How To Reset Your OS X Password If You Forget It

A handy tip if you lose your password.
Follow me on Twitter: / michaelsteeber
Follow Cult Of Mac on Twitter: / cultofmac
For more how-tos, check out www.cultofmac.com

[@daydreamer415]

OMG IT WORKED! Every time I try to learn something from KZbin, I'm always in the small percentage that it doesn't work for. THANKS!! 😂

[@drummergoddess1]

What if you don’t have multiple options for hard drives? No recovery HD option

[@thaliamarie2628]

Still relevant in 2023!! Thank you so much. Have a very old desktop and your video is the only one that worked for me after searching most of today. I appreciate it and have subscribed 😀

[@tvandstuff]

Me too thanks so much

[@Lolaaaz1341]

My mom (66 years old) forgot her password on her macOS mojave 10.14 desktop and didn't write it down somewhere when her memory fails. Luckily she has me for a daughter to figure this out for her. I followed your vid guide and presto she's back in business. Thank goodness for your how-to-vid:-)

[@Y0ungEntr3preneur]

Thank you so much!!! I have an old computer and I couldn’t remember the password for the life of me 😂 This was a great video! Very easy and straight to the point!

[@luybapr3208]

I had to subscribe because I actually set a new password on my new IMac without knowing and couldn't get into my computer, so I watched this video and got in to my computer, thank you so much, very helpful.

[@Mikle707]

Dude!!! This is such a great help!!! Haven’t touched my Mac in years and forgot the password. Thanks soooo much!!

[@johnnyespinal2291]

Wow I was about to freak out.I forgot my password for my Mac. Found this vid and saved the day. Thanks!

[@asimas3386]

I actually cannot thank you enough. I have been searching and trying every password for DAYS. This is so helpful thank you so much.

[@kejrv300]

This is what I'm talking about quick and easy tutorial... Thanks a lot....

[@reshmanoranho]

Thank you! I changed my password, even wrote it down, but it wouldnt work and I had to reset my iMac- your instructions were very clear and it worked!

[@ningarmand]

Thanks a lot. You just saved me. I forgot the password and couldn't remember that. This is very very helpful.

[@Startrain2000]

When i use the options key to show my drives there is only one drive. I don't have a back up drive as shown in the video. Does this mean i'm SOL or is there another way to change the password?

[@richellerudinski2004]

Once i choose the hard drive (after holdng down the option key) it still brought me to the regular start up screen?

[@noeljohnson690]

Fantastic. I’ve just bought a used Mac and needed to reset the user password. Thank you.

[@hipass_]

1:07 to skip

[@mrselfieephotobooth4701]

thank you lol

[@yassiralarcon268]

Thanks

[@darkrisesxx4772]

Jae thanks

[@andresteppa9767]

@Justin Bill this is a scam don’t do it here

[@TT7Fate]

AHHHH THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!! My brother had changed the password like 2 years ago on my old iMac and I’ve been trying to use the computer for over 1 year but couldn’t until now!! thanks

[@notaclue5554]

Thank You!!!! From now on, Cult of Mac first to go.... MAC GODs....

[@hart2hart2009]

Thanks so much, I was struggling for hours and your video was so helpful!!

[@mrscillalatte]

Wow I couldn’t thank you enough 🙏🏻 you made this possible. Love this video!!!

[@thinktank8389]

Okay, I hit create new keychain, and it just logged me in with no additional steps, can i assume new pw is now the keychain pw also? Thanks

[@mohammedalghamdy1094]

I can't get it to the recovery mode. Maybe the machine does not have a hard drive installed? although I get the password screen always. iMac 24" 2009 version 10.6

[@annruthyap-jequinto7825]

Thank you so much Michael! It worked for me with the easy instructions to follow.

[@cs77smith67]

Naw no way lol

[@969ripper]

im trying to reset a macbook unibody that has OS X 10.6 im locked out of cmd s , option and p r type resets. what gives? thank you ripper

[@GoBurts]

Super easy. Thanks for the tutorial!

[@powerbookg4apple]

hi my new iMac keyboard bought this year does not have the command button please help ?

[@missnatalangkouw]

I have change my keyboard but not the original i mac and have diferent keyword dont has command key and utilities how about that?

[@kdixon2119]

Seriously...you are a Mac hero. It worked for me!

[@Alyonatells]

I followed these steps and was able to reset my password! Thank you so much for this video!

[@zizzwithzezzo8127]

i need help with my macbook pro, i bought it used at a mac store and i cant change the admin password, the store didnt give me a password for it, when i reset my mac and hold command and r it just loads right up it doesnt go to that loading screen....i need help

[@sirckl]

does this work for the "Master Password" too or just the regular user login password?

[@Ricketan]

Thanks so. Much this helped tremendously.

[@shahzadkn1]

I am using Yosemite but when I reboot with option key pressed, it only give me on option (main disk) to boot from, I don't see other options and so it always reboots regular..do I need to do something else?

[@StephenPickering]

Thanks so much. I am able to get to the terminal, but at that point my Logitech Bluetooth keyboard isn’t able to enter text. Any ideas? Thanks so much.

[@joshuathegr8]

Do u lose all your data on your computer and do u have to go over all the setting up stuff again

[@lwc2009]

what version of OS X has this feature?? we are faced with this very problem and I dont believe our OS is making the Recovery Drive... thank you for any help you can give me on this...

[@carissasharesallvlogs]

Still goes in to the log in screen for me

[@jaidahaynes22]

This was so helpful! Thank you!

[@independentmind9487]

hi, does this work for OS X yosmite 10.10 macbook pro ?

[@gailkennaugh2249]

Thank you for saving my life with your video.

[@d4yz44]

I don’t use an apple keyboard on mine I use a light up gaming one, so what button would I press instead of the “option” button??

[@Lucas-ku9ep]

You ever figure it out?

[@naizalhargana]

Hello. I need to reset my password. Does this work for current version? Thanks @CultofMactv

[@billclinton51]

Hey, as someone has mention...when trying to reset my Administrative Password, I do not have in the Reset Password Box, a Hard Drive. What also hurts, I took (2) pictures of me setting my password. But somehow I CAN'T Remember the Combination. Username & Password. (FYI, I bought my MacBook Pro X from a Pawn Shop, everything works properly.) So what are my options, please help.!!!!!

[@aneff70]

Awesome video. Saved me from having to reimage laptop. Thank you.

[@denonemeth2006]

Hi micheal ,do this work on an older mac from 2007. 10.9.5

[@00heiaret00]

Hey m8, how can i delete a windows partition on my iMac 10.7.0 something? Thnks in advances and cheers on ur video.

[@bobfinegan5061]

Thanks for the info. it sounds easy. I don't know which name the OS is but its a 10.9.5

[@applecheeks21]

Do you have a similar way for Snow Leopard?

[@moleculedesign5100]

Michael, Hi, i tried this and it didn't work. I have no clue what my machine is or processor. Do you have any other options? Thanks, Adriana

[@phillphilus3551]

My iMac version 10.9.5 isn't erasing. If I of and power on holding on to command r or s nothing happens but rather boot back to the desk top

[@wegotthejuicebrothers6506]

After I hold the options down what if I only have one option which is the “untitled” drive?

[@jonahpecina3095]

I know that happend to me to sadly

[@amitbabbar859]

Were you able to find a solution?

[@Petroalba]

very helpful thank you Michael

[@tomrodgers8237]

At start-up, pressing and holding 'options' key doesn't action... nor does holding 'option' an 'R' keys down together. It loads to the sign in page - where I still can't remember the password!

[@michaeltrees5778]

Does this work on mac mini in 2019?

[@bittushashank3922]

If I am holding the option button it us showing lock symbol under which a password to be entered I dont know it so Wt to do

[@MrBMW83]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS... IT HELP A LOT AFTER TRYING EVERYTHING AROUND 👍

[@karenortega2046]

When we did this it worked to open up the Macintosh HD file but the mouse or screen froze up each time and then we couldn’t click on that file. So we still could not reset the password.

[@AA-jq2up]

Sir maybe you can help me regarding iMac, I buy this to a friend but his account or name still there, I try to erase all content and setting ,what happen is ,I go to disc utilities,2nd is re install OS X but the problem is I don't know the Apple ID and password of the owner. What happen is I can't open the iMac now stuck up.what can I do now sir?

[@WhaddupSNAKE]

You have saved me such a hassle.. thanks a lot!

[@yuencheng2932]

very helpful video. Thanks.

[@danendesign]

Thank you thank you thank you! I was ripping my hair out trying to get this fixed!

[@mpsmwr8420]

You won't believe how much I love you... Thanks...thanks a ton

[@Beeh-zi5dp]

When i hold down the option key a lock comes out on my screen i enetered the only password i have but it doesnt do anything i dont know what its asking me.for, I've tried holding down command R and command S and it does absolutely nothing, can you please help me ASAP? THANK YOU in advance

[@carlzg14]

Thanks for your video, it was a great help.

[@PumperWolf]

Wow, luckily I never forgot my OSX password since I'm in Mac as my primary machine.

[@ThePorchpicker]

PumperWolf I didn’t have problems until I was hacked

[@emilymelton9005]

what do you do if the terminal response is command not found?

[@DigitalIPACA]

Thank-you so much for posting this. Saved me hours of time.

[@christopherviveros6155]

Does it actually work

[@samanthapatanjo]

i have a question after i put the resetpassword thing in there was nothing in the volume thing and i wasn’t able to reset it can u help!!!!!!

[@WilsonKowaleski]

Great job! Will be following!

[@melrussarrangements]

Thanks. This was very helpful.

[@seansomething9779]

Looking for a video about the command line crap on a mac mini...... this must be newer than my machine, says it has os x but not a name like lion or anything

[@mrvaedar8168]

please help, when i click enter it types out more -bash-3.2# and continues to do that if i press enter, and the command is not excecuted

[@rudyleinbock7687]

When I do that the select the volume containing their use your account it’s empty there’s no drives so what do I do?

[@garyoverstreet2503]

After I enter and confirm the password, then I click save. The second window pops up telling me about the keychain password. When I click OK on that box it takes me back to the reset password box but now the two password fields are empty. I can't get past this point!

[@All2Skitzd]

Thank you, I found a iMac with a free sign on it and this got me in

[@Kyung2412]

I did all that but the only drive that pop up is OS X Base System. What do I do please help.

[@Abhi90th]

Hi I have a Mac OS X I am unable to login to terminal with process you have shown,, need help to login pleas help

[@LykaDailyVlogs]

Help i dony have the recovery hd

[@LeosSonOfGod]

My Mac mini HD doesn't show on selecting a volume screen :(

[@samselim7125]

Will this keep all of the data on the mac?

[@mohammedazizullah4044]

Thank you very much for very beneficial knowledge shared.God bless you.

[@querochita]

Hi I did hall the steps but I don't see my disc And the user account says "No available" Can you help me please?

[@henalparekh58]

hi! when i type resetpassword, i am not getting any options, instead of that it is saying command not found. what should i do now ? please help.

[@samanthapatanjo]

Henal Parekh did u ever figure it out?

[@crazyroy1990]

This is really bugging me now. I'm trying to find a way to get into my iMac because I have forgotten the password and every video I watch tells me to just go ahead a restart the computer and hold this and that down, well I can't restart the computer because I can't log on to do so! I'm stick on the enter password log in page

[@rowenakiyama1440]

Hi! what if there is no volume containing my user account? I can't remember and i dont have recovery key :(

[@FoxMaster2002]

I have a a different but a similar problem. So I don't know my administrator password, but i don't need to type it whenever I start up my Mac. I just need to type it whenever I'm downloading something, or allow to do changes in System Preferences, and I don't have the CD. PLEASE HELP!!!

[@MrSku11y]

Do what he showed and create a new password first. Then try root as your user name it worked for me.

[@callagc5922]

I have the same issue. Only needing the password to change may time or add adobe software. Hello did you get a resolution to your problem?

[@me1547]

Call AGC I have the same problem . If you fixed it , can you tell me how ?

[@leerob342]

I have the same issue now. What was your solution if you remember it from six years ago?! ahah. So this little trick doesnt help us??

[@leerob342]

@@callagc5922 Did you find out a solution??? I have the same

[@ribkakeflay2670]

Hi, what is I hold option and only have Macintosh HD

[@baileygal2875]

Does it work on Mavericks?

[@kimberlylegenddreamer321]

My Mac dose not have a Recovery HD drive can some help me out???

[@bro.genx7232]

Thanks for this! Big help.

[@pravdarecords9089]

Its work with Mac OS X at last?

[@ikutie5685]

Is it working on mac osx 10.4 ?

[@megatron9244]

Thanks man your video was a great help.

[@ThirdzThird]

Thank you very much. It work. Easy to understand more than apple support.

[@markregdresources4358]

what happens if you only have one drive available? I have no "recovery" drive. just the one I need the password for?

[@whereverland499]

Saved my day, thanks. Still valuable information in 2020

[@christopherviveros6155]

Does it actually work? Please don’t be lying

[@basseyisaac1222]

I was thinking i would never be able to unlock my MacBook not until @exceptional_tools on lG saved my ass thanks so much man..

[@BonVoyageWorld]

2021

[@danfeld8]

Thanks! Worked perfectly.

[@denonemeth2006]

Hi there my name is Deno and I just bought this 2007mac10.9.5 I tried to do what you did but it's not working ,is there any other way yo can plz help me

[@aaronkiwha2250]

are you running osx 10.8 or 10.7

[@beautywbri7540]

Thank u very much this was so helpful!