I can't remember password; need to reset. At startup, I've held Command R, I'm on WiFi, clicked on Recovery drive (although it only displays an upward arrow), clicked on Utilities, but it will NOT open Terminal! Continues to ask for PIN code to unlock Mac. I appreciate any help here!
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5)
Locked Out, Forgot Lock or Restrictions Passcode, or Need to Restore Your Device
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5. iOS- Understanding passcodes
6. iTunes 10 for Mac- Update and restore software on iPod, iPhone, or iPad
Forgotten Restrictions Passcode Help
You will need to restore your device as New to remove a Restrictions passcode. Go through the normal process to restore your device, but when you see the options to restore as New or from a backup, be sure to choose New.
Also, see iTunes- Restoring iOS software.
I'm sorry, didn't mention in body of question - THIS IS FOR A MACBOOK PRO.
No problem.
Forgot Your Account Password
For Lion/Mountain Lion
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
When the menubar appears select Terminal from the Utilities menu.
Enter resetpassword at the prompt and press RETURN. Follow
instructions in the dialog window that will appear.
Or see Reset a Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Password, OS X Mountain Lion- Reset a login password, and
OS X Lion- Apple ID can be used to reset your user account password.
For Snow Leopard and earlier with installer DVD
Mac OS X 10.6- If you forget your administrator password
For Snow Leopard and earlier without installer DVD
How to reset your Mac OS X password without an installer disc | MacYourself
I've tried all that. (See original note: At startup, I've held Command R, I'm on WiFi, clicked on Recovery drive (although it only displays an upward arrow), clicked on Utilities, but it will NOT open Terminal! Continues to ask for PIN code to unlock Mac.)
Once I get to Recovery drive, the only arrow displayed is an upward one, but I click on it. I pull down the Utilities menu, click on Terminal, but nothing! It won't do a thing! Terminal won't open at all.
Is your drive FileVault protected? If it is and you cannot remember the Master Password, then there's nothing you can do short of taking it to an Apple Store for help. No one knows that password but you, and you cannot recover it.
If you use Command-R to startup the computer from the Recovery HD, then there is no "arrow" involved. Note that the lines:
Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
start with the word "Alternatively." You don't do both. If Command-R is working then that's all you do.
I tried both. Command R at startup. Option after restarting. Clicked on Recover HD. Next prompt was to choose a network. Did that. Pulled down Utilities menu, clicked on Terminal - nothing. I click on it and nothing appears.
No FileVault protection that I know of either.
Well, I don't know what sort of PIN you would have set for the computer. There is only the admin password. Resetting it requires getting into the Terminal as I've outlined earlier. If you are getting to the Recovery HD utility screen, then you should be able to invoke the Terminal from the menubar. If not, then you can try reinstalling from scratch:
Install or Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion from Scratch
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Erase the hard drive:
1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
2. After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) from the
left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
3. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Optionally, click on
the Security button and set the ZeroData option to one-pass. Click on
the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Install button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
because it is three times faster than wireless.
First off, thank you so much for trying to help me here. It's so frustrating!
I'm fine with erasing everything and starting completely over. I booted up, got to Recovery HD, clicked on it, it asked for network again. Clicked on that. Here is what it says across menu bar. NO DISK UTILITY OPTION!
From Left to Right:
Apple logo - startup disk, restart, shut down
Mac OS X Utilities - About Mac OS X Utilities, Preferences (faded out - cannot access), Services with building faded out, Hide Mac OS X Utilities, Hide Others, Show All - all faded out, Quit Mac OS X Utilities
File - Change Language, Close
Edit (all typical stuff)
Utilities - Firmward Password Utility, Network Utility, Terminal - ALL visible, but clicking on it does nothing
Window - Minimize and zoom faded out, Installer Log, Bring all to Front faded out
I'm not seeing where I can actually get to Disk Utility in order to continue and erase as you stated above. I'm always stuck on the PIN password screen.
I'm not sure what you have, but you should see a dark gray screen with a window listing four major options of which Disk Utility is the last listed. This is not in the menubar.
What you might try is to remove the battery (if possible) and disconnect the AC adaptor. Remove both memory modules and wait about one or two minutes. Reinstall the memory modules. Now go through the Recovery HD exercise again. If you set a firmware password this should remove it.
Beyond this I don't know how to advise you other than to recommend you take the computer to a local Apple retailer for assistance.
Thank you anyway. It appears to have an internal battery. Someone mentioned once to me about removing the HD and reinstalling. Would that do anything? Does it basically erase if it's removed?
No.
I can't remember password; need to reset.
