"Trade-Ins" - April 1, 2022

[LadyBird]

I think that submitting the wrong answer last week has totally destroyed my meta mojo. Still staring blankly at step one. Going to do a little garden work and look again. After that, either success or a need for a nudge.

[JJD]

After a bunch grid crunching, I stepped back and flipped my perspective and followed it quickly to the solution.
I certainly appreciate the construction on this one.

[Colin]

Well, I've played Wordle, Quordle, Nerdle, Worldle, and Framed today to avoid doing taxes. So, I'm happy to give nudges to keep avoiding them.

Runs off to look up “Framed.”

Well, don't forget about Squardle, Globle, Squareword, Heardle, Semantle, Octordle, Sedecordle and Three Magic Words.

Oh no! My phone battery just ain’t good enough for all these …dle pastimes!

[HunterX]

To HunterX

Might be worth calling a professional tech geek, to see if your losses can be resurrected.

Actually, the guy at the Apple Store Genius bar tried helping yesterday. Then last night I was able to use restore mode to reinstall the system. But I couldn't do anything from there. Today, I showed the same guy at Genius Bar and he helped some more, which let me get my important docs off. But he didn't know why my user access (the only user access) was not a Sys Admin. (Which meant I couldn't get photos, music, etc.)

I went home. Several hours and much internet searching later... I found this was a problem for a number of people. Learned a trick using Terminal to delete a specific file and prompt the creation of a new user at Sys Admin level. This allowed me to fix the original user's permissions. I now have ALL MY DATA back!

Kinda scary that an old banker could figure a way to give himself Sys Admin permissions on a Mac. I felt like I was hacking into my own computer. Which I was, if you ask me. Imagine what a young computer person with a lot of time on their hands could do. Oh, yeah, that happens all the time.

[boharr]

To HunterX

Might be worth calling a professional tech geek, to see if your losses can be resurrected.

Actually, the guy at the Apple Store Genius bar tried helping yesterday. Then last night I was able to use restore mode to reinstall the system. But I couldn't do anything from there. Today, I showed the same guy at Genius Bar and he helped some more, which let me get my important docs off. But he didn't know why my user access (the only user access) was not a Sys Admin. (Which meant I couldn't get photos, music, etc.)

I went home. Several hours and much internet searching later... I found this was a problem for a number of people. Learned a trick using Terminal to delete a specific file and prompt the creation of a new user at Sys Admin level. This allowed me to fix the original user's permissions. I now have ALL MY DATA back!

Kinda scary that an old banker could figure a way to give himself Sys Admin permissions on a Mac. I felt like I was hacking into my own computer. Which I was, if you ask me. Imagine what a young computer person with a lot of time on their hands could do. Oh, yeah, that happens all the time.

Sounds as if some of us might like to have that Terminal trick in our toolbox.

[LadyBird]

I am ashore--thanks to Mr. LadyBird. I tossed my papers to him and asked him to take a look before I started soliciting nudges. He had it 75% figured out in 30 seconds. I wish he'd had that same flash of inspiration earlier in the weekend when I showed it to him!

[FKelly]

On shore.
I went to gym, pumped some iron, shot some hoops and it came to me.
There is, however, a potential pageant for the unwary.

[Barney]

I am ashore--thanks to Mr. LadyBird. I tossed my papers to him and asked him to take a look before I started soliciting nudges. He had it 75% figured out in 30 seconds. I wish he'd had that same flash of inspiration earlier in the weekend when I showed it to him!

Shouldn’t his moniker be GentlemanBird?

[Kris Zacharias]

I see something that has to be part of the mechanism but just cannot go any farther. Think I'll quit and read my book.

[Lee-Ann]

I know that I got the first step, but no "aha" moment. I had more of an "ehh." So I submitted a solution, but I am not feeling confident about it.

[Bob cruise director]

Good evening
Our final count is 25 on the ship and 154 on the shore

Enjoying the ship's bar since noon are

ALS
copperriver
Kris Zacharias


While making it to shore are

HunterX
ImOnToo
JaneGummy
John B
RicoTheSwede
drbockel2
Cindy N
Fred
TeaJenny
Lee-Ann
Mister Squawk
James D
davis178
baskin93
ladybird


Good luck winning the mug and have a good week

[JerryF]

Lost at sea. Feel like a real dummy.

[BensMom]

Ashore after a long weekend of banging my head against the wall. Couldn't have found the second step without a nudge from my mom!

[Tom Shea]

Sent in my hail Mary. Hope it gets caught in the end zone.

Now to some Mollydooker.

[HunterX]

To HunterX

Might be worth calling a professional tech geek, to see if your losses can be resurrected.

Actually, the guy at the Apple Store Genius bar tried helping yesterday. Then last night I was able to use restore mode to reinstall the system. But I couldn't do anything from there. Today, I showed the same guy at Genius Bar and he helped some more, which let me get my important docs off. But he didn't know why my user access (the only user access) was not a Sys Admin. (Which meant I couldn't get photos, music, etc.)

I went home. Several hours and much internet searching later... I found this was a problem for a number of people. Learned a trick using Terminal to delete a specific file and prompt the creation of a new user at Sys Admin level. This allowed me to fix the original user's permissions. I now have ALL MY DATA back!

Kinda scary that an old banker could figure a way to give himself Sys Admin permissions on a Mac. I felt like I was hacking into my own computer. Which I was, if you ask me. Imagine what a young computer person with a lot of time on their hands could do. Oh, yeah, that happens all the time.

Sounds as if some of us might like to have that Terminal trick in our toolbox.

While the exact method depends on which Mac you are working with, it basically involves:
- Booting to Recovery mode using Command-R or Option-Command-R, then...
- Going under Utilities, and selecting Terminal, then...
- Entering the command rm -i /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD\ -\ Data/private/var/db/.AppleSetupDone, which I had to use 'tab' after starting to type each part of the pathname (you type "Volum" and hit TAB, etc.) This deletes the file with the Macintosh HD - Data (or [Hard disk name]-Data) volume that says it's been set up already.
- Then 'y' to confirm deletion of the .AppleSetupDone file, then...
- Type 'reboot' to, well, reboot...
- Set up a different user account at the prompts since the computer thinks you're setting up for the first time, then...
- Using System Preferences / Users and Groups to edit your original user ID account to have Sys Admin permissions, then...
- Reboot....

Isn't this absolutely fascinating to all of you?

Sorry. It's been my last 3 days of research that saved my a$$. I should take a chill pill at this point.

[escapeartist]

Another late solve, sort of.

I submitted it, it makes sense, but it’s sort of a Hail Mary. Not 100% in this one.

[Tom Shea]

...

Sounds as if some of us might like to have that Terminal trick in our toolbox.

While the exact method depends on which Mac you are working with, it basically involves:
- Booting to Recovery mode using Command-R or Option-Command-R, then...
- Going under Utilities, and selecting Terminal, then...
- Entering the command rm -i /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD\ -\ Data/private/var/db/.AppleSetupDone, which I had to use 'tab' after starting to type each part of the pathname (you type "Volum" and hit TAB, etc.) This deletes the file with the Macintosh HD - Data (or [Hard disk name]-Data) volume that says it's been set up already.
- Then 'y' to confirm deletion of the .AppleSetupDone file, then...
- Type 'reboot' to, well, reboot...
- Set up a different user account at the prompts since the computer thinks you're setting up for the first time, then...
- Using System Preferences / Users and Groups to edit your original user ID account to have Sys Admin permissions, then...
- Reboot....

Isn't this absolutely fascinating to all of you?

Sorry. It's been my last 3 days of research that saved my a$$. I should take a chill pill at this point.

I suggest something stronger. You've certainly earned it.

[Heyitshayjay]

Think I have officially given up… will enjoy the bar, barring some last minute aha moment (or a timely nudge)

[bhamren]

On shore. Did the puzzle Thursday evening and tucked it in my pocket. My weekly Sunday 10 pm reminder told me to do the WSJ puzzle. One thing popped out at me this time and it was a quick swim to shore.

[Heyitshayjay]

Think I have officially given up… will enjoy the bar, barring some last minute aha moment (or a timely nudge)

Once again, dragged on shore by the community. Been a rough couple of weeks for me haha