How Do You Reset A Macbook Password

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Due to the robust security within Apple's new macOS operating system, there is a high emphasis on data protection. Whether you're simply logging in, downloading new software, or trying to delete files or apps from the hard drive, you will always need to input your Mac password. Here are a few ways you can remember or reset it and get back to using your Mac.

In the case you forgot Apple ID password, for example, you can reset it online but also from your Mac, if you're logged into iCloud there. Here's how to do it: Go to System Preferences Apple ID. On the left-side panel, click the Password & Security tab. Select 'Change password' Enter your Mac password and choose Allow.

How to avoid forgetting passwords?

  • If you know your password and can use it to log in to your account, you can change your password in Users & Groups preferences: Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu, then click Users & Groups. Select your user name from the list of users. Click the Change Password button, then follow the onscreen instructions.
  • If you use FileVault encryption with your Mac, the password reset utility will not show your boot drive until you first unlock it with Disk Utility. To do this, open Disk Utility where you will.

Often when Mac users forget their passwords, it's the consequence of having a cluttered Mac. With an overload of information to sieve through every day, people have a tendency to forget information. So, first and foremost, you should clean up your Mac to make sure your new password is the one entering you into a tidy and organised computer.

With CleanMyMac X, you can remove large and unwanted files, organising your digital folders and clearing your physical headspace. With its smart, one-click cleaning approach and powerful scanning, you can swiftly dispose of useless documents and apps which may even be slowing your Mac down. With CleanMyMac, you can launch a Smart Scan, removing systems junk, photo and file duplicates, and everything else that will clog up your Mac.

In addition, this amazing tool is free to download, so what are you waiting for?

How to reset a password

Get a password hint

Before resetting your password, you should always check to see if the password hint jogs your memory. The ‘hint' is a phrase you entered relating to the password when you first set it up, and is triggered once you make 3 incorrect password attempts:

  1. Open System Preferences (the app with the cog icon).
  2. Select ‘Users & Groups.'
  3. Click the Lock icon in the bottom left to make changes.
  4. Press the Return key 3 times.

The screen will shake each time you press Return, with the third shake generating the password hint which will appear below the Password field. Hopefully this initiates a Eureka Moment making you remember the Login and brings an end to the password perils.

Sometimes though, the hint doesn't show up. That's because the Mac wasn't set up to show password hints in the Login Options – only modified by logging into your Mac. Fortunately, there are an array of other solutions to finding your password.

Change password from another account

In the event that you happen to share your Mac with another person, and they have their own account, you can use their Login to reset your password. Or, if you have a different account on the Mac that you know the password to, you can recover your Mac admin password by following these steps:

  1. Click on the Apple logo in the top left of the tools bar and click Log Out.
  2. Select the alternative account and enter the password.
  3. Open System Preferences > Users & Groups.
  4. Click the Lock icon in the bottom left.
  5. Enter the password again.
  6. In the Sidebar, select the account with the missing password.
  7. Click change password.
  8. Fill in the New Password, Verify and Password Hint fields.
  9. Click Change Password.

Now, the password for that account has been changed, allowing you to log in using the new password. However, this doesn't change the password for the Keychain (macOS's password management system), and you'll be asked when you log into the account to update the keychain password. This requires you to enter the old forgotten password, so you'll have to click ‘Create New Keychain'.

This introduces a further problem, because if the other user isn't the registered Admin, they won't be able to change the password for you. Luckily, there is an alternative solution to recovering your password.

Can

Use Recovery Mode

Apple provides a tool to replace a Mac's password through bypassing all of the previous steps. This is the best option if you don't have a password hint, can't log in via another account and have completely forgotten your password.

  1. Turn off your Mac.
  2. Press the power button whilst holding Command + R.
  3. The Mac will boot into Recovery Mode – when you see the load bar appear you can let go of the keys.
  4. Select ‘Disk Utility' and press Continue.
  5. Go to Utilities > Terminal.
  6. Enter ‘resetpassword' and press the Return key.
  7. Select the main hard drive.
  8. Select the User Account (the account you'd like to change).
  9. Enter a new password and create a password hint.
  10. Click Save – a warning will appear that the Keychain Password hasn't changed. Click OK.
  11. Shut Down your Mac and start it up again. Now you can log in using the new password.

Protect Your Data

Due to the fact Recovery Mode provides a nifty means to resetting the Mac password, you may be wary that anyone can hack your Mac – and once someone accesses your Mac, you've usually lost control over it. So, it's a good job there's some interventions you can make to prevent this happening.

The best way to protect your data is to active FileVault encryption. This means that the Password Reset option won't become available unless you unlock it with Disk Utility. To turn it on and set it up:

  1. Choose Apple > System Preferences > Security & Privacy.
  2. Click the FileVault tab.
  3. Click the Lock icon, and enter Login credentials.
  4. Click Turn on FileVault.

Once done, you will receive a Recovery Key and a password, which you should take note of. If you lose these, your data won't be able to be recovered and will be lost forever.

How Do You Reset A Macbook Password Forgot

Another effective way to protect the data on your Mac is to download tried and tested app CleanMyMac X. With automatic clean-ups and regular system monitors, your data is continuously observed and safeguarded from any piracy or hacking.

Use Target Disk Mode

If all else fails, Target Disk Mode can help you recover whatever you can from the lost Mac. Using another Mac, you can access the hard drive on the lost Mac and save any wanted data.

Macbook Pro Password Bypass

  1. Shut down the Mac.
  2. Connect to another Mac using a FireWire or Thunderbolt cable.
  3. Start up your Mac and hold the T key while it loads.
  4. This activates Target Disk Mode.

The hard drive from the lost Mac should now appear, allowing you to recover and save wanted data onto the new Mac.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned!

These might also interest you:

Let's say you totally forgot the password to log on to your Mac. Or maybe you purchased a used Mac from someone else and they've got it locked down. There are numerous ways to reset a password with no OS X discs.

This tutorial may ruffle some feathers, but it addresses a topic that a ton of people ask about all the time. Yes, it's startling to think that anyone could theoretically walk up to your computer and gain access within minutes. Before you go thinking that Mac OS X has a severe vulnerability that makes it less secure than other operating systems, think again. Anyone with physical access to your machine (whether it is Windows, Linux, or Mac) can eventually find a way in if they know what they're doing. There are ways of bypassing nearly any security measure when a hacker is literally sitting right in front of your system.

How Do You Reset A Macbook Password Settings

The information here has previously been made available from many different sources online and is presented with the intention of helping people with legitimate reasons for resetting their Mac OS X password. A few of the methods floating around the Mac community have been compiled here in one easy-to-reference place. System admins responsible for supporting entire organizations and users who bought used Macs are the folks most likely to benefit from this.

Important Note:
This tutorial was written for Mac OS X 10.4, 10.5 and 10.6. Please check out the updated version of this post if you're trying to reset the password on a Mac running 10.7 Lion or 10.8 Mountain Lion.

Reset 10.5 Leopard & 10.6 Snow Leopard password

  1. Power on or restart your Mac.
  2. At the chime (or grey screen if your chime is turned off), hold down Command+S on your keyboard to enter single-user mode.
  3. This step is optional, but it's a good idea because it checks the consistency of the hard disk before moving on. At the prompt, type fsck -fy and press Enter/Return. Wait for the checks to complete before going to the next step.
  4. Type mount -uw / and press Enter.
  5. Type launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.DirectoryServices.plist and press Enter.
  6. Type ls /Users and press Enter. This lists all of the usernames on the computer – helpful if you don't know or remember what these are.
  7. Type dscl . -passwd /Users/username password and replace 'username' with one of the users displayed in the previous step. Replace 'password' with a new password of your choice. Press Enter.
  8. Type reboot and press Enter.

Reset 10.4 Tiger password

  1. Power on or restart your Mac.
  2. At the chime (or grey screen if your chime is turned off), hold down Command+S on your keyboard to enter single-user mode.
  3. Type sh /etc/rc and press Enter/Return.
  4. Type passwd username and replace 'username' with the short name of the user account for which you'd like to reset the password.
  5. Type your desired password and press Enter. It won't show itself on the screen, so be careful what you type. You will most likely have to enter it again to confirm.
  6. Type reboot and press Enter.

Tricking your Mac into creating a new user account

Forgot Macbook Password And No Internet

  1. Power on or restart your Mac (should work for any Mac OS X system).
  2. At the chime (or grey screen if your chime is turned off), hold down Command+S on your keyboard to enter single-user mode.
  3. This step is optional, but it's a good idea because it checks the consistency of the hard disk before moving on. At the prompt, type fsck -fy and press Enter/Return. Wait for the checks to complete before going to the next step.
  4. Type mount -uw / and press Enter.
  5. Type rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone and press Enter.
  6. Type shutdown -h now and press Enter.

The third method of resetting your Mac's password requires some additional explanation. Rather than simply changing the password like the previous two methods do, this one fools the operating system into believing it has never been started before. This means when you restart the machine, it will take you through the entire setup & registration process all over again. Do not worry, all of your pre-existing data is still available. Just continue with this process and do not choose the option to transfer or migrate information to the Mac.

How Do You Reset A Password On Macbook Pro

Once you're done, log in with your new admin account and go to System Preferences > Accounts. You may have to click on the lock icon in the lower-left corner before making changes here. You should see your original user account(s) in the left column. Try clicking on one of them to convert it to a standard user account (uncheck 'Allow user to administer this computer') and change the password. You should be able to successfully log in to that account now and access all of your files and programs. If you want, you can log back in with your new admin account and re-check the 'Allow user to administer this computer' option in System Preferences to grant admin privileges to the original user again.

That should cover it! As always, remember messing with single-user mode and Terminal is risky and may lead to trouble if you make mistakes. Considering you're already locked out of the computer, though, you'll probably be willing to take your chances at this point.

One last thing… if you have a Keychain Access password, you will probably need to reset that as well. You can do this by selecting 'login' under Keychains on the left and choosing Delete from the Edit menu. You'll lose everything in the Keychain, but you'll now be able to start fresh and add new ones.





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