Admin User Account GONE After Sierra Upgrade

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Level 1

14 points

Admin User Account GONE After Sierra Upgrade

Following the upgrade, my admin user account is gone. When I try to add an account, it won't let me, since I'm on a non-administrator account. The admin username and password registers as incorrect when I enter it to unlock the user account system preferences. The non-admin username and password doesn't unlock things either.

I'd like my old admin user account back if I can get it...

And if not...help with this current issue of having no admin account and no way to set the current account as an admin or make new ones.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013), macOS Sierra (10.12.1)

Posted on Oct 28, 2016 9:17 PM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,230 points

Oct 29, 2016 5:14 AM in response to nicole_mac

This is the simplest way to create a new admin user when you don't have one: https://www.macissues.com/2014/08/12/quickly-re-create-a-missing-admin-account-o n-your-mac/

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Answer 2

nicole_mac Author

Level 1

14 points

Oct 30, 2016 7:48 PM in response to Barney-15E

I tried to do this, and the computer won't boot using command S. When I press these keys at the chime when restarting, it shows a black screen with a white text cursor for half a second and then flips to the usual user login page before I can do anything. I've tried several times and this happens every time. Any suggestions?

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,230 points

Oct 30, 2016 7:53 PM in response to nicole_mac

If it "flips to the usual user login page," it sounds like you have FileVault enabled. This article states this:

If FileVault is enabled, you need to unlock the startup disk as part of this process. White text appears briefly before the FileVault login screen is shown. After selecting a user and entering the user’s password, the single-user mode or verbose mode startup process continues.

After unlocking, it shouldn't be necessary, but if it doesn't enter Single-user mode, try holding down cmd-s after entering user password.

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Answer 4

nicole_mac Author

Level 1

14 points

Oct 30, 2016 10:13 PM in response to Barney-15E

It won't let me unlock Filevault because the account left on the computer is not the admin account. I do think I got single user mode to run, and followed the instructions in the link you gave me. It finished by saying "waiting on trackpad" and then booted to the usual login page rather than the page to register a new user. What should I try now?

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Answer 5

nicole_mac Author

Level 1

14 points

Oct 30, 2016 11:16 PM in response to Barney-15E

no luck...this is what the screen pulled up prior to rebooting to the main login screen and after following the instructions and entering the commands.

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Answer 6

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,230 points

Oct 31, 2016 7:52 PM in response to nicole_mac

You put a space between /var/db/ and .AppleSetupDone which will cause the command to first try to delete the /var/db/ directory and then try to delete .AppleSetupDone at the current working directory. As it stated, it can't remove directories, and .AppleSetupDone is not in the root directory so not found.

Repeat the steps and don't separate the path to .AppleSetupDone.

Also, if you get errors when you run fsck, run it again until it reports success without finding any errors. Once it completes without errors, mount the hard drive and remove the .AppleSetupDone file.

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Answer 7

nicole_mac Author

Level 1

14 points

Oct 31, 2016 8:22 PM in response to Barney-15E

Will do, thank you for your help!

In my HD, I can see the folders from my old admin account and I would like to somehow recover those files. It won't let me access them from my current non-admin account. Is there anything I should do before executing the above steps to make sure I can recover those files?

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Answer 8

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,230 points

Oct 31, 2016 9:11 PM in response to nicole_mac

Once you create a new admin account, you can use that one to try to create another with the same name as the old one. It may warn you that a home folder for that user already exists and ask if you want to use it for the new user you are trying to create.

Do you have a backup. It may be advisable to back up that home folder in case the system just decides to delete and recreate it.

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