Mac OS 9.1

Login problems

[creative craig]

I have just inherited a MAC at work but am having a few problems. The person before me who had it set up a password but has now left the company and no one knows it.

At the moment I am presented with a login screen with only three options: Shutdown Change Password or Login.

I am complete newbie when it comes to the Mac :(

Anyone know how I can get around this?

Craig

[creative craig]

Theres more, I found the software restore disks and begun the restore only to find there is no disk 3 :(

Is there anywhere online where the disks are available for download, or where they can be picked up cheap?

[creative craig]

Anyone?

[Macguru]

Hi creative_craig,

Sorry for the late reply. Lets try something. By holding down the "C" key on startup, boot from the CD. You will see a 'Users' folder at root level of the hard disk. One folder should bear the previous user name in one word.

As an example, "johndoe" instead of "John Doe". Try the "John Doe" variant username on login. If he was the single user of this computer, some chances are he has set it up to type his user name only. But things can get more complicated if the Mac had multiple users...

The Mac os 9 CD I have, holds the whole system. I am not familiar with those 'restore' disks. Cheap copies can be found on eBay or at your local 'used Mac' shop. I guess a fresh install of Mac OS 9 will fix login problem. Without having to reformat the drive.

[creative craig]

The information that I have on the laptop is completely out of date, I may just install OSX over the top of it. Least we have the CDs for that.

[Macguru]

OK, wich laptop is it? Some older ones can have problems with Mac OS X.

[creative craig]

An Ibook, thats all I know at the moment. I found it sitting on the floor under a desk, I asked if there were any problems with it and was told if I can get it to work then I can use it.

[Macguru]

You will be fine with Mac OS X on a iBook. Is it white or colored?

If you have copies of good Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 software to install, its OK. Otherwise you may loose good Mac OS 9 goodies left on disk. I would try to find a copy of Mac OS 9 and try a couple of hacks...

<added>plus, Mac OS X is probably aready installed on the iBook...</added>

[creative craig]

Its plain white, we have loads of Mac disk's kicking around the office, all except the third disk of the software restore set.

[edited by: creative_craig at 1:35 pm (utc) on May 21, 2004]

[Macguru]

>>Its plain white

Good, it's fairly recent then and it came with Mac OS X installed.

I would try either to get and 'old' copy of Mac OS 9 that holds on a single CD and perform a 'clean' install of the system or get the latest Mac OS X. You wont have a complete Mac lacking one system. I guess since the old user used Mac OS 9.1 by default most software is written for it.

Can you startup from "disk 1" holding down the "C" key?

[creative craig]

Can you startup from "disk 1" holding down the "C" key?

Yes, but after a few minutes it stops and then asks me to put in disk 2 and then disk 3.

Thanks for your help :)

<added>If your at Pubcon I would say I would get you a beer, but its free, so I will make sure the glass does not go empty :)</added>

[Macguru]

Ok then, reffer to post # 4 and try to read a folder bearing a user name in the "users" folder at root level of hard drive. If he checked some option (a lot of them do), you wont need the password and you will auto login after typing his user name alone.

Sad, I wont make it to the pub conference. :)