# MacBook suddenly runs into Safe Boot: and reject a valid password- Please Help Me



## Ramzan (Nov 26, 2012)

Im using a MacBook Pro which runs on OS X 10.6.8.

(1) Out of the blue, it launched Mac OS X Safe Boot when I powered it on yesterday.So, this Safe Boot requested the password, and I remember that password very well since I have never changed it since the last 3-years. However, the computer keep rejecting my entry.

(2) After so many failed attempts to bypass the Safe Boot Menu (which keep rejecting my valid password), I held an OPTION key while restarting it. So, I managed to start my computer.

However, I realized it ran so slow and behaved strangely. For example; in Safari, every time a hyperlink is clicked; it will go to the reading list, and my Mac will always produce the uppercase letter even though the caps lock is not activated. And software like Photo is not working properly.

When i restart it, it will still behaving as in (1), unless i did as in (2). 

No wonder the Safe Boot kept rejecting the password since the lowercase character cannot be activated.
Help and suggestion are welcomed.

Thanks in advance.


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## Satcomer (Nov 27, 2012)

Do you have the 10.6.x install disk? You cab boot with that to test your internal disk. It sounds as if it went south without you.


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## DeltaMac (Nov 27, 2012)

Sounds like a stuck shift key.

You enter Safe Boot mode by holding the shift key. A stuck shift key will ALWAYS boot to Safe Boot.
Your password will be case sensitive. If you hold the shift key, then the password will always be incorrect (unless that's how you normally type your password.

And, a shift-click does not give you the same result as a normal click.
And - you don't have the choice to NOT hold the shift - because - it may be sticking, or just failed.

One of your two shift keys is stuck (probably)
Multiple, hard taps on the shift key may free it. Be sure to try that with both shift keys. You may find that one doesn't "feel" the same.

If you can successfully log in to your Mac, then go to your System Preferences, International pref pane. Click the Input Menu tab, and check the box next to Keyboard Viewer.
Click the "Flag" menu that appears in your menubar, and choose "Show Keyboard viewer" from that menu.
You'll see an on-screen keyboard. Press each key on YOUR keyboard, and any keypresses will be mirrored on the screen.
Press and release each key on your keyboard, and you can test that all keys respond properly. You will probably find out the one of the shift keys sticks, or is always pressed (even without touching it.)
A stuck shift key interferes with almost everything that you do. If you can't free it up, then you have to replace the keyboard.


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## DeltaMac (Nov 27, 2012)

(sorry, double post)


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## Ramzan (Nov 27, 2012)

Satcomer said:


> Do you have the 10.6.x install disk? You cab boot with that to test your internal disk. It sounds as if it went south without you.



Many thanks Satcomer 

Having hard time to locate those CD but still trying .... 

Thanks for the input !

Ramzan


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## Ramzan (Nov 27, 2012)

DeltaMac said:


> Sounds like a stuck shift key.
> 
> You enter Safe Boot mode by holding the shift key. A stuck shift key will ALWAYS boot to Safe Boot.
> Your password will be case sensitive. If you hold the shift key, then the password will always be incorrect (unless that's how you normally type your password.
> ...



Hello DeltaMac,

Appreciate your comprehensive suggestion.

The problem is solved by holding the "COMMAND"  and "R" keys simultaneously while rebooting the computer (i've found this solution while googled about problem with stuck capital letter for Macbook). I'm not really sure how it solved it, but it works!

Thank you anyway. Will try yours if the problem reoccur.

Ramzan


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## DeltaMac (Nov 28, 2012)

Command-R doesn't _do_ anything, good or bad, on your Mac running Snow Leopard (10.6.8)
If you go back to your googled solution, you will see that particular post was about a newer Mac, running Lion or higher - which uses Command-R to boot to the Recovery System partition. Snow Leopard didn't have that feature.

Be sure to follow the steps that I posted to test your keyboard, just to make sure that you don't have sticky keys.
Stuck keys _do_ also become _unstuck_ , and that can be accidental - same as when it sticks in the first place.


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## Ramzan (Nov 28, 2012)

DeltaMac said:


> Command-R doesn't _do_ anything, good or bad, on your Mac running Snow Leopard (10.6.8)
> If you go back to your googled solution, you will see that particular post was about a newer Mac, running Lion or higher - which uses Command-R to boot to the Recovery System partition. Snow Leopard didn't have that feature.
> 
> Be sure to follow the steps that I posted to test your keyboard, just to make sure that you don't have sticky keys.
> Stuck keys _do_ also become _unstuck_ , and that can be accidental - same as when it sticks in the first place.



DeltaMac,

You're right, the COMMAND-R solution that i referred to was proposed for OS 10.7. 

I've run through your suggestion.

Physically, both SHIFT keys have a normal play, without indicating any sign of being stuck.

Checked the functionality of all keys with the keyboard viewer (don't know the existence of this feature before, many thanks!!!), all keys are working fine. Maybe it became unstuck while i was scrambling to get this Mac out of Safe Boot situation.

If the problem reoccur, then this is the first thing i would check. Appreciate your time.

Many thanks and have a nice day.


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## Lauren S (Feb 4, 2016)

Thank you Thank you Thank you DeltaMac!!! I was freaking out *whew*


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