You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

User profile for user: ColinY
ColinY Author
User level: Level 1
46 points

i have log in problems with MacOS 10.13.6 High Sierra on an otherwise terrific 15" MBP of 2011 but I cannot get in!

It has worked for years but crashed more than a year ago and has since been to the Recovery System Cmd R or Cmd shift R or Cmnd Option R more than once and the problem is always the same - the Log in PW and username have been forgotten. I can set up new ones try as I may - even the route through my Apple ID doesn't help - the hints don't change and the new Log in PWs don't work.


Any advice?


Colin

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Jan 30, 2022 11:21 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: BDAqua
BDAqua
User level: Level 10
245,489 points

Posted on Jan 30, 2022 12:35 PM

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!!

View in context

Similar questions

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: BDAqua
BDAqua
User level: Level 10
245,489 points

Jan 30, 2022 12:35 PM in response to ColinY

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!!

Reply

i have log in problems with MacOS 10.13.6 High Sierra on an otherwise terrific 15" MBP of 2011 but I cannot get in!

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.
Learn more Sign up