Admin account changed to standard - help!

[micromart123]

Hi everyone,

I've managed to change my account from administrator to standard and when I click on the lock to change my setting it asks me for an admin user and password and when I try and put my standard account details in, it doesn't accept it.

Not sure what to do. I've tried putting it in command and s when rebooting and trying the /sbinmount -uw/ then rm/ var/dp/ . AppleSetupDone but it says it doesn't recognise the AppleSetupDone directory.

Help would be massively appreciated as I can't load any new files or make any changes.

 

[ferrarr]

Please provide the specs of your Mac?

Model, OS & year?

Make sure you have a current backup of all the data you do not want to lose. You may have to re-install the OS version you currently have.

 

[micromart123]

Hi,

Specs are: Macbook Pro retina 13 inch mid 2014 High Sierra

Thanks

 

[IWT]

Hi and welcome to our Forums.

You may find this video helpful in restoring your Admin Account: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1cW4sw3mvs

Ian

EDIT: another video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSyr6TJgFXo

 

[AMACL]

Hello micromart,

The same thing happened to me, and I don't think I - or you - did it, I think it was a bug in an upgrade.
I found a fix that works. Here you go:



1. Reboot computer, at restart immediately hold Cmd + S keys down together until white text on black screen appear.

2. at prompt, type : " /sbin/mount -uw / "(w/o the quote marks) and hit return

3. at prompt, type : " rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone " ( be sure to leave spaces as stipulated)

4. reboot

5. Set up the computer - as if it were the first time. At the "create a computer account" screen, create a temporary main user account using a new Full Name and Account Name, different from those of your original account. Also use a different password. Remember that password!

6. log in under that new account. In system preferences, change the status of your original user account from "standard" to "administrator."

7. Log out of the temporary administrator account and into your original (normal) account.

8. Delete temporary administrator account (if you want to).


I gather I am lucky in that I did not enable FileVault when I originally set up the computer. If FileVault is enabled, one can apparently recover administrator privileges but the procedure is more complicated.

Good luck!

Ann

 

[IWT]

Hi Ann

Thanks for your post and all its detail.

Isn't what you posted the same as in the video tutorials? Or maybe there are subtle differences. The main point is whether it solves micromart's difficulty.

Ian

 

[pm-r]

Thanks for your post and all its detail.

I wonder why it's even happening in the first place???

It seems to be fairly common lately and with the latest macOS it seems. Hmmm…???




- Patrick
======

 

[chscag]

It seems to be fairly common lately and with the latest macOS it seems. Hmmm…???

Speculation again, Patrick? Sounds more like user error to me. ;D

 

[AMACL]

But why would so many users make the same error, all of a sudden? I've been using Apple products for years and this is the first time anything like this has happened.
I don't even know what kind of error I would have to make to make this happen!

 

[AMACL]

Hi Ian,

Truth be told, I was in a hurry and did not look at the video tutorials before posting...

In general I am impatient with video tutorials .
so let's see if it works for micro mart.
Anyway I was so pleased with my own solution that I wanted to share it asap.

Ann