strange font at log in screen and can't log in!

[Revolution909]

I was using my computer this morning. I have a screen saver password set. After breakfast I came back to my computer. I typed in my screen saver password but it wouldn't log in. I tried this a few times and it wouldn't work. Wtf. So I reset. After that everything was fine.

Then I used my computer as normal. I read a magazine PDF etc. I also tried to watch a TV show but the file was messed up. VLC tried to fix. That may have just been a coincidence. I don't know. Then the font changed to weird symbols in pretty much every program where I was typing. This made the computer hard to use so I reset again.

Now I can't log on. When it asks for my start up password I click on my account. After I click on my account it asks for my username and password instead of just password, which is weird. So I type them both in. But the strange garbled font is showing up again. I click "login" but nothing happens.

So then I can't log in. I have 2 internal harddrives and they both have their own copy of OS X. So I tried the other one but it had the same problem.

So now I am trying to restore from Time Machine. It says it backed up about an hour before this problem.

I'm at the library now trying to get some info. Time Machine takes awhile so I'm going to check it.

I feel like it's some kind of EFI / BIOS problem or something since 2 independent harddrives are both doing it.

Anyone have any ideas? Has anyone else had this problem? What's going on?

 

[Revolution909]

Ok well Time Machine didn't do much. Still had the problem.

Then I tried to flush the PRAM and stuff. And the other one where you take out the battery, unplug, hold down power for 5 seconds, put the battery in, plug it back in, and turn it on again.

I also tried repairing the disk and repairing the permissions.

I have been able to log on but only for a few minutes really. Then everything changes to the weird font again. I deleted the TV show that had the error though while I was on.


Please help. If you have had this problem also or know the answer please help if you can. Thanks.




tl;dr: There's a strange symbol font on the computer instead of English letters. It doesn't matter what font you choose. You can't do much and you usually can't even log in. Please help if you can!

 

[Revolution909]

Well, the "fn" key seems to be broken. Actually it seems backwards. I have to press it for it to do nothing and when I don't press it it's like I'm pressing it.

A few ideas about it. It's getting old, or my cat walked on the keyboard too much, or also I take it in my backpack so maybe that did something.

 

[Morhass]

Sounds like your keyboard is dying! Keyboard Viewer may shade the keys that are registering as pressed - sounds like Option as well as Fn!.
Display Keyboard Viewer from Apple Menu > System Preferences > Language & Text, then access it from the Keyboard menu icon.