How do I reset the Mac OS X admin root password?
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I bought a used PowerBook G4. The original owners have moved to Canada and I do not have their phone number. The problem is that I do not know the administrator’s password. I am unable to make changes on the computer or add software without a password. How do I get a new password when I don’t even know the existing one?
I bet you’ll be surprised how easy it is to change the administrator (known in Unix parlance as “root”) password on a Mac OS X Tiger, Panther, etc., computer. The key to unlocking your system is the Mac OS X install disk.
If you don’t have this disk, then your best bet is to buy a copy of Mac OS X, even though you already have the OS installed on your computer (you could try calling Apple (800 SOS-APPL) and asking for a replacement boot disk too). One smart way to accomplish this: look for Mac OS X on eBay. You might also ask yourself if you need to run Tiger, or whether Panther would work for you - it’d be a lot cheaper.
Once you have an install disk in hand…
2 Comments
tsin
April 13th, 2007
at 6:16am
You don’t need the disks.
-Boot to Single User Mode (boot holding down command-s)
-type /sbin/mount -wu /
-type /sbin/SystemStarter
-passwd root
(and then give a new password.)
You now should be able to boot to root (as in user: root, password: whatever you set)
Go to System Prefs->accounts and create an account for yourself.
or boot to your regular account and when do stuff that asks for an “administrator password”, give the root one.
sarah ann
February 5th, 2008
at 10:50am
I am not that up to date on using computers so can i have more in dept. instructions on reseting my password with out the discs please