Recovery Mode Reset Password - only one Admin

Thanks for the reply, sudomac.

Make sure you're using the correct Terminal commands and steps found below since this should help with your passwords and users:

Use the Reset Password assistant

You should now see the utilities window, which shows options such as restoring from Time Machine, reinstalling macOS, and using Disk Utility.

1. From the Utilities menu in the menu bar, choose Terminal.

2. In the Terminal window, type resetpassword, then press Return to open the Reset Password assistant.

3. If you're asked to select an admin user you know the password for, click “Forgot all passwords?”.

4. At the Reset Password window, click Deactivate Mac, then click Deactivate to confirm.

5. If you see an Activation Lock window, enter your Apple ID email and password, then click Next.

6. At the Reset Password window, enter your new password information, then click Next.

If this window shows multiple user accounts, click the Set Password button next to each account name, then enter the new password information for each account.

7. When the password reset is completed, click Exit.

8. Choose Apple menu  > Restart, then log in with your new password.

If you still can't reset your password, erase your Mac

If no other solution is successful, you have the option to reset your password by erasing your Mac.

1. Shut down your Mac, then start up from macOS recovery as described previously.

2. When you're asked to select an admin user you know the password for, choose Erase Mac from the Recovery Assistant menu in the menu bar.

3. From the Erase Mac window, click Erase Mac, then click Erase Mac to confirm. 

4. If your Mac restarts to a flashing question mark, press and hold the power button for a few seconds until your Mac turns off.

5. Start up from macOS Recovery again, then reinstall macOS. For details, see How to reinstall macOS. 

If you can't reinstall macOS because the installer doesn't see a hard disk on which to install, you might need to change the format of the disk:

1. Press Command (⌘)-Q to quit the installer.

2. When you see the utilities window, select Disk Utility, then click Continue.

3. Select the first item listed in the sidebar of the Disk Utility window. This is your built-in hard disk.

4. Click the Erase button or tab on the right side of the window, then enter these details:

• Name: Macintosh HD

• Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

• Scheme (if shown): GUID Partition Map

5. Click Erase, then click Erase to confirm.

6. When the erase is complete, press Command-Q to quit Disk Utility and return to the utilities window. You should now be able to reinstall macOS successfully.

If you can't reset your Mac login password

If you need additional help, Contact Apple Support.

All the best.

What is the exact model of the Mac and version of macOS being used on the Mac? You can get this information by clicking the Apple menu and selecting "About This Mac". If you cannot log into the Mac using any user account, then you can get the exact model by entering the system serial number here:

Check Your Service and Support Coverage - Apple Support

Can you log into any of the multiple admin user accounts? If so, then you can change the password of other macOS users within the "Users & Groups" section of the System Preferences/Settings. I forget if this option requires the original password or not.

When booting into Recovery Mode, are you able to authenticate with the security enclave if a 2018+ Mac (or possibly when running macOS 11.x+)? Or are you able to reach the utilities screen in Recovery Mode to select various options? We definitely need more specific details on when the issue occurs since this process may be slightly different depending on the exact model of Mac and version of macOS involved. It would also help to link to the article you are using as a guide to reset the password and indicate at the exact step the process fails. This article also has a link to another Apple article if none of the suggestions work:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202860

Hey sudomac,

We'd recommend reviewing this article as it provides options for changing Mac account passwords: Change the login password on Mac

1. "On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Settings, then click Users & Groups  in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
2. If you’ve forgotten your login password and can’t log in to your Mac, see Reset your Mac login password.
3. Click the Info button  next to your user name on the right.
4. Click Change Password.
5. Enter your current password in the Old Password field.
6. Enter your new password in the New Password field, then enter it again in the Verify field.
7. For help choosing a secure password, click the Key button  next to the New Password field.
8. Enter a hint to help you remember the password.
9. The hint appears if you enter the wrong password three consecutive times, or if you click the question mark in the password field in the login window.
10. Click Change Password."

If that's not working as expected, we'd suggest contacting Apple Support for further assistance here: Apple Support

Thanks!