I revived an old iMac g5 but the old owners login is still there?

I got this computer from family and they have no idea what the password could be so I’ve been searching forever for any answers. It shows the user and ask for a password. There is no forgot password option only to shut down or restart. I don’t know much about computers and I just want to get in to make an account for myself. I know the computer is super old but it holds good memories!

Earlier Mac models

Posted on Jul 14, 2024 7:40 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 14, 2024 8:54 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!!


I understand & remember quite well the 1st time I did it, but there's not another way as far as I know. :)


Paste these lines into Text Edit so you can arrow thru & see the spaces...


/sbin/fsck -fy

/sbin/mount -uw /

rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone


If the PW is for an encrypted Drive then we'd need another ork around.

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 14, 2024 8:54 PM in response to Hello_Jello

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!!


I understand & remember quite well the 1st time I did it, but there's not another way as far as I know. :)


Paste these lines into Text Edit so you can arrow thru & see the spaces...


/sbin/fsck -fy

/sbin/mount -uw /

rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone


If the PW is for an encrypted Drive then we'd need another ork around.

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I revived an old iMac g5 but the old owners login is still there?

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