Mac OS X 10.3.9: Problems with multiple user accounts, potential solutions

A number of readers have reported an issue where non-admin users are unable to log in to their accounts after the Mac OS X 10.3.9 update.

Matt Zehner writes:

"My wife tried to log into her account for the first time since the update, using the login screen direct from a reboot - and the system hung up right after she entered her password. Just showed the blue spiraling progress bar and the words 'logging in...' forever.

"I forced a restart, and tried logging into my (administrator) account first (which went fine), then tried switching to her account via Fast User Switching (actually, using WinSwitch). This time, after entering her password and hitting Return, I got the rotating cube effect as normal, but her 'side' of the cube never progressed beyond a completely blue screen. Disk was still being accessed, as if the login process was occurring. Cursor was visible and movable, but clicking/double clicking in random places didn't seem to activate anything. I tried uninstalling WinSwitch and retrying each method for logging in as her, but each gets the same result."

MacFixIt reader Mark adds:

"After upgrading to Mac OS X 10.3.9 through Software Update, I am unable to log into any other user accounts, if those accounts are managed. With 'standard' or 'admin' accounts, everything works fine. But if any limitations are applied to other accounts, we are unable to log in."

Potential solutions for this issue include:

• Use a utility like Panther Cache Cleaner or OnyX to delete system caches. Deleting system caches can also be an effective workaround for an issue where Mac OS X freezes when a user attempts to log out.
• Delete the following files from the /Library/Preferences folder:
  com.apple.loginwindow.plist
  com.apple.windowserver.plist
• Remove any restrictions for each problematic account (in the Accounts pane of System Preferences), reverting them back to standard form
• Delete the user account and re-create it. The user's personal data will be saved in the "Deleted Users" folder.

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