System Prefs Accounts and directory problems

I've had ongoing problems since mid 2005 when I upgraded to OSX 10.3.9/iTunes 4.9/QT7 and my Digidesign 001 Core Audio Drivers. I think I'm now on top of those problems after making carbon copy clones, backups, OSX maintenance utilities etc and finally zeroing various HDs and reinstalling everything.
Just when things were starting to go OK towards end of 2005 starting experiencing the spinning beachball of death when I open System Preferences>Accounts (I always check my Accounts as an indication of whether everhthing's OK or not). I'm getting a wide range of flaky & wierd behaviour even when I use other boot vols with OSX 10.3.9 but same user account volume. Typically Disk Utility, Text View and other apps don't start up etc. I sytematically use a range of disk/system maintenance utils eg Onyx, Cocktail etc to run cron scripts, flush caches, repair permissions, fix prebindings etc. I also run Disk Warrior regularly.
A couple of days ago when things had gotten really bad I booted from my DiskWarrior 3.0.3 CD and every volume I had brought up directory errors (typically):
• 1194 link files had a creation date that was repaired.
• 2 folders had a directory entry with an incorrect custom icon flag that was repaired.
• 14 files had a directory entry with an incorrect text encoding value that was repaired.
• The Root creation date was repaired.
I did multiple passes with DW until every volume came up clean and did multiple restarts from each of my boot volumes. All of my problems were fixed!
Today, I boot my Mac and I'm getting the same flaky behaviour. I've run DW this morning and each of my volumes has the same set of problems as above and I'm now rebuilding each of the directories again.
Anybody help?

I don't see "text to the right of the name and realname entries". For example, for user "amavisd" the name (under "property") is "amavisd" and the realname (under "value") is "Amavisd User".

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I have not been able to sync my mail with iCloud on my MacBookPro (Lion OS). Everything else has been syncing fine for the past two months, but when I go to System Pref/iCloud/and try to check Mail, it asks me to choose an iCloud email address. When I

I have not been able to sync my mail with iCloud on my MacBookPro (Lion OS). Everything else has been syncing fine for the past two months, but when I go to System Pref/iCloud/and try to check Mail, it asks me to choose an iCloud email address. When I put in my regular @me.com email, it says that address already exists (of course it does - it's mine!) and wants me to choose another one. But I want it to sync with my stuff. What can I do? I haven't been able to find help anywhere online... Thanks!

You should have signed in with that address in the first place, but there is a workaround: go to System preferences>Mail, Contacts@ Calendars and add your @me.com address as an account there.

Administrator account and password problem

I just got a new Macbook for Christmas I have been trying to install LimeWire onto my laptop and every time the Installer asks me to type in my administrator name and password. I've been putting in the username I used to set up my computer but its not working. Since I am the only person using this computer doesn't it make me the administrator? I have already tried putting in the Mac OS X Install disk and reseting the password for my account. I even went to System Preferences--Accounts and changes my password there but nothing has worked. *What am I doing wrong?* Do I need to set myself as an administrator manually? This is so frustrating ><

Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
I've been putting in the username I used to set up my computer but its not working.
If your user is already an Administrator user, the user name should be input into the dialog box by default. You should not need to type your name in. Look inside the Accounts System Preferences. Is your user listed as a "Standard" user? Or an "Admin"? If it's "Standard", then you've encountered on of Mac OS X 10.5's bugs. For some reason, some users don't keep their Administrator status. You can follow the instructions in this article to manually set your status to Administrator:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306876
-Doug

Account and login problems

I have upgraded three of my four Macs to Leopard from Mac OS X 10.39 but I now cannot use the third, a G4 Mac Mini, because it will not recognise any of my existing accounts. None of the advice I've seen on the forums or in Apple support documents so far has worked. As with my other Macs, I installed 10.5 from the DVD and then upgraded to 10.51 from the combined update available as a download from the Apple site (ie. not via Software Update). The accounts do not appear on the login window and the usernames and passwords do not work, and I can currently only login as System Administrator. But it's not like the user profiles don't exist: each account profile is still stored in the Users folder. When I'm booted from the DVD, the system does recognise the accounts because I can use the password utility to change each account's password. If I log into single user mode, and ask it to list the users, it will do so correctly, but when I try to change any account password in single user mode, it says the user does not exist. If I also try to delete the authentication authority plist file, as suggested by Apple, it says invalid command. I've tried to 'unhide' the accounts in Terminal, and I've also tried to check the keychains in Keychain Access (version 4.0 (32499), but it lists virtually no passwords. Does anyone have any further suggestions? In all the years I've been administering my own systems, I've never encountered such a botched system upgrade as this.

My old aunt had the same problem on her iMac. She said she did a software update (she could not remember which software she updated) and after she was unable to login into her user account. I had to help her remotely so I had to keep the instructions simple to make her restart the computer and she was unable to get in with the safe mode. I was still able to connect with VCN so I ended up creating another user for her and "stole" her stuff from her old account and moved it up to her new account. Once I changed the permissions of her old home folders It was fast to migrate her music, pictures and documents. It was tricky to migrate her saved eMails but she had a new back-up of her Address book so that part was easy. The only draw back was that she had to re-enter the registration numbers for the few softwares she uses.... thank God, she was well organized and had all her registrations neatly save in one binder along with her Back-Up CDs. Not bad for an old lady!

Hello, im unable to makean icloud account on my iphone, because whenever i make an account a messege appears that this device has enough account so you can not make new account, and the problem is that i dont konw about the perevious account, so what shou

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Mini adapter to HDMI cable into my tv. No problem streaming movies last night, today all I see is some default apple background on my tv. Don't know quite what to do in System Pref's and Appearances. Please Help

I know its an issue with the computer because when I messed with Appearance settings in System Preferences, the tv picture changed.
thanks
CB

How were you "streaming movies last night"? (What application?)
It may also be useful to know your specific iMac model, and the version of Mac OS X it runs. This list may help identify your iMac model.
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/index-imac.html
So, this is an iMac, and you have an HDTV attached to it as its second screen... Is that correct?
Typically, if the HDTV is acting as the iMac's second screen, it is extending the Desktop. I'm thinking that when you had "no problem" last night, it was set so that the second screen was mirroring what was on the iMac's screen (NOT extending the Desktop). In other words, if you had the movie playing at full screen on the iMac's screen, the same thing appeared on the HDTV screen.
You may have changed that setting so that it is not mirroring anymore. The second screen would then be extending the Desktop. In that case, you would see the "default Apple background" on it until you moved something onto that part of the Desktop (like an open window).
Open System Preferences Displays pane. Go to the Arrangement tab. If the diagram there shows representations of two screen (the iMac's screen and the HDTV screen), the HDTV is set to extend the Desktop. The setting (checkbox) for mirroring should be there, toward the bottom.
However, mirroring is probably NOT the best setting for your setup. If what I wrote so far has been relevant for your original question, you can post back for additional info...

System Prefs Accounts

Opening "Accounts" in System Preferences (10.4.11), I get a blank screen. Regarding this problem, Niel posted this suggestion in an earlier thread:
Open the NetInfo Manager in the /Applications/Utilities/ folder and look for user accounts that have no name property or for which the name property is reported as not being an UTF8 string; if you find any, create or change the name property so that it has the same value as the realname property.
Do not delete anything in the NetInfo Manager.
However, I don't understand this solution. I've opened Netinfo Manager, clicked "users," and each user has a name and a different realname. I guess I don't know what a "name property" is. Can someone explain this suggestion a bit more? Thanks.

I don't see "text to the right of the name and realname entries". For example, for user "amavisd" the name (under "property") is "amavisd" and the realname (under "value") is "Amavisd User".

Account and permission problems

I have an account with iTMS which I use on my old machine.
I want to deauthorize it and move iTunes onto my new laptop.
Problem is I cannot remember my password and the email address I have logged as on my account is no longer active!
Can I have my account amended by Apple if I send someone my account detials (new and old) - or is there a way I can get my password sent to my new email address?
If I change my email address (once I have obtained the password to do so) will this stop my previous purchases from playing?

Go here. As long as you can remember the answers you set to the security questions, you can reset the password. If you've also forgotten the security questions, then you'll need to contact the iTMS customer service group through the form at the bottom of this web page.
If I change my email address (once I have obtained the password to do so) will this stop my previous purchases from playing?
No, it won't.

System Preferences crashes, and display problems

I have an early model 2008 MacBook Pro (MacBookPro4,1). Just got it yesterday (refurbished).
Downloaded and installed the 10.5.6 upgrade last night.
When running software upgrade today, the computer said it needed to shut down.
Now when I open any of the system preferences, it does not open them and asks if I want to restart system preferences.
When I boot, the desktop image does not display. When windows get opened, the desktop image show up in a rectangle around that window. So bit by bit I get most of the desktop image.
The computer seems much slower than last night, especially when scrolling up and down in Safari.
When I grab a window and move it around the screen, it refreshes about twice a second, which is not good.
I checked TimeMachine, but it has not been configured yet.
Any advice?

The Apple expert says I should try running under a new user, or reinstalling the (old) OS (archive and install). I'm not near my computer at the moment so I cannot try these things. However, they seem a bit drastic given I have shown that SafeBoot works.
Is there not a boot mode that lets run the 'normal' boot items one by one?
I don't know what to change to make normal boot work, and the Apple expert also couldn't tell me. It seems SafeBoot may have fairly limited usefulness??
I don't have any files in \library\startupitems or \system\library\startupitems or \library\extensions. Naturally I've got heaps in \system\library\extensions, but they all seem to be Apple files. The only ones that have been updated since I got the computer are:
system.kext
ipfirewall.kext
iopcifamily.kext
iondrvsupport.kext
iographicsfamily.kext
appleintegratedframebuffer.kext
appleintelgmax3100fb.kext
I'm not keen on deleting any of these as I read it might stop the computer working at all.
Does anyone have more information on what I can change to try to get normal boot to work? Or what I can run to see what the difference in between normal and safeboot?

HT201441 i receive your support thru (forgot password) email.the problem now is i cannot open the file using my ipad.because its asking for apple account and the problem is forgot password and security details when i make apple id.im the owner

apple, my prroblem now is i cannot open the ios diagnostic using my ipad. the screen shows hello,language,and countrry.and sign in.the email address
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We are fellow users here on these forums, you're not talking to iTunes Support nor Apple. I don't know where you originally posted this question, but it's only just appeared in the Using iPad forum.
If you can't remember your password then you can reset it via http://iforgot.apple.com
If you can't get it reset via that site then you will have to contact Support in your country, they should be able to reset it for you (they can also reset your security questions if you've forgotten their answers).
Contacting Apple about account security : Contact Apple for help with Apple ID account security - Apple Support
If your country isn't on that page then try this form to contact Support : https://www.apple.com/emea/support/itunes/contact.html

Users unable to change password via system pref's 10.4.10

I am running 1 OD Master and 3 OD Replica's, all servers running 10.4.10, clients running 10.2.8, 10.39 and 10.4.10. All network users can log in with no problems at all, however if a user needs to change their password in System Preferences in 10.4.10, they are unable to do so. The old password field keeps saying "incorrect password" though the password is indeed correct. I have no problems changing any users password on the 10.2.8 and 10.3.9 machines using System Preferences. Any ideas??

I'm working through a problem right now where my users were having problems changing their passwords. I'm using network user accounts. I had a password policy configured on the server where users were allowed to change their passwords, and the password had to be changed every 90 days.
Well, the time came when it was time to change the passwords and users were prompted to do so and did. However, afterwards they started receiving Kerberos password prompts, and it wouldn't take their new password. Restarting didn't help either. If I reset the password on the server, the user could login and things would be fine until they tried to change the password in Sys Prefs : Accounts and the problem would repeat itself.
So far, the solution seems to be disabling the password policies in the Open Directory service in Server Admin. I'm going back on-site tomorrow to see what I can find out. You might want to give that a shot.

Migrating Accounts and Notes From Entourage To Mail

Now have Leopard and have started to migrate all my mail files to Mail 3.0. That seems pretty easy just use import.
Is there a way to automatically import account info or does this have to be done manually?
Is there a way to import my Entourage note files into the new Mail notes.
Tks

After you sync with Address Book, and you uncheck the Sync in Entourage, they will not be deleted from Address Book.
For email, open Apple Mail, File Menu, Import Mailboxes..., then choose Entourage.
Or you can drag each folder from Entourage onto your drive, which makes a ".mbox" file which is compatible with many different mail programs. You can import those into Apple Mail (or into Thunderbird, or into Outlook Express, etc.).
You can also use a Gmail account, using IMAP (not POP), and drag'n'drop the emails from Entourage into that, then connect to it from Apple Mail and have them back.
Killing off Entourage is harder. Assuming you don't want to uninstall Office, you'll at least need to go to System Prefs, Accounts, and delete the Login Item for the Microsoft Database. I'm not sure what other steps may be necessary.

Backblaze problem made System Prefs hang in Maverick

I am on a Macbook Pro, OS 10.9.1 . I use Backblaze for offsite backups.
I noticed this morning that the Backblaze icon was missing from my main system menu bar, so I went to Spotlight, searched "backblaze," and clicked on what came up. The system began to simultaneously open both a Backblaze app and my System Preferences. Then both hung and became unresponsive, so I had to force quit both of them.
Now the Backblaze icon is back in the system menu bar, but nothing happens when I click it--no menu drops down, etc. Also, I can no longer open System Preferences -- when I choose it in the Apple menu, it bounces for a while, then hangs, and I have to force quit.
I've tried fixing permissions, which didn't help. Anyone have any thoughts? I've also written Backblaze but haven't heard from them yet, and I suspect they will say that a problem with System Prefs is a Mac problem, not theirs.

seems to have fixed itself after a couple of days.

System Prefs problem

When I go to the system prefs pane and select "Network," I get a drop down error box which reads: "Your network settings have been changed by another application." The Blue "OK" box is highlighted. When I click "OK,"or "Return," it retracts to the top of the screen and instantly drops back down with the same message and result no matter how many times I select "OK." It gives me no other choices other than to click a blue "OK" box. Not even a "cancel" option.
The machine still has wireless connectivity to the web but will not talk to the printer. The printer can be seen by the laptop. However, there is no way I can get into the network settings because the iBook just keeps looping the same error message described above and the only way out is to force shutdown.
The AsanteTalk guy at their tech support line eluded to a system software re-install being necessary. I'm hoping to avoid that nightmare.
Thanks for any help and advice, please!
Brian

Hi Brian,
Cure for Security update...
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1730909&tstart=0
I'm hoping to avoid that nightmare.
Actually, it's not to bad If you have enough free HD space on your HD, try an Archive & Install, which gives you a new OS, but can preserve all your files, pics, music, settings, etc...
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107120

How to Create a New Admin Account and Change Original to Standard Account?

I have a single user admin account that I set up when I got my PowerBook. Now I want to have two accounts with the new one being the admin account. This way I can leave most of the data files, email accounts, etc. with the old account and use the new one for personal data and admininistration. Then I could give out the password for the original account without fear that a user could change permissions and get access to the new account with the personal data. Can I create a new admin account and then change the original account to "Standard" instead of "admin"? What problems will this create?
PowerBook G4 Mac OS X (10.3.9)

i2:
Not sure if you are asking if or how. Templeton has
answered if. Here's how.
Apple Menu > System Prefs > Accounts. Click on the +
under User Options to create new account. Go to
Security and check box at bottom to make account
admin. You can take care of the other items, picture
etc, login options etc.
To make the other account Standard select the
account, go to Security and deselect box "Allow User
to Administer".
Hope this answers your questions.
Good luck.
cornelius
PismoG4 550,
100GB 5400 Toshiba internal, 1 GB RAM; Pismo 500 OS
(10.4.4) Mac OS X (10.3.9) Beige G3 OS
8.6
Thanks, I'm tying to find out if I will run into problems, such as not being able to use the new admin account to change permissions in the old.

System Prefs Accounts and directory problems

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