A friend of mine hasn't used his mac in a very long time, and he forgot his password. He also lost his OS X cd, so he can't reset his password that way. Anyone know how he can get into his computer?
2007-04-29 18:00:23 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Security
although os x is unix, it's not linux (or bsd)!
Single user doesn't work for password changing. passwd is ignored. ( I rebooted into single user mode to verify)
the only way that works for sure is to get an os x cd or dvd. Or visit the apple store!
2007-04-29 18:43:17 · answer #1 · answered by jake cigar™ is retired 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hello, friend of Skylar. Here's what you should do:
If you don't have the OS X install CD, you should get one not just for this problem, but for all the dozens of other times you will need one in the future. And try not to loose this next one. That's like loosing 100 dollars, for crying out loud. You can't keep a computer around for long without a system CD. It's just not practical.
You can delete the netinfo database and delete a file called AppleSetupDone. Then when you restart, the Mac will open the same setup program that appeared when your computer was new. You can create a new account from scratch. But it will make the old account a "Deleted User" and put all of your old personal data into a disk image file. That's a bit inconvenient but, in theory, nothing is actually lost.
To do this, go to the web link below and find the section "III. Restoring from defaults ". Restart and hold two keys together: Command key (has an Apple logo and/or the 4-leaf clover-like symbol) and the "S" key. That starts the Mac in "Single-user mode". You'll know you are seeing single-user mode because the screen will fill up with white geeky text on a black background. Release the two keys when you see this. Wait until the last line says "sh-2.05a#". You have arrived at the Unix mountaintop above even the weakness of logging into a user account. You are at the computer equivalent of Zeus and Thor with thunderbolts in your hands. Be careful how you use the power. Sorry, just couldn't resist the dramatic moment. Then go ahead with the steps in the article below.
As with all computer stuff, you could still loose data so if you don't have your data backed up, kick yourself three times and be sure to backup your data from this point forward. And don't complain to anyone except yourself if you loose data.
By the way, why are you asking Skylar to send in this question instead of doing it yourself?
2007-05-01 02:57:08 · answer #2 · answered by SilverTonguedDevil 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to boot into single user mode. I believe you can accomplish this by rebooting and holding down the command key and the 's' key simultaneously.
Once in single usermode, type 'passwd' It will then prompt you to change the root password. If you need to update the password for a different user than root, type 'password username_here'
2007-04-29 18:11:20 · answer #3 · answered by dzr0001 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you sure it's his computer?
2007-04-29 18:24:05 · answer #4 · answered by carnelionne 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋