Keychain not showing passwords

Question

Level 1

12 points

Keychain not showing passwords

So I am helping a client with understand how to take advantage of Keychain on Mac OS Sierra - 10.12.4 on a MacBook pro 13" 2012 model.

We store some application passwords and security notes in keychain.

I want to show her how to retrieve passwords and see which password is being used for certain sites.

When I click on the key in keychain, and click on show password, I am prompted to insert the login password. After inserting the login password and pressing enter, password for the key that I am working with, flashes for less than a second and disappears. (on my own computer, the password is revealed for me to verify, copy or even change if I need to)

I had to do a screen recording of the process, just so I could go back and skim the video, to see the password by freezing the frame in which the password was revealed.

I have tried deleting the login keychain and received the error message that I was not permitted to do that - but the login keychain was deleted. So after logging out and back in a new login keychain was created - but the problem remains.

Any help would be appreciated as to why this is happening and how I can reset / re-install / recreate a keychain that would work.

Manesh

MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012), macOS Sierra (10.12.4), null

Posted on Apr 12, 2017 1:50 PM

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Answer 1

Apr 12, 2017 2:44 PM in response to Manesh

May be the login password you are using may be incorrect for that particular computer that you are viewing keychain. No error message is given when incorrect password is given. Or even a bad or missing font will display similar results.

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Answer 2

Manesh Author

Level 1

12 points

Apr 12, 2017 9:49 PM in response to old apple guy

Thanks.

At first I too thought the password I was using for the login keychain was wrong. But I noticed that when i did use the wrong password the key that I'm looking at wouldn't flash the password.

The only time the password flashed was when i used the same password which is used to login when I start the Mac. So I know the keychain password is correct.

I don't know about font checking to see which font is missing. But we're not using any special characters outside of alpha and numbers

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Answer 3

Manesh Author

Level 1

12 points

Apr 12, 2017 9:54 PM in response to Eric Root

Thanks.

I did delete the old login keychain and created a new one. The problem persists.

There is also no option to repair keychain in Sierra.

I will try the root login and recreate the login keychain and see if that helps.

Thanks.

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Answer 4

tygb

Level 9

65,010 points

Apr 13, 2017 2:20 AM in response to Manesh

If you are unable to view wi fi password in keychain access .

Click on Go > Go To folder & type ~/Library > preferences : remove com.applekeychainaccess.plist + first folder By hosts ( only contents of it ) to the desktop - junk files related to network are removed .

Restart the computer and again open key chain access , and browse for few minutes , again enter in the user library , view that com.apple.keychainaccess.plist is created , once it is confirmed , delete the plist that is on the desktop into the trash , restart and empty the trash .

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Answer 5

Eric Root

Level 10

685,257 points

Apr 12, 2017 5:36 PM in response to Manesh

Keychain Issues - Resolve see post by Kappy

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