Mac OS X Password Recovery
Instructions for the Mac OS X Password Recovery.
Although there’s no real way to recover a lost root password, you can change the root password even if you do not know the current one. You must have physical access to the machine in order to accomplish this task.
1. Click Restart at the login window
2. While the computer is restarting, hold down “Command-S” until you see text scrolling through the window. This boots the computer into single user mode.
3. At the Localhost% prompt type:
/sbin/fsck -y
/sbin/mount -uw /
/sbin/SystemStarter
You will then see various services starting up.
4. When the Localhost% prompt reappears, type:
passwd [username]
It will then ask you to type the new root password twice, so do so.
(Though I’ve not tried it, it appears you can type niutil -list . /users to get a list if users if you do not know the username….if someone wants to verify this, I would be most appreciative).
5. After entering the new password, type:
reboot
6. At the login window, enter the username with the new password. Once you are logged in, you can use the Multiple Users application (/Applications/Utilities) to change your user’s password, or create a new user account.
Note: this may not work for newer versions of OS X; I think they did something about it in a security update.
hello,
thank you very much for this very comprehensive advice. unfortunately i cannot manage to run the described process:
after starting SystemStart
the computer attempts to start apache web server
“waiting for apache web server”
obviously this fails, so there is a loop starting.
the computer is an iBook G3
with mac os x panther
do you have any idea how to proceed?
i would really appreciate your support, being unable to install any kind of software at this time.
thank you very much,
best regards,
max
Hi Elliot…..After following the steps you listed…..I have two questions
1. When I retreived the list of users it came back with this list:
(all were in lower case)
11 nobody
12 root
13 daemon
14 unknown
15 smmsp
16 LP
17 POSTFIX
18 WWW
19 EPPC
20 MYSQL
21 SSHD
22 QTSS
23 CYRUSIMAP
24 MAILMAN
25 APPSERVER
66 MANAGER
69 SACS
73 AMAVSID
75 APPOWNER
77 CLAMAV
79 JABBER
81 SECURITYAGENT
83 TOKEND
85 WINDOWSERVER
87 XGRIDAGENT
89 XGRIDCONTROLLER
Since I do not know the user name, am I supposed to pick any name from this list?
2. I tried just picking a name and then followed the directions to change the password. When the second prompt came to retype the password, after typing it and hitting enter it comes up “Sorry”. then the screen turns blue leaving single user mode and needs to be restarted.
Any ideas or tips on what I may be doing wrong?
Thanks in advance…….Anna
For the user who are new to Mac G3 and G4, the little key next to the spacebar that looks like a flower…is the Command Key. I have OS-X Tiger aka 10.4 and this worked for me. I needed to change my Admin Password..this is what I did….
1.) Log on to this site http://www.westwind.com/reference/OS-X/commandline/single-user.html , it has good info on different OS.
2.) Power up while the Command and “P” buttons down
3.) Tyoe “/sbin/fsck -y”
4.)Then “/sbin/mount -uw /”
5.)then “sh /etc/rc” a lot of stuff will print on the screen, the prompt may or may not return, if it does nt, press to get the prompt back then type “passwd [username]” it will ask to enter it again after that type reboot. That should do it. good luck
i done all of the above but when it says changing password it comes up with a sorry comment,,,please helpppppppp before this laptop goes through the window =D
aquired an iMac(found in the trash) it works but needed to figure out admin passwd have tried the things on your website and so far I have wiped the passwd that was on it and can’t even change the date and time. it has osx 10.3 any more ideas.
hi could somebody please tell me were i can find the command-s key? i think the command key is the one with the apple on it but what about the s key? its for a ibook g4 i want to reset the password, thank you
Found the key but im haveing the same problem as paul its keeps come up as a sorry comment…….help me please. i have done what rod at 104 told me do.
Here is a link to completely get rid of the admin account and start over fresh to make a new one.
The problem that you have is of very easy solution, they should place the CD 1 of the installer of the OS-X 10.3 or plus (I have not verified the previous versions) and setupr the Mac so that it starts up from the CD. When the installer is loaded in the menu of the one there is an option that executes the utility of changing password the one that will allow them to change the password of the root or of any user without problems
Greetings Apollo
PD Excuses my basic English I am user of Hispanic speech.
Any one have any luck with oc 4.2.2???? or whatever it is??
10.4.2 i mean—
this mite help in this command:
passwd [username]
if the user name is 2 words such as joe blow when you type it in it must be one word so when you type it inot the command it would look like this
passwd joeblow
Ok, I followed the first steps and I can reset the root password, but when I reboot I can’t login because I don’t know the username, I am confused about how to list the usernames and which name to change
“/sbin/fsck -y”
“/sbin/mount -uw /”
“/usr/libexec/register_mach_bootstrap_servers /etc/mach_init.d”
“cd /var/db/netinfo”
“netinfod -s local”
“SystemStarter”
“passwd root”
“reboot”
WORKED! OS X 10.3
Thanks to all who contributed.
hi i have forgotten my master password! i followed your steps but it would help if i new what ‘command-s’ is. please could you help me. I have pressed enter n then s nothing happens, i tried caps lock and s but nothing happened. please help me and write back or email me would be better at [email protected]. thank you.
point 16 worked a treat for me thankyou all. i will write it down next time i use a secure password.
I have a os 9.1 mac ibook. I forgot the password and I tried this step by step instructions. But I run into problems with the first step. I don’t have a “Command-S” button. What should I do?
I have a G4 and i dont remember the admin. password so i am tryin to change it or somethin because i need it.
Ok everythin worked for me with this format:
# /sbin/fsck -y
# /sbin/mount -uw /
# /usr/libexec/register_mach_bootstrap_servers /etc/mach_init.d
# cd /var/db/netinfo
# netinfod -s local
# SystemStarter
# passwd root
# reboot
But… after i type passwd[username] it ask for the new password so i put it and after that i have to retype it but once i retype it it keeps sayin “sorry” can anyone help me. thanx
nothing works for me not even /sbin/fsck -y help please [email protected]
Help….my iBook g4 model PowerBook6,7 will not respond to the first command but it wants /sbin/fsck -fy instead for the first command? Is this a different OS X version? After that it will not take any other commands as offered above?? No I don’t have the start up disc but thanks for asking ha ha ha any help?? Thanks….J
I have a PowerBook G4 (that is now just over 1 year old and has not yet been used due to password problems and the installation DVD corrupted on “Password Manager” !
I have OS 10.3.3 installed with a French AZERTY keyboard (running in root mode in US configuration. I have followed the various different advices above. I get as far as “Startup complete” after typing “SystemStarter”.
I have then typed “passwrd root” and get the message “-sh: passwrd: command not found”
I then tried the extended “passwrd -i …. routine and got the same message.
Any more ideas ? (I would like to use my Mac before it becomes a museum piece rather than my PC !
Dear moderator, please ignore the previous post, I’ve just noticed on a further check that the command is “passwd” not “passwrd” !
how do i know what modal my ibook is
There is no Command-S “key”.
There is a Command key (the cloverleaf next to the spacebar) and there is an “S” key.
Hold the two keys down together—that’s what the hyphen between them means, that they are held down at the same time just like when you use Command-X to cut and Command-V to paste when you’re in a word processor.
And to Anna, message #103, DON’T go picking out names from a list and trying to change their passwords. Many of these are system things you shouldn’t touch. You can REALLY screw things up in root mode in UNIX, so don’t mess with anything or randomly try stuff without reading about it and understanding it first.
If you want to know which users are listed on the system with accounts, then look at the Users folder. Usually there’s only one person if it’s a single user machine. It gives you the system “short name” for the user. For example, if you logged in normally as Jane Doe the short name is probably “janedoe” in the Users directory.
I have a G4 Mac OS-X 10.3.9 and i’m having problems resetting my root password, i have gotten as far as “/usr/libexec/register_mach_bootstrap_server/etc/mach_init.d” but the reply is -sh:”/usr/libexec/register_mach_bootstrap_server/etc/mach_init.d is not a directory
any suggestions pls!!
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