11 replies to this topic

[WeaponX]

Hi, I have been working with some Macs lately and had one today where the username and password were not working for the administrator. I had a master list with me and tried using all the combinations of username and password but it won't allow me to get in.

I'm still considered to be a newbie (very new actually), but is there any way to reset or retrieve the password somehow? I see methods of doing this for Windows XP if the admin loses the password...just wondering if it's possible on a Mac.

Not sure if you want the specifics, but if there is a method/program to make it work from Mac OS 8.6 and up, that would be great.

Thanks.

[ruben]

Hello,

I need more information: Which system is the computer running? Which password are you talking about and where are you currently (Logged In but can't change system settings or logged out)?
In Mac OS X there are definitively ways to reset the Masterpassword, when logged out. You should check the apple.com support database out for that purpose.
In MAC OS 9 the multi-user thing was kind of new, so I don't know.
In OS 8 there was no multi-user support as far as I remember and know.

So you have to get more specific, please!

Ruben

[WeaponX]

Was wondering how it can be done from Mac OS 8.6 and up. But if you want a specific one, the one I was working on had Mac OS 9.2.2 and at bootup it asked for a username and password.

[ruben]

I assume it was the Multiple User Log In? You see pictures and stuff too?
Would suggest that you search the apple.com Support database, it is huge and it will have better solutions than I have. Just for verification: You need the data on the disk, right?

[WeaponX]

I think it's multiple user. It's for a classroom. There were other problems that I saw on this machine (slow booting up).

I hate these macs Replaced hard drive and cd drive without any luck booting from CD. I brought it for in-house repair and once again (as I expected), the repair made was a bad contact. Guess it must mean something was loose in there. Reinstalled the whole OS since the user didn't need the data backed up.

Thanks. I will check out the Apple website.

[night000hawk]

I'm not very familiar with older versions of mac os x but I have had experience with 10.3...Does the mac have a master password set? usually after a couple tries at the admin passwd it will ask you to enter the master password to reset the admin passwd....or.....login as a network admin and change the password or you could use "single-user-boot" using command + s keys at boot up......hopfully that helps...but if it doesn't please be more descriptive of your problem

[WeaponX]

They should have a master password for these iMacs...but I think the user forgot it. Don't know admin password either.

I think I did find out how to reset the password for Mac OS X though. See this link on the Apple site.

Is there a way to do this for OS 8.6, 9.1 and 9.2 also? Can't find them in the apple support site nor during my online searching...

[ruben]

In OS X you do it by booting from system CD right? Did you try doing the same on Mac OS 9? Maybe you can use the System on CD and then the utilites to reset them.. Don't know. If not, then you can still format from system CD.
You boot from CD by holding "c" on startup.

[WeaponX]

Yeah, according to the Apple site, using the OS X CD for Mac OS X will allow the user to reset the password. I searched high and low for a similar solution for OS 9 and lower but can't find it.

Don't think it will work with OS 9 CD because the installer (as far as I know) doesn't have that reset password option. I try to avoid the reinstall, even though it's pretty quick because some users want to keep their data. But if that's what it comes down to...

[ruben]

On OS 9 you boot from the system CD, so you have a working system environment and complete access to the hard drive. Thereby you can either, wipe everything out, transfer the data away or delete the files that contain the passwords (can't be that hard to find, somewhere in the system folder). I don't remember the exact structure in OS 9 but I'm sure you can delete the users without losing their data.
So get it on, boot from the system CD and work that out :-) There seems to be no easy way.

[WeaponX]

Thanks ruben. I will keep that in mind and look for those "files" in the system folder. Hopefully it will be easy to spot

We try not to wipe everything out and reinstall, but if that's what it comes down to...