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Password/Passphrase help

G

G3Bronze

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 17, 2004
2
0
This is my first post to this forum. I'm a new G3 PowerBook user, having just purchased one on eBay. I'm trying to update the OS to Panther which I use on other Macs but ran into a snag with not knowing the former owner's Password/Passphrase.

How can I by-pass this step or delete the former password so I can begin using my own password?

Any guidance appreciated.
 
G3Bronze said:
This is my first post to this forum. I'm a new G3 PowerBook user, having just purchased one on eBay. I'm trying to update the OS to Panther which I use on other Macs but ran into a snag with not knowing the former owner's Password/Passphrase.

How can I by-pass this step or delete the former password so I can begin using my own password?

Any guidance appreciated.
Click to expand...
You can reset the password when you start-up from the installation CD.
 
BTW, to start up from the CD you insert the CD and restart while pressing the C key.
 
Password/Passphrase

Unfortunately, no CDs came with the computer. I've ordered an original manual.
 
You're screwed...

G3Bronze said:
Unfortunately, no CDs came with the computer. I've ordered an original manual.
Click to expand...
You have to get a hold of the original CDs, find someone to lend you their's or purchase a copy of panther and do a clean install. Whomever sold you the computer like that is kinda shady.
 
Hold on though, how were you going to upgrade to Panther?
You must have those disks, right?

You may have to back up all the valuable stuff and do a clean install or...

...there may be a way of getting round this by logging as Root user and/or using Terminal, but I can't help you with that.

But somebody else here may...
 
Do you have an account on the machine? If so, you can add yourself to the admin group by booting up in command line mode and using the nicl tool.

Instructions for that are here

If you don't have an account on the machine, you should be able to boot up in command line mode, add yourself as a user, and add your account as an admin. You can do almost anything using nicl.

Or am I missing something?
 
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