Help with MBP set up.

[Jedi5]

Trying to help my buddy set up his new MBP.
He's had for about a week now and for whatever reason, he forgot his PW.
I'm thing he forgot his admin PW.

According to my buddy, he gets prompted for a PW to delete in the trash bin,
log on to iChat, and on login. But he doesn't know what his PW is or which one he used.

I tried to walk him thru the steps to reset a PW in the Sys Pre > Account > Change PW.

Thing is he needs his current PW to reset which is what he doesn't know.

Is there an easy way to do this, reset his admin PW?

He's had the MBP for about week.
Can he just reinstall the OS and start from scratch?
I don't think he has any files on his HD that he will lose.

 

[macieks72]

Hi,

Try this
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1274

 

[Jedi5]

hi mac.

yup, tried that last night and didn't work.
in order to change your PW, you need to know your current one which
he doesn't know.

 

[Jason Beck]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...fai=CGjBOQOopTImCKpae7AOV9unGCAAAAKoEBU_QbWrf

Google.

"If you do not know the password for the account you are using, you can still reset it. See our instructions on how to Change a forgotten Mac OS X account password."

Even better:

http://www.rit.edu/its/services/desktop_support/mac/xchangepasswordforgot.html

 

[Jedi5]

Sorry to bump this thread...

So I'm finally getting ready to help my buddy out.
From what I've read, to correct the forgotten PW, we'll need
the OS disk and go from there.

For those of you have done this before, is this as easy as the instructions make it seem?

resetting original admin pw

I ask because this is my buddy's very first computer ever.
So if we try doing this over phone, i'm afraid i'm going to ask to check his hard drive and his response will be "what's a hard drive?".

so maybe him coming over is the solution??

thanks.

 

[JediMeister]

Resetting the password is quite straightforward, you just need someone to follow directions and not start clicking impulsively. While booted to the install disc, your friend could erase the drive or unintentionally start reinstalling the OS.

My recommendation is, if it's as recent a purchase as you say it is, to let your friend try AppleCare. He should be well into his free 90 days. If he likes the service he gets, that may keep him out of your hair in the coming 3 years if he buys the phone support.