Unable to reset admin password

Hope to get some help as this is driving me crazy.
I purchased a used iMac. It has the latest V. of Snow Leopard installed. Wanted to install Mavericks but it won't accept the Admin password. (There was none) I booted from the original Snow Leopard disk and made a password. Should have done it, but it still wouldn't accept it. Went back and reset the firmware password also. Still won't accept it.
Next I tried to reset from System Pref's > Accounts but it also wants the password. Oddly enough, after setting the new password the computer requires it for startup and does accept it there. Why would it recognize the password for startup but nowhere else.
Now, a new problem popped up; I can't boot up with the Snow Leopard original installation disk either by depressing the "C" key, or holding down "Options". The C key does nothing and the computer simply starts and asks for the password, then goes on to complete the opening. The option key brings up a gray screen with the symbol of a lock and a text entry space below that with an arrow pointing to the right. It doesn't allow anything to be entered however, and it's necessary to shut down the computer by holding in the start button as there is no other way to get out of it.
The internal superdrive works properly, and I also tried an external superdrive which works fine. The disk shows up on my desktop just fine so the drives are working, but beyond that nothing can happen as it asks for a password I seem not to have.
I've run completely out of ideas and none of the usual suggestions here are in the least bit useful. If you have any ideas please don't just repeat the stuff Apple suggests as none work. I evidently need some way to start from scratch that doesn't require the password at all.
Ted

Sounds like the previous owner enabled a firmware password. Power the machine down, remove one or more RAM modules, restart, and that should allow you to boot with the install disc. Once up an running, replace the removed RAM modules.

Similar Messages

  • How to reset admin password iMac

    I changed my IMac admin password and have now forgotten in and can't find my originàl discs to reset it. I understand you can reset it using apple ID but I can't work it out.  Can someone help me

    Forgot Your Account Password
    For Snow Leopard and earlier
         Mac OS X 10.6- If you forget your administrator password
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        Boot to the Recovery HD:
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         When the menubar appears select Terminal from the Utilities menu.
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         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:
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      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:
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         until you do.  If after seven tries you still do not receive a "Filesystem OK"
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    Now, enter:
    sync
    reboot
    and the machine will reboot. The admin password should now be changed.

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  • Reset admin password in Weblogic 9.2

    How do I reset the admin password in Weblogic 9.2?
    I attempted to create a new user with the following:
    java weblogic.security.utils.AdminAccount adminuser weblogic .
    and renaming the boot.properties file, but the server does not start. I get the following error (after starting weblogic and entering in the newly created username/password):
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    ubsystem failed. Reason: weblogic.security.SecurityInitializationException: Auth
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    I feel that I am missing something obvious to reset the admin password. Any help is appreciated

    This is a very useful thread and definitely works. The above Python code is proper, only that Python requires indentation, and would not work otherwise.
    The reason everyone seems to be having problems running this code is because the intentation is missing. See my modified code below. I have put in </tab> to indicate there indentation should be. Simply replace </tab> with an actual tab using Notepad++, Textpad or a similar text editor. I have also made a little modification as I could not get the username and password to display correctly with the above code. The code has complex path processing in function processBootFiles(rootPath, processFunc) which perhaps misses out on the main boot.properties file, even though its coded in.
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    <code>
    #=============================================================================
    # Jython Script for displaying de-crypted WebLogic boot.properties files
    # To run, change to a WebLogic domain directory and execute:
    # > /opt/weblogic/wlsadm/weblogic92/common/bin/wlst.sh ~/home/chordadm/wlsdecrypt.py (Unix)
    # OR
    # > C:\\bea\\weblogic92\\common\\bin\\wlst.cmd C:\\myscripts\\wlsdecrypt.py (Windows)
    # Add parameter '-?' to the end of the command line to display more help
    #=============================================================================
    import os
    from java.io import FileInputStream
    from java.util import Properties
    from weblogic.management import EncryptionHelper
    from weblogic.security.service import SecurityManager
    from weblogic.security.subject import SubjectManager
    #=============================================================================
    # Main
    #=============================================================================
    def main():
    </tab>for arg in sys.argv:
    </tab></tab>if arg.count(arg.strip()):
    </tab></tab></tab>printUsageAndExit()
    </tab>saltFilePath=os.path.join('security', 'SerializedSystemIni.dat')
    </tab>if not os.path.exists(saltFilePath):
    </tab></tab>print "Error: The script must be run from a WebLogic domain direcotry or a directory containing '%s'" % saltFilePath
    </tab></tab>printUsageAndExit()
    </tab>try:
    </tab></tab>open(saltFilePath, 'r').close()
    </tab>except IOError:
    </tab></tab>print "Error: The file '%s' is not readable - check file permissions" % saltFilePath
    </tab></tab>printUsageAndExit()
    </tab>processBootFiles(os.curdir, descryptPropsFile)
    #=============================================================================
    # Decrypt (Note, to encrypt just use: EncryptionHelper.encrypt(text))
    #=============================================================================
    def decrypt(text):
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    </tab>getKernelIdMethod.accessible=1
    </tab>return EncryptionHelper.decrypt(text, getKernelIdMethod.invoke(SecurityManager, None))
    #=============================================================================
    # Process Boot Files
    #=============================================================================
    def processBootFiles(rootPath, processFunc):
    </tab>if not os.path.isdir(rootPath):
    </tab></tab>return
    </tab>fileNames = os.listdir(rootPath)
    </tab>for fileName in fileNames:
    </tab></tab>path = os.path.join(rootPath, fileName)
    </tab>if os.path.isfile(path):
    </tab></tab>if fileName == 'boot.properties':
    </tab></tab></tab>processFunc(path)
    </tab></tab>elif os.path.isdir(path):
    </tab></tab></tab>processBootFiles(path, processFunc)
    </tab>processFunc("./boot.properties")
    #=============================================================================
    # Decrypt Props File
    #=============================================================================
    def descryptPropsFile(filepath):
    </tab>print
    </tab>print '----- Decrypting %s -----' % filepath
    </tab>try:
    </tab></tab>properties = Properties()
    </tab></tab>file = FileInputStream(filepath)
    </tab></tab>properties.load(file)
    </tab></tab>file.close()
    </tab></tab>for entry in properties.entrySet():
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    </tab>except IOError:
    </tab></tab>print "Error: Unable to read file '%s' - check file permissions" % filepath
    </tab></tab>print
    #=============================================================================
    # Print Usage And Exit
    #=============================================================================
    def printUsageAndExit():
    </tab>print
    </tab>print 'wlsdecrypt.py'
    </tab>print '-------------'
    </tab>print
    </tab>print "Jython Script for displaying de-crypted boot.properties files from a WebLogic domain. Before running the script, change directory to the directory that contains a WebLogic domain (or a directory containing 'security/SerializedSystemIni.dat' and one or more associated 'boot.properties' files). Run this script via WLST or directly via the Java/Jython launch command (the latter option requires both 'jython.jar' and 'weblogic.jar' to be added to the classpath)."
    </tab>print
    </tab>print 'Example Usage:'
    </tab>print
    </tab>print '> /opt/weblogic/wlsadm/weblogic92/common/bin/wlst.sh ~/home/chordadm/wlsdecrypt.py (Unix)'
    </tab>print
    </tab>print '> C:\\bea\\weblogic92\\common\\bin</tab>wlst.cmd C:\\myscripts wlsdecrypt.py (Windows)'
    </tab>print
    </tab>exit()
    # Invoke main and end
    main()
    </code>
    Enjoy,
    Swapnil Kashyap

  • How do you reset Admin password (when not logged in as Admin)??

    Here's my predicament. I set up 3 accounts on our laptop - one for me and my wife (Standard accounts) and a House Account as the only Admin. Now, I don't remember the password for the House Account, which serves as the Admin.
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    Any suggestions or help with this issue?
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    Did you create an Open Firmware password as well? If not then just insert the OS X Installer Disc into the optical drive and restart the computer. After the chime press and hold down the 'C' key until the spinning gear appears below the dark gray Apple logo.

  • I have two Apple ID's. One of them was compromised and I'm unable to reset the password. How do I disable it?

    I received an email stating that I had downloaded something from iTunes that I didn't download. I went in to reset the password on that account, but now I'm unable to; the emals aren't sending to my email account nor is my birthdate correct anymore. How do I get back control of that account or shut it down?
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    Ejects the harddrive?
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    It sounds to me like you have some file corruption somewhere.  Either in the transfer of your library to the external or the external itself is flaky if it keeps ejecting.

  • How to reset admin password osx 10.9.5

    need to reset my password for mac book pro can't find a hint...

    Resetting User Password in Lion, Mountain Lion & Mavericks
    Boot into your Recovery Partition by holding down the Command and R keys whilst booting.
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  • How do i reset admin password. no disc but system automativally logs me in as administrator and can access root user mode

    I recenly got this macbook, MA&00LL/A, max OS X, V:10.4.11, 2GHz IntelCore 2 duo, 2GHz, When I power up it automatically logs me on as administrator but prompts for password when I try to access/change certain features.  I got the macbook from my cousin who has forgot password and has lost disc.  I can access root user mode but as iam unfamiliar with apple I am hesitant to delete anything without making things worse. Is their anyway I can reset this admin password without the disc or simply delete this user and reconfigure system as myself as administrator. step by step instructions would be appreciated at this stage till i familiarize myself more.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  If it came down to buying a disc, how much roughly do these cost???  thanks again

    If you don't have your install disks you can get the 10.4 gray disks by calling Apple Store Customer Service at 1-800-676-2775 They can send them to you for about $16 per disk plus S & H. Just give them your serial number and they'll know which ones you need.
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    7. Press Return.
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