i recently bought an apple graphite g4 tower running O.S. X.
i got home and set it up, but it won't let me update anything.
anybody know how to get around the password protection?
2 power pc's, one original macintosh, a g3 powerbook blue. and many more...,
Mac OS X (10.3.9),
collected mac's...but new to them as well.
The short version: To reset the administrative password, you usually need to boot from the system installation disk; there's a feature there for doing so. If you're buying used equipment without the original system software disks, you are being ripped off.
lol, well my sis gave me this tower along w/ 1 apple ibook clamshell blue and graphite.
i carry around one laptop, one is busted and now with this day off i'm working with the tower.
but i can't install anything without that dam password. i called apple and they wan't 49$ to talk to a techie...this ***!
my sis has am imac "snow ball" looking one...so i tried to run her systems disk that she lent me and nothing...i still need that password to go thru.
fun hu?
So you booted from the OS X install disc and it wouldn't let you reset the admin password? Odd... But you should still be able to wipe the disk and install from scratch.
ok, so how can i whipe the hard drive? big magnet? refriderator compressor? microwave?
lol.
about to chuck this tower onto the freeway...lol
or just sell it as is on e-dork. aka: ebay.
If you insert the CD and 2xclick on the installer it will ask for a password.
If you insert the CD, then restart and hold down the c key then the Mac will boot from the CD. Proceed past the language option until you get a menu bar, then choose the 'reset password' menu item.
There will also be a 'disk utility' menu item which would be preferred by the CHP.
As stated by reese, if you boot off of the install disk you will have options to do things that are not available when running the system.
Apple includes on the install disk a utility for your hard drive that does not come on Windows install disks (AFAIK). You can do repairs on the hard drive, erase and reformat it, partition it, etc..
There is also (under File on the top menu bar) a little utility for changing the password.
The only issue that you may run into is that if the install disk is not a retail/universal, the rom files for booting your particular computer may not be on the disk. This is likely if the install disk you are trying to use is from an imac or ibook.
As for getting around password protection, I suppose it is possible. But the National Security Administration considers the mac, with its password protection schemes, to be one of the more secure systems on the market. It is one of the reasons that the install disks have that little utility for resetting the password.
One last thing. The password reset does depend on the system files to be in order. If the directory was messed up the password reset may not proceed. I have had that happen some time ago.
