I Forgot My System Preferences Password
- Enter your Apple ID to get started. You’ve come to the right place to reset a forgotten password. For your security, we’ll ask you a few questions to verify that you’re the owner of this account.
- Now since you forgot your password, just enter wrong passwords many times on the login screen, and you will see a message just as you can see in the screenshot below that states that you can reset the password using the Apple ID. There you can also see a small arrow that you have to click to reset the password. Follow the on-screen instruction.
- System preferences won't let me reset Apple ID password I'm trying to change my Apple ID password since I forgot it, and in order to do so my system preferences prompts me to enter the password I use to log into my Mac.
Usually, the person who first set up the Mac has an admin account by default, but you can check by logging in to your account and opening System Preferences Users & Groups and viewing the list of. How to reset iPad passcode when you have access to it? If you remember your iPad password, then.
Your Mac asks you to enter the name and password of an admin account when it needs to verify that you have permission to make changes. For example, you must authenticate as an administrator when you click the lock in System Preferences, enter certain commands in Terminal, or set a firmware password.
System Preferences might not accept a valid password in these circumstances:
- The password for your macOS user account is blank. If you have been using a blank password to log in to your Mac, change your password in Users & Groups preferences. Don't use a blank password.
- While using macOS Big Sur 11.1, your Mac with Apple T2 Security Chip has an issue that requires resetting the SMC. System Preferences should accept your password after you reset the SMC.
Dec 16, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
There could be situations when you need to hack your own Mac and situations when you have trouble remembering your login password. Do not freak out when this happens - it is not a big deal. Learning how to reset or bypass Mac OS X password will be a great advantage because not only are you able to have access back into your Mac, but also keep your Mac better protected as bypassing the login password is easy.
Part 1: How to Reset Login Password
As a good practice, we recommend refreshing your login password regularly. There are a couple of ways to do it.
Open the Apple menu located on the upper-right corner of the screen. Open 'System Preferences' and click on 'Users & Groups'.
Type in your username and password to 'Unlock' the Users & Groups preferences.
In the left panel, highlight your username. Click 'Reset Password'.
Key in your new password and verify it. For future reference, it is highly recommended that you place a hint. To finish the process, click the 'Change Password' button.
Part 2: How to Bypass Mac OS X Password
Now, while refreshing your password may be good practice, it is tiresome to remember your password. At one point or another, many of us just forget our passwords and there is no way for you to enter your account on your Mac.
Do not worry about that. Here are some ways you can bypass the Mac OS X password and regain access to your computer.
Method 1: Mac OS X installer CD
Pop in the Mac OS X installer CD and hold the 'C' button while you restart your Mac. Wait until the Apple logo and the 'Mac OS X Utilities' window appear. On the menu bar at the top of the screen, click 'Utilities'.
Click 'Terminal' and type 'resetpassword' in the prompt. Press the 'Enter' button on your keyboard.
Select the specific 'Volume Hard Drive' in the top section of the window. Select the 'User Account' that needs its password to be reset and enter the new password. Verify the password and click the 'Save' button.
Click 'OK' when the prompt asks you to verify your actions.
Once you get into your desktop, restart your Mac to boot it back to normal and log in using your new password.
Method Two: Reset the Password in Single User Mode
Not all of us keep the installer CD or know where we have kept it. Therefore, this method will come in handy. It will involve some command-line footwork, but do not let that scare you away.
Restart your Mac while holding the 'CMD' and 'S' buttons. Your Mac will boot itself into the Single User Mode.
Type the following commands and press 'Enter' on your keyboard after each line and wait until it prompts you to key in the next line.
If your Mac is running Snow Leopard or below, type the following and change username and new password accordingly:
If the Mac is running Lion or above, type the following commands instead, changing the username and new password accordingly:
You should now be able to access your Mac without restrictions.
Part 3: Protecting your Mac from Mac OS X Password Bypass
As you can see, it is really easy to hack into your own Mac. Therefore, you need to protect it from malicious intent. To add protection to your device, you can set up a firmware password. By having this layer of protection, an unauthorized third party will not be able to reset your machine even in single-user mode.
I Forgot My System Preferences Password Settings
Here is how to go about it.
Pop in the Mac OS X Installer CD and wait for it to boot. You will soon be able to see the 'OS X 'Utilities' window.
Open the 'Utilities' menu and click 'Firmware Password Utility' to set a firmware password.
Check the checkbox, enter your firmware password and verify it. To apply the password, click 'OK'.
You can also add another layer of protection with 'FileVault'.
Open the 'Apple Menu' located on the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Open 'System Preferences' and click on 'Security & Privacy'.
Open the 'FileVault' tab and click 'Turn On FileVault'. Your disk is now encrypted.
As you can see, password recovery for Mac is easy to execute and usually does not take a long time to do - it is simple enough for you to save a trip to the Apple store. However, since it is uncomplicated to do, your Mac is vulnerable towards invasion. Therefore, it is important to know how to hack your own Mac and protect it from any unwanted attention!
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