So you're trying to use your Mac, but you can't get past the login screen because you can't remember your password. First, make sure Caps Lock is not enabled, as passwords are case sensitive. Then try using your password hint by clicking on the question mark in the password field. But if you still can't sign in, don't contact Apple Support yet. How to reset your admin password on a Mac, even if you forgot your admin password.
How to reset administrator password on Mac
The easiest way to reset your administrator password is to enter recovery mode. How to do that:
- Restart your Mac. You can only access recovery mode while the laptop is booting up. That's why you have to restart it.
- While it restarts, hold down the Command + R keys until you see the Apple logo.If you see the login screen, restart and repeat this step until you get into recovery mode.
- Go to the Apple menu at the top and click Utilities. A drop-down menu will open.
- Then click Terminal.
- Type "resetpassword" in the terminal window. Do not use spaces between words.
- Then press Enter. This will open the Password Reset Assistant screen.
- Enter your password and a hint.
Note: If you have multiple user accounts or an older Mac, select 'forgot all passwords' and then select the user account you want to reset the password for. Finally, click the Apple icon in the top left corner and select Restart from the drop-down menu.
- Finally, click Restart. When you get to the login screen, select the admin user you just reset the password for and enter your new password. Click Enter.
How to reset your password with your Apple ID
If you try to sign in multiple times, you'll see a pop-up message asking if you want to reset your password with your Apple ID. Follow these steps to continue:
- Click the arrow to use your Apple ID.
- Enter your Apple ID and password.
- Then press Enter. Immediately afterwards you will be asked to restart your computer.
- Click Restart to continue.
- Log in with your new password.
If you can reach your desktop, you have successfully reset or changed your password.
How to reset your password using a different administrator account
If your Mac has more than one user and you know the login information for another account, you can use that account to log in and reset your password. This is how you do it:
- Log in to a different administrator account.
- Go to System Preferences. You will find this in your Applications folder.
- Then click on Users and Group.
- Click on the padlock in the lower left corner of the window. You will need to re-enter the username and password for that user.
- Select the user whose password you want to reset and then click Reset Password.
- Fill in the required fields and press Enter.
- Then log out of the current user account. You will then arrive at the login screen.
- Log in to the account for which you just changed the password.
If you still have problems and you want toto install or reinstall macOS on your computerTo wipe it clean and give it a new operating system, check out our previous article here.
FAQs
Click the lock icon in the bottom left corner of the preference pane and enter your administrator password. In the left-hand pane, select the administrator account whose password needs to be reset. Click the Reset Password button in the right pane.
How do I change my administrator password on Mac? ›
Click the lock icon in the bottom left corner of the preference pane and enter your administrator password. In the left-hand pane, select the administrator account whose password needs to be reset. Click the Reset Password button in the right pane.
How do I get admin on Mac without password? ›
You can access the Terminal app by going to the Utilities section in the Applications folder on your Mac. Once in the Terminal app, type in 'sudo su' and hit enter. This will allow you to gain access to the admin privileges. From here, you can unlock the system preferences, make changes, and save the settings.
Can you reset a Mac without the admin password? ›
Press and hold the Command and R keys together and press the power button. This should initiate the MacOS Utilities window. Format the hard drive. Go to the Utilities window, select the “Disk Utility” option, select the hard drive, and click on the “Erase” button.
Why is my Mac not accepting my admin password? ›
MacBook not accepting password situation may be a headache, but don't panic. The explanation could be as simple as the battery on a Bluetooth keyboard failing or the Caps Lock on your keyboard being on. If it's more serious than that, there are things you can do to fix it, including resetting the password.
How do I extract my administrator password? ›
To reset your Windows 10 admin password, select Forgot Password? on your Windows 10 device's sign-in screen. Or, go to the Start menu > Settings > Accounts > Your Info > Manage my Microsoft Account. Select More Options > Edit Profile > Change Your Password. Enter the current password and new password > Save.
What is the default Mac admin password? ›
There is no default password. Either you are in the Setup Assistant in which case it wants you to provide a new password; or, you exited from the Setup Assistant and never assigned a password in which case press RETURN.
Is there a way to reset administrator password? ›
Universal steps
In the "Open:" field, type compmgmt. msc , and then press Enter . Double-click the Users folder. On the right, in the list of local users, right-click the account name for the Administrator account, and select Set Password.
How do I find my administrator password? ›
Discovering Your Windows 10 Admin Password
To check what it is, go to the 'Settings' > 'Accounts' section. In there, you should see a link to 'Sign-in options. ' Click on that and you should be able to see the password associated to your user account.
What is the default password for Mac administrator? ›
There is no default password. Either you are in the Setup Assistant in which case it wants you to provide a new password; or, you exited from the Setup Assistant and never assigned a password in which case press RETURN.
"Reset it using your recovery key"
Enter your FileVault recovery key. It's the string of letters and numbers you received when you turned on FileVault and chose to create a recovery key instead of allowing your Apple ID to reset your password.
How do I quickly restore a missing administrator account on Mac? ›
Quickly restore a missing admin account in OS XReboot into Single User Mode. Restart your computer while holding the Command and S keys, which will drop you to a terminal command prompt. Set the file system to be writable. Recreate the account.
