Tell me more ×
Ask Different is a question and answer site for power users of Apple hardware and software. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 2 down vote favorite

I recently changed my password and promptly forgot it :P What is the best option for resetting it? I can still access the mac via SSH (ssh key auth method), can I do anything with that?

share|improve this question
2  
Try this: osxdaily.com/2010/08/10/… - Google is our friend :D – Scott S Jul 5 '12 at 13:17
My preference is to boot to single user mode and make a new admin account. You'll need access to the mac locally either way unless you happen to have access to a second admin account. Then you can use sudo to overwrite the "lost" password. – bmike♦ Jul 5 '12 at 15:21

2 Answers

up vote 1 down vote

No - the typical ways to reset a password or delete the file that lets the Mac reboot to the setup assistant where it lets you create a new admin user that will have a known password all require you to know a working user/password combination that works for sudo.

You'll want to boot to the Recovery HD or install media or into single user mode to make a new admin user (which can be deleted once you've reset your password) or use the normal OSX procedure to reset your password.

share|improve this answer
up vote -1 down vote

If you are an administrative user (or can login as one on the shell prompt), you should be able to use sudo passwd USER to change the password.

share|improve this answer
2  
No, that requires the old password. Unless you can run it as root, which he can't. – Harald Hanche-Olsen Jul 5 '12 at 14:20
sudo should be enough, of course this still requires him to be logged in as an admin user (or to be able to ssh into an admin account). – patrix♦ Jul 5 '12 at 16:42

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.