recovery mode admin password not working
intel iMac20,2, MacOS Ventura 13.6 -- note that this device *does* have a T2 security chip
Previously I successfully used the Recovery Mode System Security tool to set up booting from a USB drive -- the Ventura mentioned above is that USB drive.
I was following the Apple instructions to change boot drive (back to the internal drive). Those instructions involve entering the System Security tool again. I was able to enter recovery mode, and to enter the admin password that is requested. To enter the System Security tool, it requires authenticating with an admin password (even though you cannot get to the tool without having authenticated with an admin password.)
The problem I am running into is that no matter which admin account or password I use to try to authenticate for the System Security tool now, it rejects the password. I am absolutely 100% positive that I entered my regular password correctly -- and to be completely certain I changed the password on my second admin account to something extremely easy to type... but no joy. (I was able to select the name of the second admin account -- I am not having the problem some people have had about not being able to select the second account... just with having ANY passwords accepted.)
I even hauled out an Apple Magic keyboard and connected it to my USB to be sure that it was not an issue with my Corsair keyboard. Didn't help.
In the meantime I discovered that the posted instructions fail to mention that at the level where one would ask for the System Security tool, that one of the menu items allows you to set the startup disk, so for this immediate purpose I no longer need to authenticate to the tool -- but still, why is it refusing my password that I am 100% sure is correct?
Note: this device has a T2 security chip (but it is NOT an M* series CPU), so the older method of using the Utilities tool to set the boot disk does not apply.)
iMac (2017 – 2020)