Thread

Classic Password Bypass?

Classic Password Bypass? Hardware 15 posts Dec 11, 2007 — Dec 12, 2007

#1 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 - 19:35

I have a Mac Classic that, on startup, immediately goes to an After Dark screen saver (the fish one) that is password protected.

Is there a way to get around this?

I remember a few years ago I got around it with a key combination on startup, but I don't remember what that was.

I believe it is either running System 6 or 7.

#2 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 - 19:51

Start the machine up whilst holding down the shift key. This will boot the system with extensions turned off, including After Dark. The After Dark preferences can then be altered or removed to prevent the password from causing problems in the future.

#3 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 - 21:02

Start the machine up whilst holding down the shift key. This will boot the system with extensions turned off, including After Dark. The After Dark preferences can then be altered or removed to prevent the password from causing problems in the future.

I forgot to mention that I tried this already. I even tried it with a separate keyboard thinking that maybe the shift key was stuck, but for some reason the After Dark extension continues to load.

#4 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 - 21:10

Have you tried holding Command+Option+X+O to boot it from the ROM instead, and remove the extension from there? (or you could use the boot disks from the Apple website)

#5 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 - 21:37

The way The Macster suggested is probably the best way, as long as your Classic is one of the ones with the bootable ROM image.

#6 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 - 21:38

Have you tried holding Command+Option+X+O to boot it from the ROM instead, and remove the extension from there? (or you could use the boot disks from the Apple website)

I tried that also, just a moment ago. Doesn't work.

I was hoping it wouldn't come to reinstalling the OS, since I like to look around and see what's on the drives before I wipe them.

I know there is a key combo that works... I wish I could remember it.

#7 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 - 21:41

You can download a bootable floppy image from Apple's website. If you have the means to get that onto a real disk, then you should be able to boot from that and snoop around to your heart's content...

#8 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 - 22:05

Nevermind, booting from rom worked, I just wasn't pressing the key combo quick enough. (I couldn't reach all the keys with one hand.)

I don't know how to get After Dark to not launch on startup though, other than deleting it. Any ideas?

I noticed it was set in Special>Set Startup...

So I disabled it, but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Also, where is the fan header in this machine? I couldn't seem to relocate it after reassembly (it was in pieces in a box for like 3 years)

And how do I get the Control Panel to accept changes made to the background pattern?

#9 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 - 00:01

Remove After Dark from the hard disk's Control Panel folder, and it shouldn't load. It doesn't have to be delete, just not in the Control Panel folder is fine.

The background pattern change should be stored in the PRAM. if your PRAM battery is dead, not only would your background be changed, but your time and date will reset, too.

#10 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 - 06:37

and just so you know you can download the 19 floppy disk image of system 7.5.3 for free from apple

its not the best thing to stuff on an old compact but if it can save an old machine

#11 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 - 10:30

and just so you know you can download the 19 floppy disk image of system 7.5.3 for free from appleits not the best thing to stuff on an old compact but if it can save an old machine

You can also get System 6.0.3, 6.0.5, 6.0.8, 7.0 and 7.0.1 as well. 6.0.8 is probably the best version to run on a Classic... it's what I run on mine anyway. IIRC it's 6.0.3 that's on the ROM image.

http://www.info.apple.com/support/oldersoftwarelist.html#system

#12 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 - 11:02

can you now ? i didnt know that

either way thats a good page to download other system versions just to be sure

#13 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 - 15:15

Remove After Dark from the hard disk's Control Panel folder, and it shouldn't load. It doesn't have to be delete, just not in the Control Panel folder is fine.
The background pattern change should be stored in the PRAM. if your PRAM battery is dead, not only would your background be changed, but your time and date will reset, too.

I can't even locate the control panel folder. :O

I'm on 6.0.3

Even if I set the background, time, date, etc in the control panel and then switch to another window, when I come back to the control panel, everything is the same... except the background. It won't even accept the change.

#14 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 - 15:32

if you are in the rom you cant actually chance much

you need to click on the hard disk icon and remove the after dark control panel from the folder there

#15 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 - 16:06

if you are in the rom you cant actually chance much you need to click on the hard disk icon and remove the after dark control panel from the folder there

Oh, alright. I got it now. I was thinking that there would be an actual "control panel" folder like on some newer OSes and I was going nuts trying to find it.

Simply moving the After Dark program file to a different location disabled it.

And now that it has started up in regular mode, my changes to the background are staying put.

Thanks for everyone's help! :b&w: