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User profile for user: HeatedBlanket
HeatedBlanket Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Admin Password not responding? how do I reset it?

Okay, my Apple products are actings really weird.


First I got a notification on my phone that it was locked because someone in London was trying to access my iCloud account.


I changed all passwords, removed bank cards from phone, not sure what else I can do to keep myself safe there.


I don't know if I changed an admin password on my MacBook without realising it? But now all the sudden it's not accepting my admin password.


I don't have FileVault turned on. I'll turn it on when I get this back up.


I only have one username on my Mac, cos I'm the only person who uses it.


I've looked through the guides on resetting these passwords, but most of them were just confusing.


How do I reset my admin password without locking myself out of my computer? It's mostly working at the moment, and if I log off to try to change the password without knowing what I'm doing, I could lock myself out of my computer and I can't afford to do that at this time.


Could anyone please help me figure out how to get a new password without risking bricking my computer? I can't risk having a computer that doesn't work, so I've been too scared to try the 'fixes' in the confusing guides I've seen online.


Help would be appreciated! Thanks in advance.


MacBook Pro 15", macOS 10.14

Posted on Feb 26, 2020 12:58 PM

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6 replies
User profile for user: HeatedBlanket
HeatedBlanket Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Feb 26, 2020 1:06 PM in response to Kappy

As I said, I've read these and find them very confusing!


I'm not a tech person, and these walk-throughs make me afraid that I'm doing the wrong thing because there are so many options I don't know which one I need to follow. I can't risk getting locked out of my computer permanently because I followed the wrong one. That's why I posted here asking for help.


Links to these things I've already read don't really help me. Thanks anyway.

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User profile for user: BDAqua
BDAqua
User level: Level 10
245,501 points

Feb 26, 2020 2:17 PM in response to HeatedBlanket

FileVault is going to complicate things for you.


You can create a new administrator account by restarting the Setup Assistant:

1. Boot into Single User Mode: Start/restart your Mac. As soon as you hear the startup tone, press and hold ⌘ + S until you see a black screen with white lettering. (If you end up back on the login screen after a flash of the black screen with white lettering, enter your password and it will return to the black screen.)

2. Check and repair the drive by typing /sbin/fsck -fy then ↩ enter - as directed by the on-screen text.

3. Mount the drive as read-write by typing /sbin/mount -uw / then ↩ enter.

4. Remove the Apple Setup Done file by typing rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone then ↩ enter.

5. Reboot by typing reboot then ↩ enter.

6. Complete the setup process, creating a new admin account.




Be very careful to notice the spaces in those Terminal Commands.




Once you've done that the computer reboots and it's like the first time you used the machine. Your old accounts are all safe. From there you just change all other account passwords in the account preferences!!

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Admin Password not responding? how do I reset it?

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