Password, keychain access to deceased brother's Mac tower

My brother passed away and I purchased his tower and other equipment from his estate. The system is running OS X (10.6.8) and I can not update or install anything due to the password access issue. I have found a 10.4.7 OS X install disk and have read the information about starting up with holding down the C key. Also read about keychain access but when using spotlight to search for the "login.keychain" file, spotlight indicates nothing is found. Obviously I am a little nervous about this as the system has about 9 terabytes of storage with all his digital music and other information on it. He used everything from Digital Performer to Adobe products to Final Cut, etc. I REALLY do not want to lose access to his work. My questions right now are:
1. Do you think it will be ok to use the 10.4.7 disk to restart and reset the password? My guess is any updates were handled online.
2. If no "login.keychain" file is found, does this indicate he never password protected his program access?
3. If he had an Apple account, is it possible to have it assigned to me due to his death so I can access any records/services that may exist?
This makes me a new Apple user so any help, no matter how simple it might sound would be appreciated.
Respectfully,
Jet Taylor

See http://aruljohn.com/info/macpasswordreset/#macosdisk for resetting the password. As for the login.keychain, it should reside in /Users/username/Library/Keychains/. However, it normally uses the same password as the computer, but that's not reset when you reset the user's password. Additionally, it contains passwords for Internet sites and you should just ignore it and set up a new one.
Since you're a new admin user, see these:
Switching from Windows to Mac OS X,
Basic Tutorials on using a Mac,
Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts,
Anatomy of a Mac,
MacTips,
Switching to Mac Superguide, and
Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Mountain Lion Edition.
Additionally, *Texas Mac Man* recommends:
Quick Assist,
Welcome to the Switch To A Mac Guides,
Take Control E-books, and
A guide for switching to a Mac.

Similar Messages

HT201240 how do i reset my password to access my email on a mac pro. i updated latest software and i am able to receive but not send email. i can't remember my password.

i recently updates the software on my macpro. now i can receive email but not send. it says something about my password but i don't remember the one i set??? now what?

To find your mail account's password, open Keychain Access.app in your /Applications/Utilities folder, select Login Keychain at the top of the list in the left-hand column, and below that, also on the left, select Passwords.
Find your mail account in the list that appears in the larger part of the window, click on it once to select it, then press command-I to open an Info window for your mail account. At the bottom of the Info window, tick the box, Show password:
In the dialog that opens, enter your "login" keychain password (which should be the same as the password you use for your Admin account), and choose Allow. That dialog will close and your mail account's password will appear in the Info window. Copy that password, and enter it in Mail when requested.

Keychain Access hangs on trying to reveal passwords

When I try to get a password stored in my login keychain, using Keychain Access, either by copying or revealing the password, Keychain Access hangs unrecoverably. I tried Keychain First Aid, which didn't find any problems. Strangely, Safari seems able to still pull passwords out of the keychain. Weird. Has anybody encountered this problem? Any solutions short of starting a whole new keychain?
Spin Control sample:
Call graph:
6001 Thread_4603
6001 0x14755
6001 0x3146
6001 NSApplicationMain
6001 -[NSApplication run]
6001 -[NSApplication sendEvent:]
6001 -[NSWindow sendEvent:]
6001 -[NSControl mouseDown:]
6001 -[NSButtonCell trackMouse:inRect:ofView:untilMouseUp:]
6001 -[NSCell trackMouse:inRect:ofView:untilMouseUp:]
6001 -[NSCell _sendActionFrom:]
6001 -[NSControl sendAction:to:]
6001 -[NSApplication sendAction:to:from:]
6001 0xe759
6001 0xe7f7
6001 0xe9e9
6001 SecKeychainItemCopyContent
6001 Security::KeychainCore::ItemImpl::getContent(unsigned long*, SecKeychainAttributeList*, unsigned long*, void**)
6001 Security::KeychainCore::ItemImpl::getContent(Security::CssmClient::DbAttributes *, Security::CssmDataContainer*)
6001 Security::CssmClient::SSDbUniqueRecordImpl::get(Security::CssmClient::DbAttribu tes*, Security::CssmDataContainer*, cssmaccesscredentials const*)
6001 Security::CssmClient::SSGroupImpl::decodeDataBlob(cssm_data const&, cssmaccesscredentials const*, Security::Allocator&, cssm_data&)
6001 Security::CssmClient::Decrypt::final(Security::CssmData&)
6001 CSSM_DecryptDataFinal
6001 cssm_DecryptDataFinal(unsigned long, unsigned long long, cssm_data*)
6001 Security::CSPFullPluginSession::CSPContext::final(Security::CssmData&, Security::Allocator&)
6001 SSCryptContext::outputSize(bool, unsigned long)
6001 Security::SecurityServer::ClientSession::decrypt(Security::Context const&, unsigned long, Security::CssmData const&, Security::CssmData&, Security::Allocator&)
6001 ucspclientdecrypt
6001 machmsgtrap
6001 machmsgtrap
Total number in stack (recursive counted multiple, when >=5):
Sort by top of stack, same collapsed (when >= 5):
machmsgtrap 6001
Message was edited by: Daniel Pritchard

Hi,
I had the same problem yesterday. Browsers could get the passwords for websites, but Transmit hung as soon as I selected a favorite and Keychain Access did the same (including no errors running First Aid) as soon as I tried to reveal any of my passwords. In my case I just needed to reboot and all was fine...
Björn

I have lost password to my network- I have two macs connected to it but need to find the password to connect my ipad2

I have two macs connected to my airport but have lost the password so I cannot connect my ipad2! How can I find the password or reset
- does anyone know?

Open Keychain Access on one of the Macs then select Passwords on the left.
Type base station in the search field top right corner of that window.
Then right or control click the base station keychain then click Get Info
Select the Attributes tab.
Click: Show password

Hello there! am new to mac and had been using my mcbook pro for like a year now with no problem but last Monday, I started having concerns about my keychain access.. every time i open the mac it asks for my keychain password.. what can i do?

Hello there!
I am a new Mc Bok Pro user and had been using my mac since Sept, 2012 with no problem. Just recently however, I have been experiencing a Keychain access problem. Specifically, whenever I open the mac, it asks for my keychain password... Can I restore my mac to its condition before Jan. 18, 2014? What should I do?
Thanks everyone!
Georgem

This is only for Local Items key chain not Login Keychain.
“Local Items” keychain prompt?
Try this.
https://support.apple.com/kb/TS5362

I run a mac air on a single user account but multiple people using it, which is ok for the situation. All have their accounts in the apple mail app. what is missing for me is a separate password to access the mail account. otherwise anyone can see anyones

I run a mac air on a single user account but multiple people using it, which is ok for the situation. All have their accounts in the apple mail app. what is missing for me is a separate password to access the mail account. otherwise anyone can see anyones
Any clue, how i can add a mail account to apple mail app, but with separate password / pin to open it.
Years ago there was a program called mail switcher which added this functionality, but thats gone.
cheers
Tom

They would have to be logged in as separate users in order not to see your account in Mail. Whatever accounts put in Mail under your account will show up. All mail accounts usually have there own user and password. The only thing you can do is to remove the password from Keychain and take the account offline so you don't keep getting prompts for passwords each time it checks for mail.
Not a great solution.
Best way is to give the other user their own user account with their own mail and enable fast user swithcing to log between the different users if all access the computer frequently.

Using "Keychain Access" as a Password Manager

Hello All,
While searching for a secure, trustworthy password manager I started wondering why I couldn't just use Keychain Access built into the Mac OS.
I've tried others and they're all nice in their own way but why not use what's already there?
Any suggestions, concerns or gotchas are welcomed.
Thanks in advance for your time.
IAV

You can also change the security settings on your keychain and/or create additional keychains. So you might have one keychain with especially secure settings for certain items and another with less secure settings for others. Moreover, you can adjust some settings for each item within a keychain, as well.
Or you can do what I do which is set up several keychains and then render the whole system entirely pointless by saving the passwords in your original keychain because you are terrified you'll forget them otherwise... (I don't actually know why I set them up this way...)
My login password is not my keychain password and my keychain locks after a minute, I require a password to wake from sleep/screensaver (though this does not always work properly) and sensitive items require re-entry of the keychain password anyway. So you can set things up so your keychain is more secure if you want to, at the price of some increased inconvenience.
- cfr

Keychain Access and password problems

Simply stated, I can't save my mail passworld to the Keychain - tried clicking the "Save to Keychain" box (so Mail/Entourage asks me for my mail password every time) -
Thrashed around in Keychain Access and tried First Aid - Verify and got:
Verification started
Checking keychain configuration for Perry & Jodi Collier (user ID=501)
Home directory is /Users/pezjode
Error: unable to communicate with the “securityd” process. Please restart your machine and try again. If this does not correct the error, you may need to reinstall the system software.
Verification failed
What is the "securityd" process? Any help on any of the above would be much appreciated!
I seem to have had a lot of trouble with my system post 10.4.9 upgrade - very annoying.
Cheers
PowerBook G4 17 Mac OS X (10.2.x)

Thanks for that, I deleted all references to keychains in /Library and logged back in, added a keychain for my username and all is now well.
However, I've just started using MS Entourage (as the Mail program was also freaking out like Safari) and it seems that when I tell this application to save my mail password to the Keychain, it throws a spanner in the works...
Might start a new thread on this one...
cheers

Wishlist: keychain access util to change given password in multiple entries

I use to change passwords often (login, mysql, appleshare...). After that I have to go thru all my keychain entries and adjust all these passwords one by one.
Each time I click on the [x] show password checkbox I am asked for my password, then I can change this single entry. And so on...
It would be really nice if the keychain access utility would offer a feature like 'change a given password' so that I would be asked once for the keychain's password, the old (=to be replaced) and the new(=replace with) password. After that a list with checkboxes could be displayed showing which entries have been found. A proceed button, maybe a 'do you really want...' confirm dialogue - and all desired entries are up to date.
Maybe I've not found this feature - that's why I've marked this post as question. In that case - please tell me how to proceed. Or: maybe someone else can support this idea - and it gets put this on a wishlist.

I have encountered this problem today. I need to change the users passwords on local machines across a lot of macs and to be honest a simple change of one password would be a great help rather than having to key in the keychain password, show password and change one by one. Is there a simpler method?
Thanks

Missing view option passwords in keychain access

When i open keychain access the option to show passwords has gone.
Why and how can i restore it ?
Thanks Terry

Hi Linc,
When l open the keychain access box the list headings when l choose passwords are
: Name| Kind | Date Modified | Keychain | and this one used to be passwords but is now blank|
but of course it had a series of dots before where the passwords should be, now there are no dots below.
Then from the drop down list l could opt to ` show passwords' and they would appear, but the heading and the dots are no longer there beneath,
and l don`t have the option to show them from the drop down menu, so it`s not the main password but the option to remind myself what all passwords l chose
are, slightly dissconcerting to say the least.
l hope this isn`t too long winded, l wondered if l had caused this myself somehow or more worryingly someone or thing else.
Regards,
Terry
P.S. l know l can use Safari for the Safari saved passwords but that is not the point, l don`t like my mac hiding personal data from me, it seems odd .
Thanks again.

Asking for password for keychain access, but won't accept my password... What's up with this?

Restarted my MacBook just now and it's got a continuous stream of pop ups asking for password for keychain access, won't accept my password, won't go away (cancel), any suggestions.

Hello Al323,
Thank you for the details of the issue you are experiencing with Keychain Access on your Mac. I found a couple of articles I suggest for the issue you described.
Your keychain uses your the same password as your login password. If it is not accepting that password, I recommend running the Keychain First Aid using the steps in this article:
Mac OS X 10.6: Solving problems with keychains
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH7296
If you are still repeatedly seeing a prompt to enter your Keychain Access password, you may need to reset your keychain. This will create a new keychain so any saved passwords on the old keychain will not be available, and you will need to enter them when accessing sites for the first time again. Follow the steps in the article below to create a new keychain:
OS X: Keychain Access asks for keychain "login" after changing login password
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1631
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Sheila M.

I keep getting a pop up of keychain access password needed. So I fill it in and in a few minutes it pops up again. can it be changed? what is it for?

I keep getting a pop up of Keychain access password needed. So i type it in but it keeps popping up every few minutes. Help!! Can I stop it, change it or what? I'm new to the Mac world. Thanks Bonnie

Finally got this cleared up (will post if it reappears).
Following advice on this link...
http://ipadacademy.com/2013/03/ipad-app-stuck-on-installing-how-to-get-app-downl oads-started-again
I checked for waiting downloads in the iTunes App (purple icon) on device. Sure enough, there was a stuck download. Deleting that item (swipe to delete) seems to have gotten downloads working again and (hopefully) banished the message.

Master Password appears to have messed up Safari and Keychain Access

Hi!
I searched on my issue at length and perhaps I'm just ignorant, but I could not see an answer. So here goes...
My department has an internet site that requires a Certificate on Windows machines on the network, however you can also authenticate by entering your user name and password. I had entered my information, and saved the information in my Keychain.
Yesterday, I set the Master Password in System Prefs, however I did NOT turn FileVault on.
Today, I came to work and am on my work's network, just like normal. I went to a bookmark that is on the password protected site and I got a Keychain window asking for my FileVaultMaster password (or something like that). It was not looking for my login password for the Mac, rather the Master Password I set yesterday.
I entered the correct password, then I get the nasty page saying that the Page Requires and SSL Certificate.
So, I went to the Keychain Access and repair, but nothing needed repair. Emptied cache, same problem. I deleted the item in the Keychain, same problem. Deleted all saved passwords in Safari, same problem. Deleted all cookies, same problem.
So, I opened Firefox and I'm able to get in, but I can't in Safari.
Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do?
Thanks!

dr_elbow wrote:
The software it installed asked for my system password and has taken upon itself to delete my airport and probably all the settings that went with it!
Welcome to Apple's discussion groups.
This may not help, but I'd use the Network panel of System Preferences to create a new "Location" and add an AirPort connection item to that. (To create a new location, pull down the "Location" list and select "Edit Locations".) In the new location add an AirPort connection item and nothing else.) If that works, you would use location switching to alternate between mobile broadband an Wi-Fi connections. The easiest way to do that would be to use the "Location" item under the Apple menu.
For future reference, this discussion group section is intended for discussions of Apple's AirPort Extreme 802.11n base station. A better place for your post would probably have been in the "Getting Online and Networking" section of the "Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard" area.

Need to set new keychain access password

Hello,
I bought a used desktop awhile back and I am trying to get safari to remember passwords
and it always asks me for my keychain access password. Trouble is I don't know what the
fellow set it as and when I set up my system administrator password it wound up being
different from the keychain access password and I don't know how to change it. I'm not
being offered the 'Change Settings For Keychain System' in the edit menu (don't know why)
so I'm at a loss for what to do.
Thanks
Ted

If you have the Mac OS X install/restore discs that came with the computer originally, I would use them to do a complete Erase and Install from scratch; that way you can get rid of any remnants of the former owners' account settings and passwords and have it all be your own.
Mulder

Keychain Passwords - Remote Access?

I'm using remote access on my laptop and everytime I fire it up it ask for my password, that is what I want it to do, but the check box for my keychain is always checked at that point, I dont want that, I want that box to be unchecked. How do I do this. Thanks for any help in this manner.

I am not exactly sure what your question is.
The Keychain is an encrypted file, using your login password to access it. A good password helps insure the Keychain file is less likely to be broken into.
When you are logged into your Mac, it is accessible to applications that store items there, such as Safari, WiFi, etc...
It is possible, via Applications -> Utilities -> Keychain Access to give the Keychain a Different password from your login password if you want.
It is possible, via Applications -> Utilities -> Keychain Access to have the Keychain require a password after 'n' minutes of not being used. Basically every time an app wants to get a password from the Keychain, you will be prompted to enter the keychain password (if the interval is too short, this gets to be very annoying - speaking from personal experience).
There is a System Preferences -> iCloud -> Keychain service that will sync your Keychain between your Apple devices (Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch). The encrypted file is what is sync'ed. Anyone that gets the encrypted file still needs your login password to access the contents. And the iCloud server is ONLY enabled if you enabled it.
There are 3rd party password managers, such as 1Password, LastPass, etc... which offer similar services, including working across more devices, such as Windows and Android sharing the same encrypted password file.
Please clarify what you are asking unless I accidentally answered your question.

Password, keychain access to deceased brother's Mac tower

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for