HT204012: Enabling and using the "root" user in OS X

Learn about Enabling and using the "root" user in OS X
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Q: Finding root password

Upgraded to Mac OS Sierra and all my Accounts now have Standard permissions, i.e. no Administrator permissions.

How can I either upgrade my Account to Administrator or find the password for Root?

MacBook Pro & Mac Book, Mac OS X (10.6)

Posted on Oct 2, 2016 11:03 AM

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Q: Finding root password

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  • by BobHarris,

    BobHarris BobHarris Oct 2, 2016 2:55 PM in response to HC
    Level 6 (19,633 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 2, 2016 2:55 PM in response to HC

    There is no root password. It is a disabled account. For good reasons.

     

    You can enable the root account, but that increases your risk of being hacked a great deal, because root is a known account that has unlimited privileges. Enabling root makes your Mac a target rich environment.

     

    But if that is how you want to live your life, Google "enable OS X root", and you will find several approaches.

  • by VikingOSX,

    VikingOSX VikingOSX Oct 2, 2016 4:55 PM in response to HC
    Level 7 (21,309 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 2, 2016 4:55 PM in response to HC

    I agree with Bob. Stay away from root. There is no anti-venom for it.

     

    You can enable administrative privileges for yourself on the main login user account in the System Preferences : Users & Groups panel, by checking Allow user to administer this computer. This is not root access.

  • by HC,

    HC HC Oct 2, 2016 7:14 PM in response to HC
    Level 1 (25 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 2, 2016 7:14 PM in response to HC

    None of my User Accounts have Administrator privileges.

     

    I only want to use root account so that I can sign on and be allowed to check the box "Allow user to administer this computer". 

     

    To get that option from its current greyed out status without using root, please let me know.

  • by BobHarris,Solvedanswer

    BobHarris BobHarris Oct 3, 2016 8:41 AM in response to HC
    Level 6 (19,633 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 3, 2016 8:41 AM in response to HC

    Google "os x enable root single user mode"

    here is one  hit, but there are others

    <https://www.personalmacgeniuses.com/2013/10/31/case-of-the-missing-admin-account />

  • by Keith Barkley,

    Keith Barkley Keith Barkley Oct 3, 2016 7:33 AM in response to HC
    Level 5 (6,427 points)
    Oct 3, 2016 7:33 AM in response to HC

    Did you have an administrator account before the upgrade? It should have been left unchanged.

  • by HC,

    HC HC Oct 3, 2016 8:47 AM in response to BobHarris
    Level 1 (25 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 3, 2016 8:47 AM in response to BobHarris

    Bob,

     

    THank you, thank you. This was the solution I was looking for.  It took a little while to acomplish but I was able to change my User Account to Admin. I immediately turned off root and am now able to act as administrator.

    Thank you for the URL referral.

     

    HArvey