Chapter . Log In to and Out of Accounts

If you’ve used Mac OS X at all, it’s a good bet that you already know the basics of logging in to your account. Nevertheless, our friends upgrading from Mac OS 9 or switching from Windows may want a crash course.

Log In to Your Account Normally

When your Mac starts up, you first see a dark gray Apple logo on a gray background with a gear beneath it. The gear turns a few times, then a blue background appears. After another few seconds, a progress window appears, with the message “Starting Mac OS X...” Finally (unless you have automatic login turned on; see Bypass the Login Window), the Mac displays the login window:

  • Default login window: By default, the login window lists all the users who have accounts on your ...

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