How can I safely reset my admin password without an installation disk?

If anyone could please help me!
I have a Macbook Pro edition 2011 from Australia.
I have completely forgotten my administrator password resulting in me not being able to access a lot of things such as downloading adobe reader etc.
I also cannot find my installation disk drive to start again!
Does anyone have any tips of how to reset your admin password from the computer without losing all files?
Thank you!

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4101

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Insert a compatible Mac OS X DVD, restart with the Option key held down, and use its Reset Password utility. If the computer has a firmware password set, you need to know that.
(58431)

How do i reset my admin password without losing all of my data?

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Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
When the menubar appears select Terminal from the Utilities menu. Enter resetpassword at the prompt and press RETURN. Follow instructions in the dialog window that will appear.
Or see Reset a Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Password and OS X Lion- Apple ID can be used to reset your user account password.

How can I recover a lost Admin password?

My 97-year old mother-in-law received a Mac PowerBook G4 as a gift, running Mac OS X (10.4.11). She uses it mainly to send and receive email. I wanted to install a printer driver so she can print. Could not install the driver because password for Administrator was required. We don't know the password. HELP says we can reset the password using the install disk, but we don't have the disk. I have also downloaded software to give her access to a new wireless home network, but I need the password to install that as well.

You need to do this from an admin account which the user may not have.
Change Password
Mac OS X:
You do not have a CD/DVD
Changing password from single user mode:
You can also change the administrator's password from single user mode or create a new administrator account.
You need to get into single use mode for steps one and two that are listed below.
This page will tell you how to get into single user mode.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1492
Basically, you hold down the command-s key then powering on your machine. The command key has a little apple symbol on the lower left. It is between the alt/option key and the space bar. On a PC keyboard, it will be the windows key, I think.
1) You can change the password on an account. ( Do you know Unix. You are in a Unix single user console. ) The setup commands you need should be listed on the screen. For Mac OS 10.4.11, the commands are:
# Type the follow two instructions to access the startup disk in read/write:
/sbin/fsck -fy
/sbin/mount -uw /
# Start up some utility processes that are needed.
sh /etc/rc
# You will probably need to press the return key once the system stops typing.
# To find out the users on the system type, use the list command. The l is a lower case L:
ls /Users
# One of these accounts will be the administrator.
# Pick one of the users which I'll call a-user-name and type it in this command:
passwd a-user-name
# and enter the new user password. You need six characters.
# You will need to enter your password twice. Your typing will not show up on the screen just
# press enter when you complete the typing.
# For cryptic information on these commands try:
man ls
man passwd
The root account isn't enabled by default. I am not sure if changing the password on root will enable it.

How to reset my admin password without a password

Hi, I forgot my admin password and can start my Macbook 13

With 10.4, 10.5 or 10.6 put your install DVD into the optical drive (CD/DVD drive) and reboot. Be sure to either use the disc that came with your Mac, or, if you installed a later Mac OS X version from disc, use the newer disc. As soon as you hear the boot chime, hold down the "c" key on your keyboard (or the Option Key until the Install Disk shows up) until the apple shows up. That will force your MacBook to boot from the install DVD in the optical drive.
When it does start up, you'll see a panel asking you to choose your language. Choose your language and press the Return key on your keyboard once. It will then present you with an Installation window. Completely ignore this window and click on Utilities in the top menu and scroll down to Reset Password. After resetting the password use Startup Disk from the same menu to choose your hard drive for startup and restart.
If you're running 10.7 Lion check this article
http://osxdaily.com/2011/08/24/reset-mac-os-x-10-7-lion-password/
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resetpassword
and press enter.
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If you're running 10.7 Lion check this article
http://osxdaily.com/2011/08/24/reset-mac-os-x-10-7-lion-password/

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How to deal with future problems without a Lion Install Disk - https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3552183
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If so, the latest versions of SilverLight require a Mac with an Intel processor--the G5 iMac is not an Intel-based computer so it will not install.
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Call the seller and get the gray system install/restore disks that originally shipped with that computer, They are as much a part of the computer and the hard drive, and needed for resetting the password. I consider any used Mac sold without tose disk to be missing a part and therefore worth much less money.
So---right now we're fighting conflicting info. Please do "About this Mac" from your Apple menu and post what is says about the processor and the OS version. If the processor description includes the word "Intel," you have a much newer Mac than the pre-2006 iMacs this forum covers and should repost in the forumfor newer iMacs here:
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Resetting or changing a password:
Mac OS X 10.7 or newer, restart with the Command and R keys held down, open the Terminal, and use the resetpassword command:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4101

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http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1274
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Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
When the menubar appears select Terminal from the Utilities menu. Enter resetpassword at the prompt and press RETURN. Follow instructions in the dialog window that will appear.
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OS X 10.7 Lion, 10.8 Mountain Lion, 10.9 Mavericks and 10.10 Yosemite
Reset Password
Start the computer,then press and hold down command and R keys to start into recovery partition.
When you see the Apple logo, release the keys.
Wait until OS X Utilities window shows up.
Move the mouse to the menubar at the top and click "Utilities", then select "Terminal"
from the drop down.
Terminal window will appear.
Type in resetpassword and press enter on the keyboard.
Leave the Terminal window open.
Reset Password Utility window will open with Macintosh HD selected.
Select the user account from the popup menu box under “Select user account”.
Enter a new password.
Reenter the new password for the user.
Enter a hint.
Click the "Save" button.
Click  in the menubar and select Restart.
Log in.
If Keychain dialog box appears, select “Create New Keychain”.

How can you reset your admin password when you can't remember it?

Can you please tell me how I can reset my admin password when I can't remember it?

Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
When the menubar appears select Terminal from the Utilities menu. Enter resetpassword at the prompt and press RETURN. Follow instructions in the dialog window that will appear.

How to Reset Windows 8 Admin Password without Disk

Problem:Forgot Windows 8 admin password and no reset disk available, how can I reset Windows 8 admin password? On the occasion, how to reset password on Windows 8 seems to be our problematic issue. However, the problem looks difficult, not difficult actually. Two factors make efforts on it. One is the new characteristics of Windows 8 system, the other is software technology development. So just let me help you to solve it. Just choose one and put it into practice:1. Get User password via Windows Password Hint.2. Get into computer with PIN code, and reset password for locked account.3. Login windows 8 Via Microsoft MSN Account.4. Reset Windows password with another available admin account.5. Reset Windows 8 password with iSunshare password tool. These methods will be introduced in details for people who have encountered or are facing this problem. 1. Get Administrator password via Windows Password HintWhen we are creating our Windows system account and login password, a password hint will be asked to set up for preparation. This password hint had better can remind you, only just you of lost or forgotten password. So it couldn’t like the password, but is related to your login password. As a result, while you type a wrong password, the password hint will pops up below the password input box. Based on the password hint, you can think of your origin password.  As seen above, my password hint is email [email protected], and my Windows 8 login password is the same as the password of email. So when the password hint pops up, I will think of Windows login password instantly. 2. Get into computer with PIN code, and reset password for locked accountPIN code is a quick, convenient way to sign in to this PC by using a 4-digit code. If you have ever created one, this may be the most simplest and effective method for Windows 8 password reset. Totally two steps are needed. Step 1: Sign in with PIN code
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How can I safely reset my admin password without an installation disk?

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