Error when changing password

Question

Level 1

11 points

Error when changing password

My son was trying to change his user account password and he clicked on the password assistant. He had already typed in his new password, but thinks the password assistant changed it to something else and he clicked on it without really paying attention to what it said. So now he doesn't know his user password. I thought as administrator, I could change his password via System Preferences (under Users & Groups), but his account is grayed out and so not accessible.

OS X Yosemite 10.10.2

MacBookPro (late 2011) not that this should matter....

When I use the Finder to look at his account, I get the following message:

The folder "Desktop" cannot be opened because you do not have permission to see it's contents.

Can anyone help?

MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2011), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Apr 5, 2015 12:45 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Apr 5, 2015 1:31 PM in response to LMM53

Resetting or changing a password:

For Lion or later: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6022

Mac OS X 10.7 or newer, restart with the Command and R keys held down, open the Terminal, and use the resetpassword command:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4101

This article has a slightly different option that might help.

http://osxdaily.com/2011/09/19/change-password-mac-os-x-10-7-lion-without-knowin g-current-password/

Hope this helps!

Reply

Answer 2

LMM53 Author

Level 1

11 points

Apr 5, 2015 6:32 PM in response to dianeoforegon

i am not able to get to the terminal window. This is in Yosemite. When I restart using cmd-R, I have several choices, none of which is Utilities-> Terminal. given that I can't get to the terminal, I csnt do the resetpassword. Following the 3rd tip, I can get to the terminal, but, I can only change he password for the current account, which is mine, not my son's. i can't seem to specify a different account or change accounts.

Reply