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Mac Mini Lock Screen Shortcut

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  1. Mac Mini Lock Screen Shortcut Snipping Tool
  2. Mac Os Lock Screen

Are you wondering what goes on inside Apple's Mac mini? Perhaps you've bought one and want to see what you can do with it?

Just close the lid and when you open it next, you'll need to enter your. The default keyboard shortcut for the new MacOS Lock Screen option is Command + Control + Q, you can hit the keystroke at any time to lock down the Mac: Hit Command + Control + Q to activate Lock Screen on the Mac Once you hit the command sequence on the keyboard, the Mac screen will instantly lock out, thereby requiring a login to regain access.

If so, read on to discover everything you need to know about the Mac mini, from what it is, to how to set it up and tons of different things you can use it for, outside of a regular PC.

What is a Mac mini and what does it do?

The Mac mini is a small desktop computer made by Apple. What makes the Mac mini different from a regular computer is that it's shipped without an accompanying screen, keyboard or mouse. As Apple likes to say, it's 'BYODKM' (Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard, and Mouse).

The reason behind the Mac mini being shipped solo, is because most of its use cases feature around using it to power up another device, as we'll discuss in more detail below.

It also makes for more of a flexible purchase. For example, if you already have a screen, or a keyboard and mouse, you can pair these with the Mac mini rather than forking out for new ones. And if you don't, you can easily purchase them alongside the Mac mini anyway.

The Mac mini has been around since 2005 (launched at the same time as the iPod shuffle) but its design and functionality have changed since then.

The latest 3.6 GHz Mac mini released in 2018 comes in two types of processing speed, the 3.6 GHz Mac mini Core i3 costing about $799 and the 3.0 GHz Mac mini Core i5 costing about $1099.

Specification of the Mac mini

Uses for the Mac mini

  • Share presentations to screen
  • Listen to music through an app like Spotify
  • Share photos to a TV screen
  • Access emails
  • Play games

Benefits of the Mac mini

Some of the key benefits of the Mac mini include:

  • The cheapest Mac Apple sells
  • Built in apps such as FaceTime, iBooks, Maps, iTunes and Mail
  • Multiple ports, making it more akin to a PC than a media device
  • Apple quotes that with fourth-generation Intel Core processors, the device is able to 'keep up with computers twice its size'
  • Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth
  • Easy setup for a keyboard, mouse or screen
  • The perfect size to use as the centre of a 'digital home'
Mac os lock screen

How to set up a Mac mini

Here's how to get your Mac mini running, from getting it out of the box to using it for a purchase such as connecting to your home TV.

Before you begin setup some of the questions you may want to consider include:

  • What screen will you be connecting to? You'll need a desktop or a TV screen to get your Mac mini up and running
  • How will you connect to the screen? Depending on what screen you're connecting to you may need a converter lead
  • Do you have a Wi-Fi connection? You'll need this to set up some of the Mac mini features
  • How will you control the Mac mini? You'll likely need either a keyboard and mouse combo or an Apple remote

Once you've made your decision and purchased any additional items you need, here's how to get set up.

  1. Add power

Plug the power adaptor into your Mac mini and plug the other end into your power outlet. Press the power button on the back of the Mac mini.

2. Attach to your TV or monitor

Connect your Mac mini to your TV or desktop. The Mac mini comes with a HDMI-to-DVI adapter for connecting to a monitor's DVI port, which will allow you to connect to an Apple monitor.

If you want to connect to a TV screen you may need to purchase a mini-displayport-to-VGA adapter which will allow you to connect your Mac mini to a standard analog monitor, projector, or LCD that uses a VGA connector or cable.

3. Connect to Wi-Fi

Once turned on, the setup guide should take you through a few simple steps, including setting up a Wi-Fi connection.

4. Sign in with your Apple id

This will give you access to the App Store and and will link your iCloud account if you wish to connect to your Mail, Photos, Calendar and so on.

5. Begin using your Mac mini

From here, you can begin using your PC or TV screen as a computer, using the desktop to search for apps, open web pages and more.

What can you do with your Mac mini?

Want to ensure you're getting the most from your Mac mini device? Here are some ideas on how you can use it:

  1. Access apps on a TV screen

The Mac mini is a great way to take everything you'd usually do on your phone or laptop and access it on your TV screen. This could be sharing photos with a room, opening mail or accessing your documents.

  1. Use any screen as your computer

The Mac mini is super light, which means you can take it anywhere, plug it into a desktop and you'll have a powerful computer. This allows you to work from anywhere, or set up shop in any location where there's a monitor and Wi-Fi available.

  1. Set up digital signage with the Mac mini

The Mac mini is a great way to turn any screen into a digital sign. This allows you to pre-schedule and setup content to show on your digital screen such as social media feeds, presentations, travel updates, news feeds and more. Read the full guide on setting up digital signage with the Mac mini here.

4. Create a home viewing centre

With the Mac mini and a screen, or desktop, you can create a home viewing centre that allows you to watch movies, surf the internet and listen to music. Via streaming apps such as Netflix, or even through movies you've bought on iTunes, you can easily set up movies to play on any screen. You can also use music apps available in the Apple App Store or use Safari to get online.

5. View and share photos

The Mac Mini includes a SDXC card slot so you can simply remove the memory card from your camera and insert it. This allows you to view photos on a monitor, or share them with the room from your TV screen.

Mac mini question buster

Can you use any monitor with a Mac mini?

The Mac mini doesn't come with a monitor, but you can connect it to one using one of the ports on the back of the device. Using the right adapter, you can connect the Mac Mini to any computer screen with a VGA port. The Mac Mini ships with a HDMI-to-DVI adapter but it's only really Apple monitors which use DVI, so for a regular monitor you may need a HDMI-to-VGA or mini displayport-to-VGA connector instead.

How do you turn on a Mac mini?

Simply press the power button on the Mac mini box.

Can you use any keyboard with a Mac mini?

Most keyboards and mouses can be used with the Mac mini by connecting them using the USB port. For Bluetooth devices, connect the USB dongle to the Mac mini using the USB port.

Got a question to add? Email us: hello@screencloud.com

Summary: This page helps you login to your MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini. It fixes 'Mac stuck on the login screen' issue after (or before) entering the right password.

Admittedly, Mac computers are powerful and reliable. But macOS is not immune to errors and corruption. Many users have reported the same problem: Mac stuck on a login screen.

Chances are that Mac won't let you log in with right password. Or you can't enter the password at all because the Mac freezes at login screen and the mouse won't move. Most of the time a force reboot might fix the problem, but it might be worse if the Mac computer won't boot after the latest macOS update.

In this post, you can unfrozen the iMac or MacBook from the login screen by:

  • Disabling Login items at startup
  • Booting into Safe and Verbose Mode
  • Resetting NVRAM/PRAM
  • Troubleshooting Mac in macOS Recovery mode
  • Reinstalling macOS

Two situations your Mac gets stuck on login screen

Before you go further, you should know there are two kinds of Mac OS X signin problems. It depends on if you have enabled FileVault to encrypt your startup drive.

1. Mac won't load past login screen after entering password

It happens to users who encrypt the system drive. You'll be asked for a password before you see the progress bar. In this case, the password is usually accepted, but Mac is stuck on the loading bar. The loading bar may stop somewhere between 50% and 75%, or even 100%.

You can't login to your Mac in this situation because of a Kernel program incompatibility, file system corruption, or some core data lost.

2. Mac won't accept password or you can't enter password in sign in screen

Another case is that the startup is not encrypted by FileVault or APFS feature. Assuming that you use a MacBook Pro, you'll see the loading bar first. But the MacBook Pro's login screen may not appear or gets stuck. MacBook Pro won't accept password but freezes with a spinning wheel or you are unable to type in password.

This MacBook login problem is usually caused by software conflicts, frozen software, or configuration errors.

What to do when Mac stuck on login screen?

Anyhow, these methods would help Mac boot past frozen login screen.

Solution 1: Bypass Login items at startup

In some cases, it's software that stops you from getting to your Mac. Then, you can try these steps to sign in your iMac or MacBook.

  1. Start your MacBook normally.
  2. On the sign in page, enter the admin account and password if you can, but DON'T click on Log in immediately (in case of a login loop).
  3. Press and hold the Shift key to stop frozen apps launching. And then, you can click on the Login button.

Solution 2: Boot your Mac in Safe Mode

Booting Mac into Safe Mode will only launch necessary programs. It's efficient to isolate incompatible software and repair some errors when Mac login window not responding.

To boot into Safe Mode:

  1. Press and hold the Shift key while tapping the power button to restart your Mac.
  2. Release the Shift key till you see the Apple logo and loading bar.
  3. If your Mac loads successfully in Safe Mode, try to uncheck login items in Users & Groups.

Sometimes Apple computer won't let you login to Safe Mode because FileVault is enabled. You could decrypt your startup drive temporarily by booting Password Reset Assistant. This makes Safe Mode be able to check and repair errors before the login window appears.

If you succeed in turning off FileVault, you can restart your Mac normally. Then you can see if it brings up the login window. But if the progress bar is stuck underneath the Apple icon, you can try Safe Mode again after turning off the FileVault.

Solution 3: Reset NVRAM / PRAM

NVRAM, as well as PRAM, is a small amount of memory that your Mac uses to store certain settings and access them quickly. Thus, whenever your Mac won't boot, you can try to reset the NVRAM / PRAM.

Now, restart your Mac and simultaneously press Command + Option + P + R keys for about 20 seconds until your Mac restart automatically.

Solution 4: Boot your Mac into macOS Recovery mode

Mac could freeze on the login screen in a normal boot. But if you can boot into macOS Recovery Mode, you could troubleshoot this issue more easily. Recovery mode, sometimes called sigle-user mode, is a lite built-in macOS utility to check and repair some system issues.

Download adware for mac. To boot into macOS Recovery Mode:

  1. Press and hold the power button until the Mac turns off.
  2. Restart the Mac and immediately press and hold the Command and R keys.
  3. Release those keys when you see the loading bar.

If you successfully boot into macOS Recovery Mode, you'll see a macOS Utilities screen. (In some old system, it's called Mac OS X Utilities.) Then, you can do several things to fix the Mac stuck on login screen issue.

1. Repair the startup drive in Disk Utility

Probably, the Mac won't past the Apple logo or login screen because of file system or disk errors. Fortunately, you can check for and repair errors with the built-in tool First Aid.

2. Reset password

Mac could be stuck on the login screen after you forget the Mac's password. If you've entered the wrong password too many times, the system could be locked. Then the Mac won't accept the password even it's the right one.

Mac Mini Lock Screen Shortcut Snipping Tool

In this case, you may want to reset your Mac's login password by:

  1. 1. Entering your Apple ID
  2. 2. Providing recovery key if you have created on before.

You can also do this via Terminal.

  1. 1. In macOS Recovery mode, open the Terminal by clicking Utilities > Terminal in the top menu bar.
  2. 2. At the Terminal prompt, type resetpassword, and then hit Enter.
  3. 3. Follow its onscreen wizard to reset the password.

With the password hint, you can change the password of a non-encrypted account. Then you can restart your Mac and log in to your Mac again.

3. Check and fix user preference settings

Sometimes, the .plist files related to user preferences could be changed. Then, your login information would not be accepted.

In this case, you can use the mv command in Terminal to rename the preference folder. And you can troubleshoot and nuke the problematic .plist file easily.

The other times you can't log in to the Mac just because the access to the user directory was changed. You can run chmod to change the access permission.

4. Reset launch services database

If the Mac gets stuck on the login screen and won't accept the password, you can remove the .csstore file ( a launch services database) in Terminal and fix the problem.

  1. 1. Open Terminal in macOS Recovery mode.
  2. 2. At the Terminal prompt, type find /private/var/folders | grep com.apple.LaunchServices | grep csstore, and then hit Enter.
  3. 3. Remove every .csstore file you can find by rm command.

Hopefully, you can log in to your Mac after a rebooting.

5. Reinstall macOS in macOS Recovery mode

If you are not one of the situations above but see a folder with question mark on the Mac, you can simply reinstall the macOS to reset your Mac.

This will be helpful especially if you need to downgrade from a recent macOS Big Sur update to macOS Catalina.

Mac Os Lock Screen

How to prevent data loss when you can't log into the Mac?

Probably, you have tried out all the solutions above, but the Mac keeps getting stuck on login screen. Then, you might want to erase your disk to reinstall macOS.

Mac Mini Lock Screen Shortcut

How to set up a Mac mini

Here's how to get your Mac mini running, from getting it out of the box to using it for a purchase such as connecting to your home TV.

Before you begin setup some of the questions you may want to consider include:

  • What screen will you be connecting to? You'll need a desktop or a TV screen to get your Mac mini up and running
  • How will you connect to the screen? Depending on what screen you're connecting to you may need a converter lead
  • Do you have a Wi-Fi connection? You'll need this to set up some of the Mac mini features
  • How will you control the Mac mini? You'll likely need either a keyboard and mouse combo or an Apple remote

Once you've made your decision and purchased any additional items you need, here's how to get set up.

  1. Add power

Plug the power adaptor into your Mac mini and plug the other end into your power outlet. Press the power button on the back of the Mac mini.

2. Attach to your TV or monitor

Connect your Mac mini to your TV or desktop. The Mac mini comes with a HDMI-to-DVI adapter for connecting to a monitor's DVI port, which will allow you to connect to an Apple monitor.

If you want to connect to a TV screen you may need to purchase a mini-displayport-to-VGA adapter which will allow you to connect your Mac mini to a standard analog monitor, projector, or LCD that uses a VGA connector or cable.

3. Connect to Wi-Fi

Once turned on, the setup guide should take you through a few simple steps, including setting up a Wi-Fi connection.

4. Sign in with your Apple id

This will give you access to the App Store and and will link your iCloud account if you wish to connect to your Mail, Photos, Calendar and so on.

5. Begin using your Mac mini

From here, you can begin using your PC or TV screen as a computer, using the desktop to search for apps, open web pages and more.

What can you do with your Mac mini?

Want to ensure you're getting the most from your Mac mini device? Here are some ideas on how you can use it:

  1. Access apps on a TV screen

The Mac mini is a great way to take everything you'd usually do on your phone or laptop and access it on your TV screen. This could be sharing photos with a room, opening mail or accessing your documents.

  1. Use any screen as your computer

The Mac mini is super light, which means you can take it anywhere, plug it into a desktop and you'll have a powerful computer. This allows you to work from anywhere, or set up shop in any location where there's a monitor and Wi-Fi available.

  1. Set up digital signage with the Mac mini

The Mac mini is a great way to turn any screen into a digital sign. This allows you to pre-schedule and setup content to show on your digital screen such as social media feeds, presentations, travel updates, news feeds and more. Read the full guide on setting up digital signage with the Mac mini here.

4. Create a home viewing centre

With the Mac mini and a screen, or desktop, you can create a home viewing centre that allows you to watch movies, surf the internet and listen to music. Via streaming apps such as Netflix, or even through movies you've bought on iTunes, you can easily set up movies to play on any screen. You can also use music apps available in the Apple App Store or use Safari to get online.

5. View and share photos

The Mac Mini includes a SDXC card slot so you can simply remove the memory card from your camera and insert it. This allows you to view photos on a monitor, or share them with the room from your TV screen.

Mac mini question buster

Can you use any monitor with a Mac mini?

The Mac mini doesn't come with a monitor, but you can connect it to one using one of the ports on the back of the device. Using the right adapter, you can connect the Mac Mini to any computer screen with a VGA port. The Mac Mini ships with a HDMI-to-DVI adapter but it's only really Apple monitors which use DVI, so for a regular monitor you may need a HDMI-to-VGA or mini displayport-to-VGA connector instead.

How do you turn on a Mac mini?

Simply press the power button on the Mac mini box.

Can you use any keyboard with a Mac mini?

Most keyboards and mouses can be used with the Mac mini by connecting them using the USB port. For Bluetooth devices, connect the USB dongle to the Mac mini using the USB port.

Got a question to add? Email us: hello@screencloud.com

Summary: This page helps you login to your MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini. It fixes 'Mac stuck on the login screen' issue after (or before) entering the right password.

Admittedly, Mac computers are powerful and reliable. But macOS is not immune to errors and corruption. Many users have reported the same problem: Mac stuck on a login screen.

Chances are that Mac won't let you log in with right password. Or you can't enter the password at all because the Mac freezes at login screen and the mouse won't move. Most of the time a force reboot might fix the problem, but it might be worse if the Mac computer won't boot after the latest macOS update.

In this post, you can unfrozen the iMac or MacBook from the login screen by:

  • Disabling Login items at startup
  • Booting into Safe and Verbose Mode
  • Resetting NVRAM/PRAM
  • Troubleshooting Mac in macOS Recovery mode
  • Reinstalling macOS

Two situations your Mac gets stuck on login screen

Before you go further, you should know there are two kinds of Mac OS X signin problems. It depends on if you have enabled FileVault to encrypt your startup drive.

1. Mac won't load past login screen after entering password

It happens to users who encrypt the system drive. You'll be asked for a password before you see the progress bar. In this case, the password is usually accepted, but Mac is stuck on the loading bar. The loading bar may stop somewhere between 50% and 75%, or even 100%.

You can't login to your Mac in this situation because of a Kernel program incompatibility, file system corruption, or some core data lost.

2. Mac won't accept password or you can't enter password in sign in screen

Another case is that the startup is not encrypted by FileVault or APFS feature. Assuming that you use a MacBook Pro, you'll see the loading bar first. But the MacBook Pro's login screen may not appear or gets stuck. MacBook Pro won't accept password but freezes with a spinning wheel or you are unable to type in password.

This MacBook login problem is usually caused by software conflicts, frozen software, or configuration errors.

What to do when Mac stuck on login screen?

Anyhow, these methods would help Mac boot past frozen login screen.

Solution 1: Bypass Login items at startup

In some cases, it's software that stops you from getting to your Mac. Then, you can try these steps to sign in your iMac or MacBook.

  1. Start your MacBook normally.
  2. On the sign in page, enter the admin account and password if you can, but DON'T click on Log in immediately (in case of a login loop).
  3. Press and hold the Shift key to stop frozen apps launching. And then, you can click on the Login button.

Solution 2: Boot your Mac in Safe Mode

Booting Mac into Safe Mode will only launch necessary programs. It's efficient to isolate incompatible software and repair some errors when Mac login window not responding.

To boot into Safe Mode:

  1. Press and hold the Shift key while tapping the power button to restart your Mac.
  2. Release the Shift key till you see the Apple logo and loading bar.
  3. If your Mac loads successfully in Safe Mode, try to uncheck login items in Users & Groups.

Sometimes Apple computer won't let you login to Safe Mode because FileVault is enabled. You could decrypt your startup drive temporarily by booting Password Reset Assistant. This makes Safe Mode be able to check and repair errors before the login window appears.

If you succeed in turning off FileVault, you can restart your Mac normally. Then you can see if it brings up the login window. But if the progress bar is stuck underneath the Apple icon, you can try Safe Mode again after turning off the FileVault.

Solution 3: Reset NVRAM / PRAM

NVRAM, as well as PRAM, is a small amount of memory that your Mac uses to store certain settings and access them quickly. Thus, whenever your Mac won't boot, you can try to reset the NVRAM / PRAM.

Now, restart your Mac and simultaneously press Command + Option + P + R keys for about 20 seconds until your Mac restart automatically.

Solution 4: Boot your Mac into macOS Recovery mode

Mac could freeze on the login screen in a normal boot. But if you can boot into macOS Recovery Mode, you could troubleshoot this issue more easily. Recovery mode, sometimes called sigle-user mode, is a lite built-in macOS utility to check and repair some system issues.

Download adware for mac. To boot into macOS Recovery Mode:

  1. Press and hold the power button until the Mac turns off.
  2. Restart the Mac and immediately press and hold the Command and R keys.
  3. Release those keys when you see the loading bar.

If you successfully boot into macOS Recovery Mode, you'll see a macOS Utilities screen. (In some old system, it's called Mac OS X Utilities.) Then, you can do several things to fix the Mac stuck on login screen issue.

1. Repair the startup drive in Disk Utility

Probably, the Mac won't past the Apple logo or login screen because of file system or disk errors. Fortunately, you can check for and repair errors with the built-in tool First Aid.

2. Reset password

Mac could be stuck on the login screen after you forget the Mac's password. If you've entered the wrong password too many times, the system could be locked. Then the Mac won't accept the password even it's the right one.

Mac Mini Lock Screen Shortcut Snipping Tool

In this case, you may want to reset your Mac's login password by:

  1. 1. Entering your Apple ID
  2. 2. Providing recovery key if you have created on before.

You can also do this via Terminal.

  1. 1. In macOS Recovery mode, open the Terminal by clicking Utilities > Terminal in the top menu bar.
  2. 2. At the Terminal prompt, type resetpassword, and then hit Enter.
  3. 3. Follow its onscreen wizard to reset the password.

With the password hint, you can change the password of a non-encrypted account. Then you can restart your Mac and log in to your Mac again.

3. Check and fix user preference settings

Sometimes, the .plist files related to user preferences could be changed. Then, your login information would not be accepted.

In this case, you can use the mv command in Terminal to rename the preference folder. And you can troubleshoot and nuke the problematic .plist file easily.

The other times you can't log in to the Mac just because the access to the user directory was changed. You can run chmod to change the access permission.

4. Reset launch services database

If the Mac gets stuck on the login screen and won't accept the password, you can remove the .csstore file ( a launch services database) in Terminal and fix the problem.

  1. 1. Open Terminal in macOS Recovery mode.
  2. 2. At the Terminal prompt, type find /private/var/folders | grep com.apple.LaunchServices | grep csstore, and then hit Enter.
  3. 3. Remove every .csstore file you can find by rm command.

Hopefully, you can log in to your Mac after a rebooting.

5. Reinstall macOS in macOS Recovery mode

If you are not one of the situations above but see a folder with question mark on the Mac, you can simply reinstall the macOS to reset your Mac.

This will be helpful especially if you need to downgrade from a recent macOS Big Sur update to macOS Catalina.

Mac Os Lock Screen

How to prevent data loss when you can't log into the Mac?

Probably, you have tried out all the solutions above, but the Mac keeps getting stuck on login screen. Then, you might want to erase your disk to reinstall macOS.

Before heading to erase the Mac hard drive, please make sure you have backed up your data. If you don't have backups, you can use Mac data recovery software like iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac. It would be helpful to recover lost data from the unbootable Mac.

To recover data from unbootable Mac, you need to run iBoysoft Data Recovery in macOS recovery mode.





broken image