How to Reset a Lost Admin Password on Mac OS X

Опубликовал Admin

24-09-2016, 19:20

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If you forget your admin password on OS X, you can reset it by rebooting your Mac in Recovery Mode and using a Disk Utility app; however, if you have FileVault active on your Mac, you'll need the relevant verification code and password that was issued to you when you set up FileVault to disable FileVault and unlock the Disk Utility app. In some cases, you can also use another admin account if you have it on your computer by clicking on the pertinent account and logging in from there.

Using Recovery Mode

Shut down your computer. If you've forgotten your password, the best way to reset it is by rebooting your computer in Recovery Mode. To do this, you'll first need to power your computer down:
- Click the Apple menu icon in the top left corner of your screen.
- Click "Shut Down" in the drop-down menu.
- Click "Shut Down" again in the confirmation dialog box.
Hold down ⌘ Command + R and press the power button. This boots your computer in recovery mode. Make sure you hold down until you see the Mac's loading bar starting up.
Click the "Disk Utilities" option upon boot-up. This will take you to the Disk Utilities menu.
- If your FileVault service is currently active, your Mac will prompt you for your FileVault password before you can access Disk Utilities. When you set up FileVault, Apple sent you a verification code and a password with a reminder to print out this information.
- Your FileVault password may also have gone to iCloud, so check there before continuing.
Click the "Utilities" option. This will allow you to select a boot-up tool.
Click the "Terminal" option. This opens the "Terminal" app, from which you can type OS X commands.
Enter the phrase "resetpassword", then press ⏎ Return. Exclude the quotes when typing this command.
Select your hard drive's icon. Unless you're storing your account information on a separate or secondary hard drive, this will usually be the hard drive entitled "Mac HD" or something similar.
Click "Select the User Account". This will allow you to select the admin account to which you've forgotten the password.
Click on your admin account. This will prompt you to enter a new password.
Enter your new password twice. This is to ensure that both password entries match each other.
Enter a new password hint. While optional, this step may ensure that you don't forget your password again.
Click "Save". This will save your changes.
- You may see a warning saying that your Keychain password doesn't match your new password. Click "OK" to exit this warning.
Click the Apple menu icon and select "Shut Down" again. This will shut your computer off.
Press the power button to start your computer up again. When you get to the password entry screen, you'll need to enter your new password.
Enter your new password. You should now be able to log in!

Resetting With Another Account

Make sure you are logged out of your account. If you have multiple admin accounts on your Mac, then you can reset your main account by logging in as an admin.
Select your secondary account. Remember, this account must have administrator privileges.
Enter the password for your secondary account. This should allow you to log in on your alternate admin account.
Click the Apple menu icon. This the apple-shaped option in the top left corner of your screen.
Click "System Preferences" in the drop-down menu.
Click "Users & Groups". This will prompt a pop-up window.
Click the lock-shaped icon in the pop-up window. This is in the lower left corner of the window.
Enter your password again. This should be the same password you used to log into this account.
Click on your primary account's name in the sidebar. This should be on the left side of your screen.
Select the "Create New Password" option.
Enter your new password twice. This ensures that both password entries match.
Enter a password hint. While optional, this step may ensure that you don't forget your password again.
Click "Change Password". This will save your changes.
- You may see a warning saying that your Keychain password doesn't match your new password. Click "OK" to exit this warning.
Click the Apple menu icon again and click "Log Out". This should be toward the bottom of the Apple menu.
Log into your primary account with your new password. You should now be able to log it!

Tips

Writing your password down somewhere discreet (e.g., the inside cover of a favorite book) will prevent accidental lock-outs.
While the extra admin account or Apple ID methods can work, Recovery Mode is a fail-safe method.
If you have FileVault enabled, you won't be able to unlock the "reset password" utility without the verification code and password issued to you when you initially set up FileVault. Absent this information, your files will be unrecoverable.

Warnings

As a general rule, keep your password to yourself.
Attempting a Recovery Mode password reset on another person's Mac without their permission can be illegal.

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