Forgot Password and Unable to log into MacBook

[sundug]

A year ago, I bought on ebay a used -Apple 13" Macbook Laptop MC207LL/A (High Sierra) When I got it, it didn't ask for a password, and I never set one for it. I used the laptop intermittently over the year without signing in. Somehow, the battery ran down and now it asks for a password. I have gone thru all the usual attempts to reset the password found here- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202860 I contacted the seller, his suggestion to click unlock on the password screen did not work either, as no unlock appears. I tried my AppleID also. Any ideas? Thanks, Doug

 

[IWT]

A warm welcome to Mac-Forums.

I'm very sorry to hear of your problem.

To reset your Mac's Admin Account, you can do this:

1. Restart/reboot your Mac holding down the Command and R keys. This will take you into Recovery Mode.

2. Now Click on Disk Utilities - or it may just offer Utilities

3. From there, choose Terminal

4. In Terminal type resetpassword (all one word) , then Click on Enter

5. Then Select Macintosh HD (or whatever your HD is called if not that)

6. Then Select the User Account

7. Choose your Admin Account (that is the admin account you use for this Mac)

8. Enter your New Password (it will ask you to do this twice). Might be useful to fill in the "Hint" suggestion.

Then you're done.

NB This will create a new Keychain and you will NOT have access to your old Keychain and the logins and passwords it contains.

HTH

Ian

 

[sundug]

Thank you for your reply, Ian, but with the computer off, when I hold down both Command and R keys, then hit power, I see the Apple symbol for a few seconds, then it disappears and a circle with a slash-the NO symbol appears for a few seconds, then goes back to the Apple symbol. Nothing else appears on the screen. I have continued to hold those two keys down for a few minutes, and nothing changes. Any other ideas?

A warm welcome to Mac-Forums.

I'm very sorry to hear of your problem.

To reset your Mac's Admin Account, you can do this:

1. Restart/reboot your Mac holding down the Command and R keys. This will take you into Recovery Mode.

2. Now Click on Disk Utilities - or it may just offer Utilities

3. From there, choose Terminal

4. In Terminal type resetpassword (all one word) , then Click on Enter

5. Then Select Macintosh HD (or whatever your HD is called if not that)

6. Then Select the User Account

7. Choose your Admin Account (that is the admin account you use for this Mac)

8. Enter your New Password (it will ask you to do this twice). Might be useful to fill in the "Hint" suggestion.

Then you're done.

NB This will create a new Keychain and you will NOT have access to your old Keychain and the logins and passwords it contains.

HTH

Ian

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Based on the model number, this might be a 2009 Macbook, so it's long in the tooth and assuming its running on the original HD, that's likely failed or very close to failing.

Per this Apple article the version of macOS isn't good, so a reformat is in order and the way to do that is to get into the Recovery console. But I think it's more just the failing drive.

Assuming you want to keep the machine, you might want to buy a new SSD and replace the HDD first and then re-install macOS on it.

 

[IWT]

I have continued to hold those two keys down for a few minutes, and nothing changes. Any other ideas?

Doug, I'm afraid that I have to agree with my senior colleague, Ashwin, that your Mac's Hard Drive has failed, or close to, if you cannot even get to Recovery Mode.

Here's your first post and things are going against you. I'm really sorry, Doug, but it looks bad. The method I described is solid, but it requires a functioning Hard Drive.

Assuming you want to keep the machine, you might want to buy a new SSD and replace the HDD first and then re-install macOS on it.

Assuming this is the way you want to proceed, are you up to the replacing the Hard Drive? We can help you if you are.

BTW, do you have any Backups? Time Machine or other?

Ian

 

[sundug]

Can you give me an idea of what cost, time, tools and expertise are involved in replacing the HD? I have 6 computers, and didn't have much on the Mac, no backup. I hope this isn't blasphemy here, but I usually use a Chromebook. The Mac was to do some things the CB can't.

 

[MacInWin]

I took a look at ifixit.com with your model for how to do the replacement, and it doesn't look that hard ( https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Unibody+Model+A1342+Hard+Drive+Replacement/1670) . If that is, in fact, the model you have, that machine is 11 years old, so you don't want to invest very much in getting it repaired because it's probably not worth that much. But a new drive might be well worth the investment if you do the repairs yourself.

EDIT: If you do decide to replace the drive, you'll have to find installation discs for the operating system. Or have an install for High Sierra on a bootable drive you can attach to boot from.

Now, all of this drive discussion assumes your drive has failed. But your original post says it's asking for a password, so is it booting to the login screen and you get stuck there?

 

[sundug]

Yes, it boots to log in screen and I get stuck there. Thank you for the HD replacement info, but I doubt it's worth it to me. Doug

I took a look at ifixit.com with your model for how to do the replacement, and it doesn't look that hard ( https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Unibody+Model+A1342+Hard+Drive+Replacement/1670) . If that is, in fact, the model you have, that machine is 11 years old, so you don't want to invest very much in getting it repaired because it's probably not worth that much. But a new drive might be well worth the investment if you do the repairs yourself.

EDIT: If you do decide to replace the drive, you'll have to find installation discs for the operating system. Or have an install for High Sierra on a bootable drive you can attach to boot from.

Now, all of this drive discussion assumes your drive has failed. But your original post says it's asking for a password, so is it booting to the login screen and you get stuck there?

 

[MacInWin]

Do you have any system installation disks that came with the machine?

Here is Apple's article on Recovery Mode: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314
I don't know if you can boot to Recovery over the Internet (the article says how and has a link to more information on that), but that might be worth a try. Here is more information on options: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904

 

[sundug]

No discs came with the machine. Thanks for the links, i'll check them out.

Do you have any system installation disks that came with the machine?

Here is Apple's article on Recovery Mode: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314
I don't know if you can boot to Recovery over the Internet (the article says how and has a link to more information on that), but that might be worth a try. Here is more information on options: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904

 

[CaryAppleService]

Assuming the MacBook has a version of the OS of lion or later, I think you said it has Sierra or High Sierra, try INTERNET RECOVERY by holding command, option and R. That worked for my 2008 MacBook that had lion on it and it revived it and made it functional until I got the guts to do a Catalina patch/hack so it could run the latest version which is Catalina.

Hope that helps.

 

[sundug]

It just goes to the password

 

[ferrarr]

Have you tried all of the different Recovery mode keyboard combinations?

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314

If your Mac doesn't start up all the way - Apple Support

What to do if your Mac gets stuck on a screen during startup.

support.apple.com

 

[sundug]

Yes, it just goes to the password screen

 

[krs]

Can you post a screen shot (take a picture with a camera) of the password screen?
I just want to make sure we are all thinking of the same password

 

[sundug]

Can you post a screen shot (take a picture with a camera) of the password screen?
I just want to make sure we are all thinking of the same password

First I see the logo and progress bar for a long time, then it goes to the password screen

 

[ferrarr]

Yes, it just goes to the password screen

Then you are either not holding down the keys long enough, or you haven't tried every combination.

 

[sundug]

Then you are either not holding down the keys long enough, or you haven't tried every combination.

The instructions say I can let go of the keys after I see the logo. I have tried all the combinations.

 

[ferrarr]

Then turn the Mac on and count 2 seconds, before pressing the keys.

 

[IWT]

The problems in time order are:

Bought Mac on eBay. All going reasonably well for a year, then battery is allowed to run down. Then Admin Password (PW) requested. None known - set by previous owner.

So first post is about the Admin PW. In post #2, detailed instructions given to reset the PW.

Can't be done because no access to Recovery Mode. Then it looks like Mac's HD has failed, or close to failing. Then attempts to get into Recovery and Internet Recovery all failed. No backups available.

Discussions on replacing Mac's HD. Nothing there.

Then we're back to rebooting, but rebooting into any mode leads to screen asking for Admin PW which the previous owner failed to remove and OP cannot enter.

When Cmd + R and all other variations thereof are tried and none recognised, is the Keyboard working properly? Damaged battery swollen and pushing up on KB?

Would a wired KB attached via USB, bypass the Mac's own KB and allow the Cmd + R (and other combinations) to be recognised? Because if the OP can get to the "request for admin PW" stage, the HD must be working to some degree - not totally failed.

Does this make sense because we aren't getting anywhere?

What do you think, guys?

Ian