How to reset the password on a Mac

ID: 125092

Description: If you forgot the password to your Mac or you...

Steps:

1. Shut down your Mac
2. Press and hold the Command + S keys while pressing the power button to turn on your Mac.
3. It is best to start holding the keys before the screen turns on or you hear the startup chime. If you see the Apple logo, then you need to shut down and to do this step over. Except on a Mac with a T2 chip, the Apple logo will always appear the second the computer turns on.
4. You should see a black screen with white text.

5. When the text stops, you should see a line that says "localhost:/ root#" at the bottom. If you don't see "localhost:/ root#", press enter.
6. Type in "mount -uw"
7. Some more text will appear on the screen. when you see the "localhost:/ root#"at the bottom, continue to the next step

8. Type in, "rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone" and press enter/ return
9. This is case sensitive!
10. There must be a space in between the rm and / otherwise you will get a "no such file or directory" error
11. This method WILL NOT work if FileVault is enabled on the startup disk.

12. If you get a message that says "override r------- root/wheel for /var/db/.AppleSetupDone?", type in "y" and press enter/return.
13. You may get an error that says, "rm: /var/db/.AppleSetupDone: read-only file system.
14. If you don't see a message that says "override r------- root/wheel for /var/db/.AppleSetupDone?", then continue to the next step.

15. Type in "reboot" and press enter/return.

16. Your Mac will now reboot to the Setup Assistant. You can now set up your Mac.

17. You have now created a new user account with full administrator access. All the user accounts created prior to this remain untouched.