Password recovery

My computer is screwed up. I have mackeeper on it and I'm trying to delete it, but can't. I've tried all the fixes I could find and nothing works. When I move the icon to trash, I have to insert my password, but it tells me my password is wrong. When I tried to reset my password with Apple ID, I am unable to check the box that allows me to change the password. I have a 21.5 Imac with OS X 10.9.5, bought about 5 months ago. Any help will be most appreciated as I think mackeeper is causing lots of problems. Thanks in advance.

Here's the link to their uninstall instructions. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind during the process:

1. You must be using an administrator account on your Mac.
2. When you enter a password are you entering the password for you Mac administrator account or your iTunes account/Apple ID? Those are not always the same.

Thank you for your reply, but I've already tried that method and it didn't work. It requires a password, which I had written down but it doesn't work either. When I try to reset my password, I have to enter my old password, which doesn't work. I feel like I'm on a merry-go-round.
When I tried to reset my password with my Apple ID, the box that needs to be checked in order for me to reset it will not check. Only the admin box is checked.

Okay, I admit I'm dumb about this kind of thing, but what I don't understand is why, in order to reset my password, I have to know what it is. If I knew, I wouldn't need to reset it.

Hmm! Does anybody know how to retrieve a password if you don't know what the password was?

mountainrivers said:

Okay, I admit I'm dumb about this kind of thing, but what I don't understand is why, in order to reset my password, I have to know what it is. If I knew, I wouldn't need to reset it.

Click to expand...

It's to protect you in the case of someone else trying to get into your machine. For example, if you lost it, or it was stolen, without your password they cannot get into the system to see your personal data. They might try to change your PW to get in, but then they'd need your PW to change it. It's security.

Yes, I understand that. It also keeps me from being able to access my own computer. There must be a way to retrieve the password somehow, since it's required to reset your password.

Does nobody know how to do this?

Thank you! That didn't work however. When I typed in "resetpassword" and hit enter, everything froze up. The cursor wouldn't move and the arrow keys did nothing. In the box where the information to change the password is located, it said no users available. I wasn't able to do anything beyond the "resetpassword" screen. I forgot to mention that the first screen I got was asking for what language did I want to use. I selected English. It also said I had to agree to terms of use of the software. I don't know if that means anything, but thought I'd mention it.

Okay! Finally was able to change my Apple Password. I didn't realize that I had to type the quotation marks. But now I'm being asked for a keychain password. I don't even know what that is and I get a small window asking for that PW for various apps. I don't know if I will be able to log back in once I log out. Surely would appreciate some additional help here guys.

Now I'm getting a screen box that says "CalendarAgent wants to use the login keychain". Then it has a place for a PW. It will only go away temporarily if I hit the cancel button rapidly and repeatedly, but It comes back after a few seconds. When it is on the screen, I can't navigate away from it without doing the rapid cancel routine. Anybody have any ideas?

Yes, enter an administrator password and the prompt will be satisfied.

I don't know what that password is and I am unable to figure out how to find it. I tried to change it but you have to know what the old was in order to do that. I've heard how much better macs are than pcs, but so far, my experience doesn't bare that out. I need to be able to do these things and maybe I'll change my mind, but, so far, I'm very disappointed.

The password for ANY administrator account will do. If you are an administrator, just enter the password you use to log on. If you aren't an administrator, go to System Preferences/Users and Groups and see what account IS an Admin, and use the password you created there.

I'd like to thank everyone who has tried to help but nothing works. The only password I've set up is my apple PW. I haven't set up an admin PW, so I have no idea what it's asking for. When I do what was last suggested, I entered my Apple PW, because it's the only one I know. I guess the only solution is to never log off. I discovered I can move the little box that says CalendarAgent wants to use the "login" keychain to the edge of the window and use the computer like that. Seems ridiculous that I have to do that. One more question, please. Does the computer come with a default admin PW, and if so, where can I find it.

Open System Preferences, look for Users & Groups, select that. The resulting window will show all the accounts on the machine in the left pane. You, the account you are using, should be at the top and just below your account name it will say Admin or Standard or Guest. If it says Admin, then your account is an admin account. If so, then YOUR password will work for the keychain. Not your Apple ID password, that has nothing to do with the accounts on the Mac itself.

Thank You! I've tried so many different passwords now that I have no idea which one might have taken or not. Is there any way I can just start over?

Yes. Go back to Post #9 in this thread and go to the site chscag linked. That procedure should allow you to reset your password to whatever you want and it will take effect immediately. I have my account set to Admin so whenever keychain wants a PW I just use mine. Works great.

Okay. I did that, but when I go to Users and Groups and click on change password, it asks for the old password, which I don't know.