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

Admin password not working / How to set up as Admin

I have a MacBook Pro 15" purchased in 2018, running macOS High Sierra. I can log in with my user name and password but when I go to Users and Groups, that account is listed as a standard user and not assigned as an ADMIN. I click the lock to make a change and it asks for Admin User Name and Password. I enter the same info I did when I open up the machine and it will not take it - because it is a standard login, not an Admin login.


I've tried to goto Single Mode with command S on start up but the black screen appears then goes back to login screen and is not allowing me to stay in the black screen.

How can I 1) make my account an admin account or 2) remove ALL users and then add myself as an admin? Why is there no admin account set up?

Posted on Feb 6, 2021 3:04 AM

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User profile for user: BDAqua
BDAqua
User level: Level 10
250,253 points

Posted on Feb 6, 2021 11:16 AM

See if 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, except all your data will still be there. Your old accounts are all safe. From there you just change all other account passwords in the account preferences!!

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User profile for user: BDAqua
BDAqua
User level: Level 10
250,253 points

Feb 6, 2021 11:16 AM in response to DduckyAus

See if 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, except all your data will still be there. 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 working / How to set up as Admin

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