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. I hope this helps you with Macintosh password recovery.
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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
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
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
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
I have the same problem when even trying to get into the command s prompt. It will not give me any “text scrolling through window. It just goes to a screen that flashes a little folder icon with a mac logo face in it and flashes that with a question mark.
please help anyone, would be greatly appreciated. This same thing happens when i try to boot from a Mac OS X Panther v10.3 CD i get the same screen at startup, it will not take cd, however it does read CD but when i clik install it says it needs admin password which i do not have. Is there some type of lock on my ibook >? THANKS TO ANYONE WHO CAN HELP :)P
merkuxio@yahoo.com