# MacBook Pro Command+s not working



## venom2407 (Jul 6, 2011)

Im trying to switch my work macbook into single user mode so that I finally do away with all the limits and restrictions. I came across several forum suggestions on how to override the admin password and so on. How ever the computer will not respond to simultaneously pressing command+s, it just keeps going to the admin login screen. Can you please tell what to do. Thanks in advance.


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## DeltaMac (Jul 6, 2011)

Sure! Are you allowed to have an admin account on your MacBook?
Is the MacBook locked down, because you don't own it?

Or - have you simply forgot your admin password - the one that allows you to install software, or change settings in your system?
Can you tell us anything about the history of this MacBook? 
(How did you acquire this MacBook?)


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## swade963 (Aug 13, 2011)

I recently bought an auction car with a Macbook in it with the same issues. I am about ready to replace the harddrive and buy a copy of OS X to install on it. Is there any other way to reset the password settings?


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## Satcomer (Aug 13, 2011)

swade963 said:


> I recently bought an auction car with a Macbook in it with the same issues. I am about ready to replace the harddrive and buy a copy of OS X to install on it. Is there any other way to reset the password settings?



Read through my older thread [HOWTO] Reset User Password via single user mode Pay attention to g/re/p's post on the third page, it should still work. Good Luck.


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## swade963 (Aug 14, 2011)

The problem that I am running into is that when I start, or restart the macbook and hold the apple(command) key and the "s" key the macbook still boots to the user login screen. I never bypass this screen and boot into the single user mode.


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## Giaguara (Aug 14, 2011)

Does the screen look like this? http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1352


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## swade963 (Aug 14, 2011)

No, I thought that that may be the case but the computer opens to the login screen. The computer looks like it was a school computer for a previous student. It opens to an other account, a student account, or a personal account. Of course all three asks for a user name and password.
 I have tried the command + s key at bootup and restart, and the command + option + f + o key at startup/reboot.... they all send me to the login page showing the three accounts. 
I never see the prompt or script scrolling on screen.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Aug 15, 2011)

How long are you holding those keys down?

To start up in single-user mode, you're correct to press command-s, but you must hold those keys down, not just push and release them.

Reboot the computer, and _immediately_ hold down (and do not let go of) command and 's' keys.  Keep them held down throughout the entire boot process.  Your computer should boot into single-user mode -- you'll know you can let go of the keys when the computer boots to one of two screens:

1) Single-user mode (looks like the Terminal)
2) The login screen (which would indicate that the single-user mode startup failed for some reason)

If you keep the keys held down as specified above during the boot process, does it boot to single-user mode?


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## swade963 (Aug 16, 2011)

Yes I hold the keys down through the whole process. I let them up when the login screen appears and I hear the sound of a key struck in the down position.


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## ghostduster (Aug 19, 2012)

Did you ever find a solution to the problem? I have the exact same problem. My girlfriend's friend gave me her mid 2010 macbook with 10.6.8 for helping her move because she got a new macbook pro. How ever she forgot her password, and the command+S is not working for me either. I think the keyboard might be broken because some keys dont work and when I press U, three letters appear in the login password box. I dont know what three letters they are because its the pass word box.


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## DeltaMac (Aug 19, 2012)

@ghostduster - you don't just have a login problem, you have a bad keyboard.
You'll want to fix that before anything else is worth doing.
You could plug in an external USB keyboard, and you should be able to boot when using that. However, if you still don't know that password, then the best would be to get the OS X installer DVD from your "girlfriend's friend" and erase the hard drive, rather than just trying to bypass the password. Reason is: you don't know what else may be messed up about the system


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## ghostduster (Aug 19, 2012)

Thanks @DeltaMac

Yes I just talked to my girlfriend and she said that her friend spilled milk on it. Hence the reason she gave me the mac. I will ask her for the installer Dvd also. Hopefully its just the keyboard that is broken.


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## DeltaMac (Aug 19, 2012)

Milk will do a job on any electronics it touches.
You will be lucky if the keyboard is all that is ruined.


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