Troubleshooting User Initialization

If the process is not able to initialize the user environment, the user will never be given control of the graphical interface. You may see the user’s desktop background picture, but no applications will load, including the Dock or the Finder. Or it may appear that the user session starts, but then the login screen will reappear. At this point you should first attempt a Safe Login, which is initiated by holding down the Shift key while you click the Log In button at the login screen. Safe Login is also part of the Safe Boot startup mode. In addition to the Safe Boot procedures covered previously in this chapter, the displays the login screen with the words “Safe Boot” in bright red text under the Mac OS X logo.

With Safe Login enabled, the process will not automatically open any user-defined login items, and the user’s ␣␣␣␣␣␣␣ process will not start any user-specific LaunchAgents. Obviously, if a Safe Login resolves your user session issue, you need to adjust this user’s Login Items list from the Accounts preferences or any items in the /Library/LaunchAgents or ~/Library/LaunchAgents folders.

if not contact applecare