Mrs TT

Q: I need an admin, cant make one!!

PLease help!! i have a 27inch imac(mid-2011) running Lion 10.7.5, my brother in law is trying to update it to El Capitian but it wont let me as it needs a Admin, i thought i was it but im not. I have going into the user/groups setting and it has my account status as Standard... everytime i try to change it or even add a new user it would let me as it will not accept the password i log on with, ive tryed to reset the password thru my account but that has done nothing... please help!!

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.5), Admin

Posted on Jan 4, 2016 4:07 AM

Close

Q: I need an admin, cant make one!!

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by D.Cohen,

    D.Cohen D.Cohen Jan 4, 2016 4:13 AM in response to Mrs TT
    Level 6 (8,424 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 4, 2016 4:13 AM in response to Mrs TT
  • by Mrs TT,

    Mrs TT Mrs TT Jan 4, 2016 4:20 AM in response to D.Cohen
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 4, 2016 4:20 AM in response to D.Cohen

    Thanks for the quick reply, but neither of those work as from what i can see on my user & groups window, there is no user who has admin status... its just me and the Guest account...

  • by dialabrain,

    dialabrain dialabrain Jan 4, 2016 4:56 AM in response to Mrs TT
    Level 5 (5,920 points)
    Mac App Store
    Jan 4, 2016 4:56 AM in response to Mrs TT

    Enabling and using the "root" user in OS X - Apple Support

     

    If that doesn't help if I remember correctly one had to create an Admin account on install. You might be able to boot from the 10.7 install disks and create one from there.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Jan 4, 2016 6:46 AM in response to Mrs TT
    Level 10 (207,936 points)
    Applications
    Jan 4, 2016 6:46 AM in response to Mrs TT

    Please take these steps to restore administrator privileges to your account. This somewhat tedious procedure is only necessary if you've confirmed that no working administrator account exists on the system.

    If you don't already have a current backup of all your data, you must back up before taking any of the steps below. Ask if you need guidance. You won't need the backup unless something goes wrong—which is always possible.

    Step 1

    Start up in Recovery mode. The OS X Utilities screen will appear.

    Step 2

    Take this step only if you use FileVault 2. Launch Disk Utility, then select the icon of the FileVault startup volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) It will be nested below another drive icon. Click the Unlock button in the toolbar and enter your login password when prompted. Then quit Disk Utility to be returned to the main screen.

    Step 3

    Select

              Utilities Terminal

    from the menu bar. In the window that opens, type this:

    resetp

    Press the tab key. The partial command you typed will automatically be completed to this:

    resetpassword

    Press return. A Reset Password window opens. Select your startup volume if not already selected. Pull down the menu labeled

              Select the user account

    and select

              System Administrator (root)

    Follow the prompts to set a password. It's safest to choose a password that includes only the characters a-z, A-Z, and 0-9. I suggest you write down the password. If you don't write it down and forget it, you'll have to start over from Step 1.

    Select

               Restart...

    from the menu bar.

    Step 4

    This step, like Step 2, applies only if you use FileVault. Log in as usual, then select

              Log Out...

    from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-Q. Don't restart. You'll be returned to the login screen.

    Step 5

    At the login screen, click Other... Enter "root" (without the quotes) in the Name field, and enter the password you set in Step 3 in the Password field. You should now be logged in as root. This is a potentially dangerous condition. Do nothing while logged in as root except as indicated below. You'll be fine as long as you don't deviate from the plan.

    Open the Users & Groups preference pane. Select your usual administrator account in the list of users and check the box marked

              Allow user to administer this computer

    You'll be prompted to restart. Do that and log in as yourself—not as root. Your administrator status should now be restored.

    Step 6 (optional, but recommended)

    Follow the instructions in this support article under the heading "Disable the root user." You must authenticate in Directory Utility as "root" with the password you set in Step 3. Authenticating as another administrator won't work.

    Credit for this idea to ASC member wessongroup.