Switching Accounts

I am new to Linux. I am hoping to find something to replace MS Windows software. So far I have been very pleased with Zorin 8. Still learning and have encountered a problem. When machine boots and asks for my password, I enter the password, and machine continues to boot to a "Guest" account, not my account. I try to switch the account, it does not work. It used to go to a "login" screen and ask for a password. I would then put in the password and it would revert back to the Guest account. I have used another Zorin post "How to reset a forgotten password", to attempt to fix this, yet the machine still boots to the Guest account. I again try to switch to my account, and the screen goes dark, then returns to the Guest account. By the way, I don't recall ever setting up a Guest account.

Hi, When you get to the login screen, what happens when you use your cursor arrows - both up and down - should help you switch between guest and your user account. Just be aware that support for Zorin 8 ended a couple of weeks back - like Ubuntu 13.10 on which it was built off - you should look at moving ot Zorin 9 which has 5 years support.

I had just bought Zorin 8 back in May. What is funny to me, is when I go through the "Grub2" screen to change my password, it accepts the password there, but not when trying to switch users.

Hi, Zorin 8 is no longer supported - it became end-of-life a couple of weeks ago like Ubuntu 13.10 on which it was based. I would PM AZorin and/or zorink to see if you are entitled to a free upgrade to Zorin 9 Ultimate or a discount!

Hi,

did you create a new user account or are you talking about the "Guest account"?. The guest account has no password and you can do nothing administrative with it!.

you are able to configure a password for grub and for the User (usually you can also have a bios password too).

You may need to reset your user password. to be able to reset the user password, you should be able to do something like this (simple version)

1. Boot from a live disk.
2. mount the Linux root drive
3. open terminal
4. change to the root user on the live disk "sudo su"
5. change you root to the Linux root drive "chroot /path/to/drive"
6. change the password with "passwd username" (replacing username with the users username of course)
7. reboot.

Let me know if you need to know more. Hope this helps!

Let me tell you what is happening. I can change the Unix password and have it accepted, but it never works. Neither during boot up when it takes me to Guest account, or when trying to switch users. Also, when I get to "Recovery Menu", and select "root", I get "Give root password for maintenance". It accepts the password there, but no where else. It seems the machine is ignoring the password. Are there more than 1 password?

When I click my account to log in, after booting to guest account, I get a white page with a cursor on a blue line in a blue box, and a login selection box. Below the box in grey it says "Guest session". I type in my password on the blue line and hit enter. There is a black gear in the right hand corner. When I click on it a smaller box opens and a circle with a dot and "XBMC" appear. Don't know if this will help. Maybe I am doing something wrong.

Hi, just for clarity, which version of Zorin is it and whether 32-bit or 64-bit?

Zorin Version 8, installed end of May, 32 bit. I wanted to see if it was a viable alternative to Windows before I put it on other machines. It worked great until I wanted to secure it a little more by having to clear a password to gain access.

Thank you all for any effort and knowledge you provide to me working on this issue.

Since both Zorin 8 and Ubuntu are "out of date" on my system, I may be able to just use Ubuntu and not Zorin. Ubuntu is free and Zorin told me I would have to donate to receive Zorin 9.

Hi, you don't have to pay for the 'Core' issue and it uses the Ubuntu Software Center - you just have to spend a bit more time putting those apps together that Zorin put together for you on the premium version.