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Level 1

24 points

How to overide Admin password please?

Trying to help a friend out with an imac A1207 running snow leopard, he bought it at a local auction and the seller powered it on and all looked well so he purchased but while taking it home, it got knocked against a wall and he thinks this caused the screen to show "in pieces" for when he got home and powered on it was only then he saw the screen with that problem. I need to reinstall the OS in "Safe mode" becuase whenever the system goes to the desktop the normal way we are seeing the shattered-looking screen so everything is in bits and pieces as the first screenshot shows so I cannot get to see the options of the boot disk to click on anything. In Safe mode the screen is normal but it is asking for the Admin password and my friend does not know it since he just bought it from an auction. Is there any way to overide the admin password so I can reinstall the OS or is there another way while in Safe mode to reinstall the OS without having to bypass the password screen please?

Posted on Mar 22, 2013 10:14 AM

75 replies

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Mar 24, 2013 5:36 PM in response to mikehende

I'd try it, sure - QE is disabled in Safe mode, don't know about booted from installer disk, so it's a theory... but if Quartz Debug > Enable Quartz Extreme > Off stops the shattered screen, we're on to something.

find the Downloads for Apple Developers link.

Download the Graphics Tools for Xcode package, which contains Quartz Debug

As mentioned - try display resolution first.

There are other ways - eg http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20040724190553112 might still work, someone recently claimed it helped their graphics issue. Likely removing things too, but keeping it simple as possible initially.

mikehende Author

Level 1

24 points

Mar 24, 2013 5:45 PM in response to andyBall_uk

ok thanks, i will try all of the out in the morning and will search the net for instructions on how to change the resolution but I will need to do this in Safe mode so i don't see how I will be able to do this in normal mode?

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Mar 24, 2013 5:52 PM in response to mikehende

System Preferences - Displays - Display

you might be able to use it in normal - if not, safe it is

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Mar 24, 2013 7:18 PM in response to andyBall_uk

at risk of overwhelming with info/options

blue screen after startup and system...: Apple Support Communities

ignore the blue screen - point being it was useable in Safe & also useable/slow in Normal afterwards.

The imac model you're working on also has ATI graphics, so worth a punt & reversing should be simple enough.

guessing that these sort of things are what the local tech' had in mind.

mikehende Author

Level 1

24 points

Mar 25, 2013 4:50 AM in response to andyBall_uk

I am thinking I should try this new option first before doing the QE? If you think so too, should I post questions here on simply join that thread?

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Mar 25, 2013 6:50 AM in response to mikehende

You're welcome to carry on here - or start a new thread is usually best - they were different models on the other, albeit same brand graphics card.

I'd start with easy/quickest - 1:Screen Resolution (unlikely, but if it does, definitely the right track & useable immediately)

2: modest 126MB free download after free/easy registration - no install, no uninstall, but it needs running in Normal mode. Open Debug, check 1 box

3: sure, move files so long as you're clear on how to recover - same with editing plists.

mikehende Author

Level 1

24 points

Mar 25, 2013 7:10 AM in response to andyBall_uk

Thanks, I changed the resolution to 1024x640 in Safe mode then rebooted but no change. So my next experiment now will be QE I will attempt it but I don't think I will be able to pull it off in normal mode due to not being able to clearly see the screen option, will let you know how it goes.

mikehende Author

Level 1

24 points

Mar 25, 2013 7:34 AM in response to mikehende

I just went to developer.apple.com amd chose the "mac developer program" link but that leads me to a page asking to sign up for $99 per year? I then went to a link for developer tools which led me to XCODE but it shows

"To download XCODE from the MAC Apple Store, you need a Mac with IS X 10.6.6 or later"

The version I have is 10.6.3. so if that can't work for me should I proceed unto option 3?

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Mar 25, 2013 7:52 AM in response to mikehende

Hi Mike

choose a free account - Safari, then within developer find just the tools, rather than the whole xcode package, which doesn't include it.

maybe quicker to skip that, esp if you feel it impossible to use with the screen issue.

mikehende Author

Level 1

24 points

Mar 25, 2013 8:12 AM in response to andyBall_uk

I am thinking Andy, since I am now getting into working with Mac, for all future purposes it should still be of benefit to me to both get whatever Mac tools I can get and also gain the knowledge of using those tools for future troubleshooting and repairs so I will still attempt this for this reason. Problem is, I am not finding where you sign up for a "free" developer account, would you be able to link me to that page please?

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Mar 25, 2013 8:15 AM in response to mikehende

https://developer.apple.com/programs/safari/

mikehende Author

Level 1

24 points

Mar 25, 2013 9:01 AM in response to andyBall_uk

Ok done, I have signed up, thanks. On to option 3 which you had linked me to here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3263472?start=15&tstart=0

This mac does have the ATY, Radeon X1600 chip but first problem, the attached screenshot shows the location of the folder referenced to in the link:

The ATI drivers are in /System/Library/Extensions

but that folder [Extensions] is empty?

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Mar 25, 2013 9:31 AM in response to mikehende

that's Macintosh HD/Library/Extensions/

you want Macintosh HD/System/Library/Extensions/

mikehende Author

Level 1

24 points

Mar 25, 2013 10:06 AM in response to andyBall_uk

Thanks, please bear with me Andy, I am a windows capable but totally new to Mac and now finding out that most things don't work in the same way, simple stuff like moving folders and printscreen I am having trouble with following tutorials on the net like as in this case, I am trying to create another folder in the Library and title it "/System/Library/ExtensionsDisabled" as in the tutorial we are working with but following isntructions from this tutorial

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2476

which states:

From the File menu, choose New Folder; a new "untitled folder" icon appears in the active Finder window.

When I hover over FILE, in the drop down menu the option 'new folder is shaded out? Only other folder option I am seeing is "New Smart folder"?

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Mar 25, 2013 12:41 PM in response to mikehende

mikehende wrote:

When I hover over FILE, in the drop down menu the option 'new folder is shaded out? Only other folder option I am seeing is "New Smart folder"?

That's because system owns that folder and you can't write to it. Click on the Desktop, create the new folder, rename it, then open up /System/Library/Extension/ and drag the new folder into the other window. That should bring up a dialog box, such as this, wherein you click on the Authenticate button to add it to the Extensions directory. Do note that you'll also have to reset the permissions to system and wheel, to match the others therein.

How to overide Admin password please?