How Can I restore my mac without the original software disks?

Hi I have a preowned macbook pro that i got from a friend. I would like to restore the computer back to its original settings because it is asking me for user passwords when i go to install something and the old owner does not remember the password. I do not have the disks the computer came with. Is there any other option to restoring the computer back to its original settings without the disks? I am still trying to figure out the mac "world" so may not be aware of all settings.

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
First, open "System Information" app or "System Profiler", and copy "Model Identifier", and copy it here. I'm not completely sure if you have a MacBook Pro with Retina display.
Instead of reinstalling OS X, first try resetting the user password. To do it, open  > About this Mac, and see "Version". If it's 10.7 or 10.8, follow these steps > http://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4101 If it's 10.6 or older, you need the DVDs, so call Apple to get replacement DVDs > http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57
After doing that, open System Preferences > Users & Groups, and press the + button to create a new administrator user for you

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See this Discussion...
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How Can I restore my mac without the original software disks?

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