how to recover admin Password on a mac?

Question

i have forgotten my password on my admin account is there a way to find it without deleting my files? or resetting the password all i have is the admin and the limited user (of course i forget the important users password)

Answer 1

Short answer: no.



Long answer:



(Assuming you're running OS X)



No, not without resetting the admin password (you'll also need a Mac OS X installation DVD - preferably closest to the current version installed on the Mac).



To be honest, the only kind of person who would want to get the admin password but not reset it would be someone trying to gain access to the administrative account of someone else's Mac - and, while I appreciate that this may not be the case, it is NEVER a good idea to break into someone's system. Even if it is because you can't run an application under the limited account.



Nevertheless - if you change your mind regarding the resetting of the password, get a hold of your OS X installation DVD and boot from it - put it in your drive, reboot the Mac, and hold down C while it reboots to do this. Select your langauge and click the right arrow button.



On this screen, the password reset app will be under either:



Utilities > Password Reset

Utilities > Reset Password

Installer > Reset Password



(depending on your OS X version)



Select the hard drive on which Mac OS X is installed, choose the admin user from the drop down box, and enter a new password for the user. Click Save. Click the close button in the upper left corner to close Password Reset. From the Mac OS X Installer menu, choose "Quit Mac OS X Installer...". Click the Restart button.



You should now find that your Mac's admin password has been reset. Please try and remember it. :)



If your Mac does not have an optical drive or you have an issue not handled by this answer, please click the Apple Support link in my Sources section.



Thank you.

Answer 2

I always find it difficult to believe that people forget the admin password for their Macs. It is needed to install any new software, to upgrade software and in some cases to change settings. If it really is your Mac, when you try your admin password about 5 times, a hint will come up to tell you what it is. You should be able to remember it then.

Answer 3

If you have the Mac OS X CD that was used to install your system in the beginning, then you can use that CD to gain access to your Mac and change the password for any or all of the existing accounts. For detailed instructions on how to do this, visit the Apple support document titled “Changing your Administrator password“. After you’ve finished resetting your password or passwords, be sure to store away the system CD in a safe place since anyone who has it essentially has unrestricted access to your Mac.

Answer 4

bypass to start, Run and variety in "administration userpasswords2." a sparkling window will then arise with all your passwords, etc. indexed. click to spotlight the Administrator account and hit the Reset Password button. variety in a sparkling password in the two the hot Password and make sure New Password bins. click ok and your passwords gets replaced.