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Creating an Adminstrator User in Single User Mode? (Tiger)

A

ardesigns

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 20, 2008
59
0
Hi. I lost the install disk for my computer (Mac OS X 10.4, Tiger), and need to change my password (I forgot it :(). I can only access single user mode. Is there any way that I can create an Administrator-Status user in Single User Mode? (NOTE: The "root" user isn't really an option since I enabled it a while ago and it has the same password as my current user, which I forgot...).

Thanks,
ARDesigns

P.S.
I have already tried this tutorial:
http://www.macshadows.com/kb/index.php?title=Gain_Administrative_Control_of_Mac_OS_X
But could not get beyond the "sh etc/rc" part. I typed that in and it outputted a bunch of lines, then went to a blank, blue screen where all I could do was move my mouse :(. Maybe if someone could help me fix that problem, I could use the solution found in that tutorial? I'm not really sure though, I'm lost! Please help! Thanks again!
 
I'm on leopard, so I'm sure if this will work or not. You can create a new account and set it as admim. Or you could just delete you keychain and start a new one.
 
Well the problem is I can't get on the computer! Single User Mode is all I've got...

Thanks,
ARDesigns
 
Ehh...I'd rather do it myself than wait a few days in a line...

Thanks,
ARDesigns
 
If you know the name of one user, try this.

Boot into single user mode. Substitute the youruser name below. Then continue with:

mount -uw /
nicl -raw /var/db/netinfo/local.nidb -merge /groups/admin users youruser

If you get a message saying "invalid path", then type these two commands first:

nicl -raw /var/db/netinfo/local.nidb -create /groups/admin gid 80


nicl -raw /var/db/netinfo/local.nidb -create /groups/admin passwd '*'

and then repeat the "nicl ... -merge" command. Then:

reboot

You will now be able to login as 'youruser' and have administrative privileges.
 
No, I don't know the name :(! The login window isn't in list mode. Maybe I'm not doing this right, but I'm supposed to go into Single User Mode, and after typing fsck -y and mount -uaw , I'm supposed to type sh /etc/rc and then hit enter/return? When I do that there are some lines outputted, and then the screen just goes blue?!

Thanks!

~ARDesigns
 
MacBook Pro, bought sometime last year. Mac OS X 10.4.9 Tiger.
I don't think that's very relevant though, is it?

Thanks,
ARDesigns
 
Its hard for me to understand someone not knowing their password but I can comprehend it but how do you not know your own user name?
 
ardesigns said:
MacBook Pro, bought sometime last year. Mac OS X 10.4.9 Tiger.
I don't think that's very relevant though, is it?

Thanks,
ARDesigns
Click to expand...


It is relevant when someone doesn't even knows the users on his computer. :rolleyes:I may only imagine this if that computer was stolen and you are trying to access the data:mad:, but well, hope this is not the case.:)
 
Thanks for your blatant rudeness, and no, I have the receipt in my email, I can forward it to you if you'd like. I was repairing it.

~ARDesigns
 
ardesigns said:
Thanks for your blatant rudeness, and no, I have the receipt in my email, I can forward it to you if you'd like. I was repairing it.

~ARDesigns
Click to expand...

Sorry man, you just got me on a wrong day. Like 2 days before that post, my new macbook pro was stolen from my car, it had merely 5 days since I bought it. Nice yours is not what I thought then. Good luck clearing the password. Still, that doesn't explain why you didn't remember your username...just kidding.:)
 
Easy Fix

Not sure why people are jumping to the conclusion that you've stolen it. I just bought an old Mac on eBay that has come from a university and I have the same issue. I do have install disks, but I can't be bothered with all that, as this is easy to fix.

Boot into single user mode (Command + S on startup).
Type: sh /etc/rc

Now, if you don't know any usernames on the system, just type the following:

cd /Users
ls

Now you can look at the directory name, which will be the same as the username.

passwd username

Enter your new password.

shutdown -r now

Mac will reboot and you can now log in. Go to System Prefs and set up a new admin user account, or whatever you want.

Job done.
 
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