If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.Īfter testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. You must know your login password in order to log in. The login screen appears even if you usually login automatically. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow. Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this.
Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.ĭisconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it. Please read this whole message before doing anything.