When you first start using a brand-new Mac or performed a clean install of OS X, you are presented with Setup Assistant, allowing you to create the first user account and specify some initial information, such as keyboard layout and locale.
Mac doesn't make password recovery as difficult as Windows does. Just boot your Mac into single-user mode or recovery mode, you can either create a new admin account or reset lost password of any existing account. No need to use Mac installer disc or third-party software. Method 1: Reset Forgotten MacOS Mojave Password in Single-User Mode. Click Admin roles and privileges. Next to the Super Admin role, click the slider so it's marked Assigned. If other admin roles are available, you can click the slider to assign another role, instead. Important: Have the new administrator add recovery options to their account.
Under certain circumstances, it can be advantageous to re-run the Setup Assistant. Using some command-line trickery, we can do just this without having to erase and reinstall OS X.
What Setup Assistant Does
Setup Assistant is designed to run on the first boot of a fresh install of OS X, which is why you'll only see it when booting up a a brand-new Mac or one that has been erased and had OS X reinstalled.
Besides options for keyboard layout, time zone and asking if you'd like to register, Setup Assistant also lets you create a new user account. As Setup Assistant assumes the account it is creating to be the first, it is always given administrator privileges.
Why Bother?
Photo galleries: now with captions and links!. There may come a time when you need to set up a second user account on a Mac while attempting to resolve a user account issue. If a Mac has only one user account and it seems to be unable to log in correctly (getting stuck at the login window, for example), having a second account will allow you to access OS X and continue troubleshooting.
By re-running Setup Assistant, we can use the process to create a user account that will automatically have administrator privileges, without having to do so via System Preferences, which we might not be able to access.
There are other reasons why re-running it can be advantageous, though in my experience, the above has always been the most common reason to do so. Sure, you can create user accounts using a number of commands, but Setup Assistant is just far easier.
.AppleSetupDone
Every time OS X boots, it checks for the existence of a file known as .AppleSetupDone. This empty file is created after the completion of Setup Assistant. It doesn't exist on a brand-new, out-of-the-box Mac, nor on one that has had a clean installation of OS X.
By removing this file, OS X will assume that Setup Assistant has never been run and will launch it as soon as OS X boots.
Setup Assistant is also run with root privileges, which is why it can create a new user account with administrator privileges without the need for any authorisation.
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Removing .AppleSetupDone
To remove this file, we need to boot the Mac into Single-User Mode. This provides a method of interacting with OS X via the command-line, with full root privileges.
Start up the Mac whilst holding down ⌘-S. After a few moments, you'll see the Mac boot to the command line.
Before continuing, the filesystem must be checked and mounted, so files are't immediately accessible to interact with. To do this, enter the two commands that are displayed within the prompt, one at a time.
The following command will check the filesystem to ensure there are no problems. Enter:
The next command will then mount the filesystem for it to be accessible:
Create New Admin Account Mac Hacking
With the filesystem mounted and accessible, it's time to remove the file so OS X will re-run Setup Assistant:
After that, simply enter reboot and your Mac will restart and boot normally. Only this time, Setup Assistant will launch.
Security Concerns
By now, you're probably wondering why should this be even possible, since someone may use this to gain access to a Mac. Indeed, re-running Setup Assistant would certainly allow for an unauthorised person to create a new account with administrative privileges and gain access to the Mac along with your data.
In terms of security, physical access trumps almost every method of preventing unauthorised access not involving encryption. While a little more complicated with the SSD technology Apple uses in their product lines, access to your data can easily be done simply by removing the Mac's storage device and connecting it to another.
This is where encryption methods such as Firmware Password and FileVault 2 are useful. With a Firmware Password set, it must be entered if the Mac is being booted either into Single-User Mode or to another boot volume. 10.4 usubstitution trig functionsap calculus. FileVault 2 takes this one step further by performing full disk encryption, preventing any form of access to your data unless authorised by entering your user account password - even if the drive is removed and attached to another Mac.
Forgot your Mac's login password? How do I reset lost admin password without Mac OS X installer disc? If you can't sign in to another Admin account, here are several approaches you can take for resetting your forgotten MacOS Mojave password, without reinstalling.
Mac doesn't make password recovery as difficult as Windows does. Just boot your Mac into single-user mode or recovery mode, you can either create a new admin account or reset lost password of any existing account. No need to use Mac installer disc or third-party software.
Method 1: Reset Forgotten MacOS Mojave Password in Single-User Mode
Single-user mode under Mac OS X gives you all root privileges without root password. This allows forgetful users to create a new admin account when they're locked out of Mac due to forgetting password.
- Power on or restart your Mac. When you hear the startup chime, hold down the Command and S keys simultaneously to enter into single-user mode.
Your Mac will display the scrolling white text during bootup. When it stops, enter the following commands one by one. Press Enter after each command:
- Your Mac will restart and you need to go through the entire setup process as if it was a brand new Mac. Don't worry, all of your pre-existing data is still available. Just go ahead and it will let you create a new Administrator account.
- Once you're logged in to the new account, you can reset forgotten Mac password of your original account through System Preferences.
With the filesystem mounted and accessible, it's time to remove the file so OS X will re-run Setup Assistant:
After that, simply enter reboot and your Mac will restart and boot normally. Only this time, Setup Assistant will launch.
Security Concerns
By now, you're probably wondering why should this be even possible, since someone may use this to gain access to a Mac. Indeed, re-running Setup Assistant would certainly allow for an unauthorised person to create a new account with administrative privileges and gain access to the Mac along with your data.
In terms of security, physical access trumps almost every method of preventing unauthorised access not involving encryption. While a little more complicated with the SSD technology Apple uses in their product lines, access to your data can easily be done simply by removing the Mac's storage device and connecting it to another.
This is where encryption methods such as Firmware Password and FileVault 2 are useful. With a Firmware Password set, it must be entered if the Mac is being booted either into Single-User Mode or to another boot volume. 10.4 usubstitution trig functionsap calculus. FileVault 2 takes this one step further by performing full disk encryption, preventing any form of access to your data unless authorised by entering your user account password - even if the drive is removed and attached to another Mac.
Forgot your Mac's login password? How do I reset lost admin password without Mac OS X installer disc? If you can't sign in to another Admin account, here are several approaches you can take for resetting your forgotten MacOS Mojave password, without reinstalling.
Mac doesn't make password recovery as difficult as Windows does. Just boot your Mac into single-user mode or recovery mode, you can either create a new admin account or reset lost password of any existing account. No need to use Mac installer disc or third-party software.
Method 1: Reset Forgotten MacOS Mojave Password in Single-User Mode
Single-user mode under Mac OS X gives you all root privileges without root password. This allows forgetful users to create a new admin account when they're locked out of Mac due to forgetting password.
- Power on or restart your Mac. When you hear the startup chime, hold down the Command and S keys simultaneously to enter into single-user mode.
Your Mac will display the scrolling white text during bootup. When it stops, enter the following commands one by one. Press Enter after each command:
- Your Mac will restart and you need to go through the entire setup process as if it was a brand new Mac. Don't worry, all of your pre-existing data is still available. Just go ahead and it will let you create a new Administrator account.
- Once you're logged in to the new account, you can reset forgotten Mac password of your original account through System Preferences.
Method 2: Reset Forgotten MacOS Mojave Password in Recovery Mode
Mac's Recovery Mode gives users the ability to not only reinstall MacOS, but also to reset forgotten admin password. This should be the easiest approach to restore access to your Mac account.
- Power on your Mac. Immediately hold down the Command and R keys at the same time until you see the loading bar appear under the Apple logo.
- After booting into Recovery Mode, a MacOS Utilities screen will appear. Click the Utilities menu at the top of your screen and then select Terminal.
- At the Terminal window, type resetpassword and hit Enter.
- This launches the Reset Password screen, which asks you to select an admin user you know the password for. Just click on the 'Forgot all password' link.
- The next screen will list all user accounts on your Mac. Just click the Set Password button next to the account you want to reset the password for.
- In the pop-up window, enter the new password, confirm it, and click on Set Password.
- Now you can restart the Mac from the Apple menu, and login with your new password.
The above methods will help you reset forgotten MacOS Mojave password when you're locked out of the Admin account, without losing any files except the login Keychain.
Create New Admin Account Mac Hacker
Hack Mac Create New Admin Account
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