I've forgotten my administrative password and am locked out of my laptop. How do I get back in?
I changed the administrative password on my Macbook Air and then lost my record of the password. I had to shut down earlier today and now I can't get back in to the Mac Air. What do I do to discover the password or go around it?
OS X 10.7 Lion, 10.8 MountainLion & 10.9 Mavericks
Reset Password using Recovery HD
Boot into Recovery Partition.
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.
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”.
Similar Messages
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I have forgotten my administrator password and can't find my Mac OS X Install Dvd to reset it, what can I do?
OK, try this:
http://osxdaily.com/2010/08/10/forgot-mac-password-how-to-reset-mac-password/
Be very very careful if you decide to use Terminal. Even a small typing error can cause a disaster. And terminal commands must be typed exactly as shown, including spaces.
Good luck.
p.s. Your Apple ID and password - different from the computer log in password - are what you used to get to this discussion. -
I have forgotten my administrator password, and there are no hints. I have a Mac OS X Mavericks. When I get to the reset password screen, it has no hard drive to select. What now?
If you're using FileVault, you first have to unlock the startup volume in Disk Utility. Select it and click the Unlock button in the toolbar. Of course, this is only possible if you know another password to unlock the volume. If you don't, follow instead these instructions.
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I've forgotten my administrator password and can't download software. can anyone advise how to reset a new password without having the original?
Forgot Your Account Password
For Snow Leopard and earlier
Mac OS X 10.6- If you forget your administrator password
For Lion/Mountain Lion
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.
If you are unable to boot from an installer DVD:
(these will only work on Leopard or earlier)
1. Boot to Safe Mode by restarting and after the chime press and hold down
the COMMAND-S keys until a black screen with white type appears.
2. At the prompt, type the following commands pressing return after each
command line:
/sbin/fsck -yf
If you do not receive a "Filesystem OK" message then repeat this command
until you do. If after seven tries you still do not receive a "Filesystem OK"
message, then the system is corrupted and needs to be reinstalled.
mount -uw /
cd /private/var/db/netinfo
mv local.nidb local.old
rm ../.AppleSetupDone
shutdown -r now
The second-to-last command above will cause OS X to think that the operating system is newly installed, and when the new owner starts up the computer it will send him/her to the startup wizard where he/she can start a new user without reinstalling.
This last method does not actually change a password. It simply removes the user accounts and lets you create an initial admin account as if the computer were new out of the box.
Reset Admin Password Using The Terminal
You can reset the password by printing out (or writing down) and carefully following these steps.
First, find the short name of the admin user on the machine. The easiest way of doing this is by looking at what the directory is called in the Users folder.
Now, start in Single-user Mode. It should boot into a command line.
Enter these exact lines. Press RETURN after each.
mount -uw /
ifconfig lo0 up
cd /var/db/netinfo
netinfod -s local
Now you'll need that short name. Enter "passwd", a space, and the short name of the admin. For example, if the admin was rather prosaically called "imadmin", you would enter "passwd imadmin".
The computer will now prompt you to change the password for "lmadmin" (or whatever the short name was). Go ahead and enter a new password.
Now, enter:
sync
reboot
and the machine will reboot. The admin password should now be changed. -
Trying to install Leopard on my iMac (G5). Got to the screen that asks for the user name and password and it won't take it. How do I get out of this and resume the software install?
Help here > Mac OS X: Changing or resetting an account password
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My son forgot his passcode and the answers to the security questios and itunes information has been lost. How can i get back into his itouch?
Forgotten Screen-Lock Passcode
Connect the iOS device to your computer and try to make a backup
iOS: How to back up
Then restore via iTunes. The iPod will be erased. Place the iOS device in Recovery Mode if necessary to allow the restore.
If recovery mode does not work try DFU mode.
How to put iPod touch / iPhone into DFU mode « Karthik's scribblings
For how to restore:
iTunes: Restoring iOS software
To restore from backup see:
iOS: How to back up
If you restore from iCloud backup the apps will be automatically downloaded. If you restore from iTunes backup the apps and music have to be in the iTunes library since synced media like apps and music are not included in the backup of the iOS device that iTunes makes.
You can redownload most iTunes purchases by:
Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store
For security questions
From a Kappy post
The Best Alternatives for Security Questions and Rescue Mail
1. Send Apple an email request at: Apple - Support - iTunes Store - Contact Us.
2. Call Apple Support in your country: Customer Service: Contact Apple support.
3. Rescue email address and how to reset Apple ID security questions.
An alternative to using the security questions is to use 2-step verification:
Two-step verification FAQ Get answers to frequently asked questions about two-step verification for Apple ID. -
I uploaded pictures from a second camera and my iphoto created a second library, how do i get back to the first library? Can anyone help?
I have no idea what you did or what happened - but I can assure you that loading from a different camera does not create a new library
So you need to supply information and someone here will assist you in sorting this out and figuring out what you really did
What version of iPhoto do you have? What version of the OS? Why do you think that a second library has been created? What do you see when you launch iPhoto with the optipon kep depressed and use the select library option? Where is your iPhoto library normally?
Anything else you can tell us that might help?
LN -
I just did the IOS8 update on my Ipad retina which had 300 photos it asked me to do an iCloud back up which i did but it deleted all my previous photos and now i only have recent photos how do i get back all my old photos? It said befor that my icloud was out of storage but i didnt know it didnt have my old photos, they arnt back up on itunes either is there any way I can get them back?
atoo2 wrote:
I just did the IOS8 update on my Ipad retina which had 300 photos it asked me to do an iCloud back up which i did but it deleted all my previous photos and now i only have recent photos how do i get back all my old photos? It said befor that my icloud was out of storage but i didnt know it didnt have my old photos, they arnt back up on itunes either is there any way I can get them back?
Please see the bold. If you're out of icloud storage, then you won't be able to backup to icloud unless you purchase more storage, but yet you said you backup to icloud.
If you really did backup to icloud no data would be loss - sounds to me that it didn't backup since you had no more free icloud storage space.
iCloud: iCloud storage and backup overview -
I accidentally deleted an Application on my iphone 5 and with it lost important files. How do i get back these files. The last iphone backup sync was after this so I cant even access an older back up as I cannot find them. How do I get back my Lost files.
On your iMac launch iTunes and at the top next to the Apple symbol click iTunes > Preferences > Devices and tell me what you see. You last sync should be there showing only a device name. If you have an older backup it will be there as well the difference is it will be the device name with a date and time stamp. Sync and backups are two different things and there is a chance iTunes made a backup the first time you hooked up your iPhone 5.
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I upgraded my 3gs to ios5 and the sound of the messages is not working well, it's slow and my bluetooth definitions are not stable how can i get back to the ios4
App Store->Purchased
iTunes->Purchased->Download All -
i upgraded to the 4.3.5, and half my apps are not working. how do i get back to 4.3.3? all my best and regular apps are not working and i need them! so how do i down grade
There is no legitimate (Apple supported) way to downgrad an iOS on a device. Have you tried downloading/installing a new (free) app. That works for many users with that problem.
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I downloaded Yosemite OS and it threw out my photoshop 3- how do i get it back up?
I downloaded Yosemite OS and it threw out my photoshop 3- how do i get it back up?
assuming you mean ps cs3,
Downloadalbe installation files available:
Suites and Programs: CC 2014 | CC | CS6 | CS5.5 | CS5 | CS4 | CS3
Acrobat: XI, X | 9,8 | 9 standard
Premiere Elements: 13 |12 | 11, 10 | 9, 8, 7
Photoshop Elements: 13 |12 | 11, 10 | 9,8,7
Lightroom: 5.7.1| 5 | 4 | 3
Captivate: 8 | 7 | 6 | 5
Contribute: CS5 | CS4, CS3
Download and installation help for Adobe links
Download and installation help for Prodesigntools links are listed on most linked pages. They are critical; especially steps 1, 2 and 3. If you click a link that does not have those steps listed, open a second window using the Lightroom 3 link to see those 'Important Instructions'.
window using the Lightroom 3 link to see those 'Important Instructions'. -
I downloaded music from iTunes years ago and haven't accessed it since. How do I get back into my account? Thanks.
If you are logged in with the same account that you bought them with, and they are still in your country's store and you haven't moved countries since buying them, then they might show in the Purchased tab in the iTunes store app for redownloading, and the Purchased link under Quick Links on the right-hand side of the iTunes store homepage on your computer's iTunes. If not all show there then check to see if you've hidden any of them : iTunes Store: Hiding and unhiding purchases - Apple Support
If they are no longer in the store or you've moved countries then do you have a copy of them anywhere ? If you still have the iPod with them on then you can connect it to your computer's iTunes and do File > Devices > Transfer Purchases to copy them over to your iTunes library so that you can take a backup copy and sync them to your iPad. -
I've forgotten my administrator password for my macbook pro and don't have the original OS X disc; I do have the OS X disc for my iMac. Can I use this to reset the password?
You have nothing to loose by trying it.
I doubt it will boot but try it anyhow.
You will need to contact Apple for replacement install disks.
Contacting Apple for support and service -
My daughter forgot her password and is locked out what to do to open it
how do you get back in after you forget your password
Do as the manual says and restore the ipopd. If you are unable to restore, then type "unable to restore" into the search bar at the top of this page by Support and read the resulting help article.
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