Password blocked by keyboard default.

Hi ,

to reset your password through [Recovery Mode] , follow this guide

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/resetpassword

Thanks

And for better results , use numbers . Not symbols or letters. Once you solve your problem and login , you can change again your password to something stronger.

Quoting NikTh <email address hidden>:

Thanks for your prompt reply. I tried your suggestion but after entering the
new password, I get the message "Authentication token manipulation error.
password unchanged."

The keyboard is Spanish even at root level which does not match my English UK
keyboard. For example forward slash is shift 7, which is the and sybol on my
physical keyboard. Can I reset the keyboard to English UK, before I reset the
password?

> Your question #209752 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/209752
>
> NikTh posted a new comment:
> And for better results , use numbers . Not symbols or letters. Once you
> solve your problem and login , you can change again your password to
> something stronger.
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

Follow again the tutorial , and after you give this command

1) mount -o rw,remount /

then give this command

2) setxkbmap -option grp:alt_shift_toggle "us,gb"

This command will change your keyboard layout to United States , Great Britain. You can change the keyboard layout with Alt+Shift.

Then try again to change your password.

Thanks

Quoting NikTh <email address hidden>:

No. 1 below: OK. As guest, I can now mount file system, using my original UK
password. If I try to open home folder, I get error message:- FILE SYSTEM. The
folder contents could not be displayed. You do not have the permissions
necessary to view the contents of "home". I cannot see any of my stored
documents etc.

No. 2 below: error message: cannot open display "default display"

The Spanish keyboard is still installed.

Thanks for your ongoing help.

> Your question #209752 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/209752
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> NikTh proposed the following answer:
> Follow again the tutorial , and after you give this command
>
> 1) mount -o rw,remount /
>
> then give this command
>
> 2) setxkbmap -option grp:alt_shift_toggle "us,gb"
>
> This command will change your keyboard layout to United States , Great
> Britain. You can change the keyboard layout with Alt+Shift.
>
> Then try again to change your password.
>
> Thanks
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/209752/+confirm?answer_id=3
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/209752
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

Quoting NikTh <email address hidden>:

Thanks for your help again.

I have re-installed, but lost all my data and add on programmes. Most annoying.
 I only upgraded as 10.04 will not be supported for much longer. If I had known
it would be so difficult to upgrade, I would not have started!

Thanks to you for your input. You can now show this enquiry as solved but with
one unhappy user.

Thanks again for your hard work. Really appreciated. Bernard Woods.

> Your question #209752 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/209752
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> NikTh proposed the following answer:
> Ok ,
>
> As a Guest you cannot do much. Basically things only. I cannot think
> anything else but to boot from a LiveCD-Usb and copy your personal files
> (backup) to an external media .
>
> Then just reinstall Ubuntu , WITHOUT to tick the option for format. When
> the installer opens configure correctly your Keyboard layout. Select the
> USA keyboard then at the question of where install Ubuntu , choose
> "Something Else" . When partitioning tool opens click your Ubuntu
> installation and then click "Change" . At the new window , choose
> filesystem "Ext4 with journal" , choose mount point / (means root) and
> leave the box "Format partition" as it is . UNSELECTED.
>
> Proceed with installation.
> You can change username if you want , but LEAVE the NAME as it WAS , so you
> have not any problem with permissions.
>
> In that way , all the basic system will reinstall and your files will be
> untouched. But preventive is good to copy somewhere else your important data.
> All this procedure is about 10 to 15 minutes top.
>
> Thanks
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/209752/+confirm?answer_id=5
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/209752
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

After the new installation all is working OK. All data and add-on programmes were lost despite my care in the various steps of the installation. The main reason for upgrading was because 10.04 will not be supported for much longer.

Previous upgrades have been entirely painless with no loss of data. This latest process has been very bad.

Thanks to NikTh for his help during the last few days.

Bernard Woods

Sorry to hear about your frustration.
Add-on programs and bookmarks .. etc yes would be lost , but your personal data , if you followed my instructions about "something else" option and NOT tick the format partition option , all your personal folders (including data) should be there.
Anyway,
I support your opinion and when a user ask me what to do , upgrade from 10.04 to 12.04 or fresh install ? I always answer fresh install.