Password recovery for iMAC

[skellington66]

I'm new iMAC user, even though I grew up using Apple II. I just picked up an iMAC and need to recover the admin password so I can update OS. Can someone help in password recovery of this system. It's OS is 10.2.

Thanks,

Skell

[wrldwzrd89]

I'm new iMAC user, even though I grew up using Apple II. I just picked up an iMAC and need to recover the admin password so I can update OS. Can someone help in password recovery of this system. It's OS is 10.2.

Thanks,

Skell
If the only reason you want the admin password is to update the OS, why even bother when you can boot from the 10.3 CD (which I assume you have) by holding down C while the iMac boots and doing an Archive and Install (do NOT choose the Preserve users and network settings option)? The only downside of doing this is that any third-party applications that installed stuff inside of the System folder will need to be reinstalled.

[skellington66]

I would like to update OS and install new apps without losing any of the ones i have already installed. Does anyone know the way to reset the admin password? As the other person said just to boot off of 10.3 OS, but does that give me admin rights again? Probably not. Can somone help guide me through this.

Skell

[grapes911]

If you boot to the install cd, there should be something called "password reset" or something along those lines in the drop-down menu. I don't have a cd with me to check out exactly what to do, but I know its there. Good luck.

[skellington66]

So, aside from the ppl who are pretty sure they know it works, is there anyone who knows for sure how to recover the admin pass for the machine?

[Counterfit]

What grapes was saying is that you don't need to recover the password, you can just change it to a new one.

[wrldwzrd89]

I haven't used 10.2 in a while, but I'd assume that you can simply change the admin password to something else by booting from the 10.2 install CD and choosing Reset Password from the Installer menu. That's how it's done in 10.3, at least.

[zosma]

I haven't used 10.2 in a while, but I'd assume that you can simply change the admin password to something else by booting from the 10.2 install CD and choosing Reset Password from the Installer menu. That's how it's done in 10.3, at least.

Yes you can reset the password in 10.2 just like 10.3 by booting from the install CD.

[moot]

All the above advice seems great and simple. probably the best way to go.

However if you must really find the original password, there are ways. Jaguar seems to have a flaw in the way it saves passwords. Try doing a google on help for breaking your own password.

One site which came up was this but there are others.
http://www.macos.utah.edu/Documentation/macosx/security/passwd.html

[skellington66]

OK.....I put the 10.2 disc in, booted off the disc, got to the menu and it still asks for the old password in order to reset it. So, am i missing something or did someone leave out a step?