Master password reset

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Level 1

8 points

Master password reset

Hi I'm recycling a bunch of old computers and need some help. On my iBook using 10.3.9 I was the owner and still have my password to login (couldn't believe it worked after 15+ years) to my account which is the administrator account. Each of my family members had user accounts but none of them remember their passwords. I've tried changing their passwords in system preferences/ user accounts but it won't let me. The error I get reads, "The Keychain password for this user cannot be changed to the new account password. The old Keychain password remains in effect." The user can change their Keychain password in the Keychain Access application in the Utilities folder.

That's where I get stuck, my login password doesn't work for the master password so I must have had a different one but I can't remember it anymore.

Posted on Mar 20, 2021 6:23 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

MrHoffman

Level 10

147,347 points

Mar 21, 2021 3:06 PM in response to vonblade

I’m not sure why password resets are being attempted, if the goal is wholesale erasure. Erase it all.

An iBook with FireWire supports Target Disk Mode, so if you have a working FireWire capable Mac elsewhere (and a FireWire iBook), that can be used to erase the contents.

Trying to erase locally as would be typical means scrounging 10.3-era bootable media to boot and erase from. If you do have that and if the CD drive is working, that’s another way to erase the contents.

Booting Linux and erasing from there might be an option, but that’ll https://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/1789-how-to-remove-the-hard-drive-from-an-ibook

While humorous (and wear eye protection, etc), this isn’t far off of where this is quite possibly all headed:

https://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/1789-how-to-remove-the-hard-drive-from-an-ibook

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Answer 2

judysings

Community Specialist

Mar 21, 2021 2:44 PM in response to vonblade

Hello vonblade,

Thanks for reaching out in Apple Support Communities. We understand that you're having trouble changing the password for other user accounts. We'll do our best to help. It looks like you're getting an error message, "The keychain password for this user cannot be changed to the new account password. The old Keychain password remains in effect."

Check out the following support articles:

If your Mac keeps asking for the login keychain password

Delete a user or group on Mac

What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac

If the steps above don't help, reach out for additional support here: Get Support

Cheers

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Master password reset

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