When you first set up your Mac, you’ll need your account password. If you forget that password, you will not be able to install software updates. Sometimes you won’t even be able to use your Mac. Apple doesn’t make it easy to reset your password, but you do have some options.
Your password is not just a bunch of asterisks | shutter
Use a few simple tricks
Although rare, sometimes an account doesn’t have a password. The Macintosh operating system will always ask for a password, but that password can be left blank. Pressing the back or entering key might be all you need. I often see this on older systems.
Don’t hack a Mac:
If you don’t get the password right after three attempts, there may be a hint. Unlike iOS, Mac won’t delete data if you enter the wrong password too many times. You can continue trying without any problems. On some Macs, your Apple ID password is different from your account password. You could try your Apple ID password and see if that gives you access to your Mac or lets you make changes.
Before you try any of the advanced options below, don’t rule out a faulty keyboard. If a key is stuck or unregistered, your password won’t work. Try attaching an external USB keyboard and re-enter your password.
Try some advanced options
If your Mac’s username and password are the same as your Apple ID, you can use Apple’s iForgot service to reset your password.
Most people probably set up just one user account on their Mac. If you share your Mac with someone else, you can reset your password through their account. If you know another administrator’s password, sign in to their account first.
Next, go to System Preferences->Users & Groups and find your username under Other Users. Choose your name and then click Reset Password. Since you’re already logged in as an Administrator, you won’t need to remember your old password. You will create a new password and then be able to log in with that new password. While you’re in it, give a nice hint so you don’t forget your password again.
Reset password with Recovery partition
Luckily, Apple has a sneaky way to get back into your Mac. Since OS X Lion, Apple has created a hidden recovery partition on most Macs. To boot into the recovery partition, you will hold down the command key and the r key simultaneously. Your Mac will take a while to boot up, and you’ll get a number of different options. You won’t see an option to reset your password. Apple doesn’t want to make it obvious.
In the Utilities menu, open Terminal and type
reset Password
to open your Mac’s password reset utility.
Select the user account you want to reset and create a new password for them. After you verify it in the next field and create a suggestion, click
Rescue
and then exit the utility and restart your Mac. You should be able to login with that username.
If you don’t have a recovery partition: you can start the portable Mac installer
Big problem with password reset
Although you can access your user account by resetting this password, you cannot reset the keychain this way. The keychain stores passwords associated with your browser, Wi-Fi networks, and other logins. This prevents hackers from resetting your Mac’s password and then accessing the stored passwords.
If you reset your password, you’ll need to generate a new keychain. One common place you’ll see this problem is Safari. After resetting the user account password, Safari will ask for the keychain password at launch. If you don’t have one, you need to create a new keychain. All those old passwords will not be accessible with the new password.
Why might this not work
If you have FileVault enabled on your startup disk, that password may be separate from your user account. If you stored that key with Apple through your iCloud account, you can reset it with your Apple ID login. If you created a recovery key when you set up FileVault, you can use it. If you don’t have those, you may not be able to access your Mac.
How to enable FileVault: It encrypts your drive and prevents authorized people from seeing your contents. We have a complete guide
Another possibility is that the operating system is corrupted. The problem is not with the password, but with the Mac. The easiest way to verify this is to boot into the recovery partition and check the disk. Reinstalling your Mac operating system should fix this type of problem.
How to prevent this problem
Passwords are hard to remember, so don’t blame yourself if you forget yours. Right now you should go to your Users & Groups preferences and make sure you have a password hint. Select your account, then click Change password… and enter your old and new passwords (they can be the same) and then remember to give yourself a hint.
You can also change your password to match your Apple ID and iCloud passwords. Here is one less password for you to remember. I like to have separate passwords because this creates another layer of security for my Mac. Even if you have my iCloud password, you won’t be able to access my Mac.
Whichever method you choose, don’t use the same password everywhere, and store your Mac’s unique password in a password manager. We had a
Basic Instructions
for password only.
SEE ALSO: How to use Migration Assistant to set up a new Mac
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
