Hi I forgot my master password and can't change it. I can log in fine and all but can't change it. Is there a way to to reset or remove it? I deleted the file vault passwords in the key chains but still has the current one. I set it up a while ago and now I can't remember. Help....
iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)
There is no Master password, unless you are talking about a File Vault encryption password. If you have forgotten that, and you did not accept the option when initiating the encryption to have Apple store the password for you, there is no way to recover or reset the encryption password. Your only option in that case is to erase the hard drive and reinstall the operating system.
Restart your iMac holding the Command and R keys. When it restarts, from the Utilities drop down menu choose Terminal. When Terminal opens, type EXACTLY:
resetpassword
and press Enter.
When the Reset Password window opens, select the internal drive, select the user account, the admin account in this case, and type a new password twice. Then Save, and accept the next dialog window that opens. Bottom right of the Reset Password window, reset the home folder permissions for the user.
Go to the apple left side of the menu bar, Restart and you are done.
Hi Ralph,
Thank you for the answer but it did not work. I want to reset/remove my Master password. Not my regular log in password... Any ideas? Do you know how I can reset using the terminal like you would do to reset regular log in password?
Ok. From the older software there was a way to get around it. For the software before yosemite I see on youtube there was a way to remove/resetting it but since this is another software its a different task now. If I erase the hard drive what will that effect?
Erasing the hard drive removes everything that is on there. You then have to install the Mac OS X so you have a clean copy, setup your Mac as you did you first got it. Then install all applications again. But without a backup that is not encrypted you have lost all data and information.
I forgot my master password how to remove or reset
