried single user mode? Start up and hold down the s-key while starting up.

Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: dolphin on February 03, 2008, 11:57:28 AM
Is it a wireless mouse? If so check your batteries.
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Buck on February 03, 2008, 12:29:33 PM
Seems my problem is w/ an app, called Shades.
I can't delete this app,.
Plus I can't boot in Single user mode.
The only thing that happens there is the Apple icon shows up w/ the spinning pin wheel.
It remains as such until I release the S key.

Machine Name:   eMac
  Machine Model:   PowerMac4,4
  CPU Type:   PowerPC G4  (1.1)
  Number Of CPUs:   1
  CPU Speed:   2.5 GHz
  L2 Cache (per CPU) 12KB
  Memory:   512 MB
  Bus Speed:   167 MHz
  Boot ROM Version     4.8.2f1
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Gregg on February 03, 2008, 01:51:35 PM
Can't delete the application because it freezes your cursor?

Catch-22???
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Buck on February 03, 2008, 02:05:21 PM
QUOTE(Gregg @ Feb 3 2008, 02:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Can't delete the application because it freezes your cursor?

Catch-22???



 I got the cursor to free up.
 But cursor freezes while trying to get rid of this app,.
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Paddy on February 04, 2008, 05:25:46 PM
Question - is Shades a login item? (I'm assuming this is the application that controls the brightness - not the add-on to the Color Picker, which is shareware, not freeware) If it is, go into the System Preferences->Accounts->Login Items and remove it from the list. Restart. Then try to remove it.

Other options:

Do you happen to have an external, bootable drive? (Without Shades on it?) If so, boot from that, then remove Shades on your eMac's drive. If the external is a clone of the internal, then remove Shades from the external before booting from it - assuming that you can at least do that!!

The other solution would be a terminal command, but I don't know the command you'd need - someone more experienced with that might be able to help there.

Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Mayo on February 04, 2008, 05:38:31 PM
To uninstall Shades, first make sure that Shades is not running, then right-click or control-click the Shades Preference Pane in your System Preferences, and select "Remove Shades Preference Pane." I assume that this can also be done by manually deleting the Shades preference pane in the Library folder (look in the main and user Library folders).

Are you using a third-party mouse? If so, the conflict is probably between Shades and the mouse driver software.
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: krissel on February 05, 2008, 02:34:49 AM
If you can mouse to the pref pane and open it either via the System prefs or double clicking the pref pane you can then disable it first before trying to trash it.

However if the mouse freezes up before that:

You can navigate to the program strictly via the keyboard and trash it without using the mouse.
Once you boot to the desktop, start typing the name of your main drive...it will highlight. Hit Command+O

In that window you can navigate using the arrow keys and typing the first letter of folders. If you are in column view you may need to use Command+[ to go back (left) to the previous column.

Navigate to Users/You/Library/PreferencePanes/Shades
Or
System/Library/Preferencepanes/Shades

If it were off you could just Command + Delete the highlighted item but if you try that it will probably tell you it can't do that cause it is active.

So instead, once you have highlighted Shades, then Command + O to open it. See if you can disable from within the pref pane. Once it is off you should be able to trash it.

(BTW, did you mean a 1.25 GHz processor? smile.gif )
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Buck on February 07, 2008, 09:59:47 AM
Well thank you all. I got the problem solved. Don't ask how, I did a lot different things. Some of what was given me here. What worked and what didn't I'm not sure.
A lotta good that will do if it comes around again.  dry.gif
Ok. New problem.....Same computer. My Authorization password no longer works. Any one know what's up w/ that? New one on me.  wallbash.gif
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Buck on February 08, 2008, 03:12:18 PM
Is it possible to by pass the Administrative password?
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Jack W on February 08, 2008, 03:33:53 PM
Buck,

Boot from your install CD or DVD.

If you are running Tiger, you will have Utilities in the menu bar.
Click on it and drop down to "Reset Password".
You can then reset it to anything you want.

I'm not sure about precursor OS's.

Might be the same or similar. If you don't see Utilities, then click on the Apple icon.

HTH, Jack
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Mayo on February 08, 2008, 03:42:22 PM
I tried that last weekend with a friend on the phone and we could not change the password. A window kept appearing asking for the two password entries again, as if nothing had been changed the first time... Fortunately we figured out that her mother had created my friend's account without a password, so the problem was solved.

Anyone know what might have been going on?
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Buck on February 08, 2008, 04:52:42 PM
Boot from your install CD or DVD.

Craps. My optical drive isn't working.
The Gods don't like me any more.
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Buck on February 08, 2008, 05:19:34 PM
QUOTE(Buck @ Feb 8 2008, 05:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Boot from your install CD or DVD.

Craps. My optical drive isn't working.
The Gods don't like me any more.


I'm running 10.4.11 is that tiger or some other animal?
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Paddy on February 08, 2008, 07:18:04 PM
Yes, that is Tiger. Leopard is 10.5 and up. smile.gif

Think it might be time to invest in a new optical drive, as you're a bit stuck without it. Since eMacs are a bit of a pain to take apart, you might want to consider one of these external FW optical drives - they're bootable. smile.gif
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Buck on February 09, 2008, 12:36:40 PM
Ok this is going to be embarrassing to me. Seems I'm the cause of my problem for the reason my log-in password doesn't work.
I used to log-in under my first & last name. Do to my own stupidity, that name got changed to "anyuser". Sans the reason I can't get into my computer. Is there any method one can apply to remedy this w/out the use of the Optical Drive. Buck
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: krissel on February 10, 2008, 01:08:24 AM
There are a few ways to reset the password, bypass it or eliminate the file that has the original settings and then log on as if the system were a fresh install.
I've never used any of these methods myself and while some people say they work, they don't for everyone.

Easiest first:

QUOTE
The most sure way to reset a mac password is from the singe user prompt. Restart the mac, holding down cmd-s. This will take you to a single user prompt. type "/etc/rc" and hit return. A bunch of text will flash by. To reset a password, type "passwd " and press return. Enter a new password. The system will prompt you to enter it again. Type "exit" to leave single user mode and return to a graphical environment.


QUOTE
restart your computer, hold down Command-S and type in the following:

/sbin/fsck -y [Enter]
/sbin/mount -uaw [Enter]
rm /var/db/.applesetupdone [Enter]
reboot [Enter]

.... make sure you use space after /fsck then space again after /mount and finally space again after rm then just type reboot [enter]

....when you boot backup just change the other admins password to something new and reboot and login as that user.


http://www.askdavetaylor.com/how_do_i_rese...t_password.html

QUOTE
"Here's how to reset your OS X password without an OS X CD. You need to enter terminal and create a new admin account:

1. Reboot

2. Hold apple + s down after you hear the chime.

3. When you get text prompt enter in these terminal commands to create a brand new admin account (hitting return after each line):

* mount -uw /

* rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone

* shutdown -h now

4. After rebooting you should have a brand new admin account.

5. Change the password on your old account while logged in as your new Admin account, then log back in as yourself and delete your new Admin account."

http://www.tidbits.com/webx?14@@.3cb3cd5e/2

QUOTE
1. First, you'll need to reboot into single-user mode. This boots your Mac into a text-only mode (you might be familiar with this experience if you've ever had to run fsck). You'll see instructions on how to run the file system check -- fsck -- and then a command prompt. Enter the command mount -uw / so that we can make changes to the disk.
   2. Next, you need to be able to make changes to the users' accounts on your Mac in order to reset your password, and we'll do that with NetInfo. Start NetInfo by typing Systemstarter. You'll see a pile of messages appearing, which might seem familiar to you if you've ever watched the startup progress bar. When you see the message System started. and a stationary cursor, hit Return. You'll see the shell prompt appear again.
   3. Now that NetInfo is running, we can change our lost password. If you don't know the short username for your account (for example, 'jane' instead of 'Jane Doe'), you'll need that - enter the command niutil -list . /users and hit Return, to see the names of the accounts on your Mac.
   4. Now that you know the name of the account you want to use, enter the command passwd user -- where user is the short name of the account you're changing. You'll be told that you're changing the password for user and asked to enter it twice. Do this, being careful with your typing: you won't see the characters you're typing, or stars. Watch that Caps Lock key, while you're at it.
   5. Now type reboot and press Return once more to reboot your Mac. You should now have no problem logging in.

OR, all you have to do after you done /sbin/SystemStarter is type "passwd root" to change the root password



Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Jack W on February 10, 2008, 09:36:31 AM
krissel (or anybody else),

Associated question: The iMac computer I have been working on for a friend:

http://www.techsurvivors.net/forums/index....t=0&start=0

This was a hand-me-down from her son. I was able to change the Admin password from the OS X 10.2 Install CD.

However, he has set up keychain with a password, which I don't have the foggiest idea how to change.
This did not reset when I changed the master password.
Is there any way to change that? Or defeat keychain altogether?

 She is purchasing Panther from my favorite local Mac shop.
They are burning Tiger CDs for her along with the Panther DVDs. (Her iMac only supports CDs).

The keychain password has given fits while trying to set up Ethernet, etc.

And a related question: I have an external Pioneer 109 DVD. Could I install Tiger on her iMac from that drive?

Thanks!
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: krissel on February 11, 2008, 12:12:12 AM
The following assumes you are going to keep the files and applications that are presently on the iMac and not do an erase and install. If you plan on the latter, you will start fresh anyway and no troubleshooting is necessary.

The keychain password is the same as the login password when the OS is originally installed. If the login password is changed in the Accounts pref pane, the keychain password will also change with it unless it has been manually changed to something else.

However, in your case you changed the login password from the CD so the keychain password remains the old one. There is no way short of getting the son to divulge the password to regain the use of that keychain. So the best thing to do is to delete it.

• Navigate to /Applications/Utilities/Keychian Access and open it
• Go to Edit menu at the top of your screen and from the pull-down menu select Keychain List.
• In the resulting window, locate and click to select the keychains you are currently unable to access.
• Go to File and delete keychain (note that you will be given the option of deleting the files and references: if you delete only the references you can later get the use of the keychain back if you recover the password)
• Go to File and create new keychain OR restart your machine and login. A new login keychain should be created which will respond to your login password

As to the external drive it should be OK, note that you can either select the external DVD from the Startup Disk pane or use the Option key on startup to choose the external. I also see that you have a PB and if it has a DVD drive you can connect the iMac to your PB and install via Firewire Target mode from the PB.

In any case if you run into trouble, another choice would be to create a disc image of the install DVD on the iMac and use that to boot to but it may only allow you to upgrade via Archive and Install rather than doing an erase and install since you would be booted from the drive to which you want install the OS. If you aren't planning that anyway it wouldn't matter.

But if they are burning Tiger CD's (lucky you) there shouldn't be any problem just booting to those to install from the iMac. BTW, those Tiger CD's are like gold these days. They are selling for $150- $200.  eek2.gif

Question: Why is she getting both Panther and Tiger?
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: Jack W on February 11, 2008, 09:07:25 AM
QUOTE(krissel @ Feb 11 2008, 01:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
But if they are burning Tiger CD's (lucky you) there shouldn't be any problem just booting to those to install from the iMac. BTW, those Tiger CD's are like gold these days. They are selling for $150- $200.  eek2.gif

She is getting the OSs for $119.
Quadstar is an Apple authorized repair and sales facility, altho their main forte is maintenance and repair.
They have a lot of on-the-road business in installing computers and software.
They also do work on PeeCees, but their main business is Apple products, which they much prefer.
BTW, Tiger is still available from Apple at the normal price, but takes up to four weeks for delivery.
I'm not sure about the CD version.
I checked that out before we called Quadstar.


Question: Why is she getting both Panther and Tiger?
Answer: She has to purchase Panther so she has a valid license for Tiger. ???
Maybe Quadstar can't sell Tiger anymore? But they can do it legally this way?


Thanks for the thorough explanation of keychain. I couldn't change the password from the Accounts prefpane because I didn't know what his account password was. He had set the iMac to boot directly into his account.

BTW, as I mentioned on the other thread, the disk had some severe problems.
These were not correctable from DU on her computer.
I had to take my external firewire drive over there (10.4.8), reboot from it and run DU on the internal drive.
It took a while, but I confirmed that it worked by re-running Repair. A-OK

We're on a roll now. Things are definitely lining up!

With your help, and Quadstar, and the other good people here at TeeEss!

Thanks again,
- Jack
Title: Cursor Problem
Post by: krissel on February 11, 2008, 03:01:41 PM
QUOTE(Jack W @ Feb 11 2008, 10:07 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
She is getting the OSs for $119.


Question: Why is she getting both Panther and Tiger?
Answer: She has to purchase Panther so she has a valid license for Tiger. ???



I've never heard of having to buy one OS to get the other. They are separate entities and not related. However the price you are paying is certainly not bad considering all you are getting. smile.gif