resetting admin p'word

tastelessfruit

Registered
im trying to follow these directions as i have no install disc
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1. If you have a firmware password, you won't be able to enter that single user mode. It will stop at a password window.

2. Did you try without the # ?

3. No, you won't need to. Just don't type the # for each command. Too bad there's folks that don't want to make this easy. But then, you're making it harder in the first place if you don't have a reinstall disk. What will you do if that all doesn't work? Or, something else goes wrong in your system as a result, and you need to reinstall the system? You should pursue getting an OS X reinstall disk, it's a valuable troubleshooting tool.
 
thanks, but i really didnt need the disc advice-all of that is quite obvious but not the
point at hand,
there is an alternate approach that i havent been able to execute successfully as well maybe someone can shed some light here for me please
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I apologize, as I don't have a clue about what might be obvious to you.
I always offer the 'disk' suggestion when I see that someone appears to be struggling with some (obvious to me :D ) straight-forward directions, which will be safer by using the disk. enough said...
The first two methods are much simpler, and which one you choose depends on which version of OS X that you have. One will work, the other won't work on your system. So, use the one that works. Those two methods don't affect the user account, except for resetting the password.

The alternate is more involved, but you should get good results if you simply follow the steps. That alternate method does NOT reset your password, but allows you to create a new user account on your Mac. There's some extra information about results, that you might not encounter on your system, such as after step 2, where it mentions removing orphaned unlinked files. That doesn't always happen, so you shouldn't be concerned if you don't see that same result. Just simply go from step to step.
What about that process doesn't work for you?
 
thanks for understanding....
it's10.5.0 and neither of the first two seemed to accomplish anything. after rebooting the new p'word wasn't accepted. i assume at the end of each comand one hits return, yes?

as to the 2nd approach, you are right i received different responses that would had been
anticipated. after step4 'reboot' the screen reopened as normal and there was no set-up option. i just wonder if i am entering the command correctly, as i have tried to follow the examples to the letter and space!
 
1. If you have a firmware password, you won't be able to enter that single user mode. It will stop at a password window.

Even if it has a firmware P/W there is a way around that, but you need to be able to change the RAM configuration, for instance going from 1GB to 512MB. Then zap PRAM 3 times and that should wipe it. Of course thats if it is a PPC not intel.
 
If you delete that applesetupdone file, you should boot - not to the finder, but to the welcome-new-user video and music. You will know what that is when you see it.
So - double check through that alternate method, and make sure this line is entered accurately.
rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone
Make sure there are no spaces, except between the rm and the first /
Make sure there's a dot after the last /
so, again, this is the correct command
rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone

Here's everything that you should need, all neatly presented:
1. Boot in Single user (command S)
2. At the prompt type: /sbin/mount -uw /
3. At the prompt type: rm /var/db/.applesetupdone
4. At the prompt type: reboot

There's 2 spaces in line 2 (notice the space before the last /
1 space in line 3
and simply type reboot. no spaces, of course.

Just so you get everything, press return/enter after each line
 
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