Forgot Password and Unable to log into MacBook

[chscag]

Actually Ian, a wired keyboard is a good idea. And yes, it will bypass the built in keyboard.

 

[Rod]

I think you have summed it up really well Ian. I always wonder if sometimes the "let me have a try" method would work where everything else has failed. Unfortunately that can't be done remotely.

I agree when you say, "if the OP can get to the "request for admin PW" stage, the HD must be working to some degree - not totally failed."
I would like sundug to have another try at the process of booting into recovery, it does take a little timing and persistence to get it right, especially with an older device. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314 this article does state that even if you get the combination of keys and timing correct you may still get an admin login or firmware password screen before accessing the Utilities screen.


If this is the case then the only alternative I can think of would be to use a different boot source but it would be good to eliminate the possibility of a faulty keyboard first if possible. If that is not the problem then a bootable High Sierra Installer on a USB flash drive would be the best option but any Mac OSX, High Sierra or earlier, should work providing its not too old.

Restarting while holding the C key should enable boot disk options then once booted from the installer, Disk Utility can be accessed to erase the Macintosh HD and Reinstall a fresh copy of High Sierra, assuming the HD can take the rewrite without crashing.

After that rebooting should launch the Setup Assistant and the OP can make the device his own.

The frustrating thing about this is that the previous owner should have done all this before passing it on. The instructions for "What to do before selling or giving away a used Mac" are freely available online and if you are the admin it is a simple process that requires no more than a few minutes.

 

[Malida1000]

Hello, I need to change my password on my MacBook Pro. I read the directions for changing passwords in Catalina 10.15.6. There is no field to click that says "change my password." How do I do this? Thanks.

 

[MacInWin]

Malinda1000, welcome to the forum.

Open System Preferences, then Users & Groups. Click on the lock icon in the lower left corner and provide an admin password (Typically, that's your own password) to unlock it. Then click on the "Change Password" button and follow the directions.

 

[MacInWin]

Actually, you can skip the click on the lock and just click on "Change Password" and provide your current password, plus the new one and follow the directions to make the change.

 

[krs]

On that subject....
Is there any way I can see what my current login password is?
I have not logged out for such a long time that I'm afraid to log out now in case I can't remember my password correctly.
I'm running Mojave

I suppose I can try to change my password and if the old one I enter is not correct, I assume the change won't take place until I guess correctly.
But just bringing up the current password would be preferable.

 

[chscag]

Safari or Chrome will show you what your present password is. You will have to enter your admin password to reveal it. I believe Firefox also will show you.

 

[krs]

Safari or Chrome will show you what your present password is. You will have to enter your admin password to reveal it. I believe Firefox also will show you.

The browser will show my Mac login password????

 

[IWT]

Hello, I need to change my password on my MacBook Pro. I read the directions for changing passwords in Catalina 10.15.6. There is no field to click that says "change my password." How do I do this? Thanks.

Hi Malida

A warm welcome to our forums.

May I just confirm that by “change my password“, you mean that you know your current password and simply want to change it; rather than you’ve forgotten your password and want to reset it?

The reason fo asking is that the means of doing this is completely different for each case. And you did say that you found the instructions difficult to follow which made me wonder if you were reading about resetting rather than just Changing.

If it is just changing the password, then follow Jake’s instructions which are very easy to undertake.

Ian

 

[MacInWin]

The browser will show my Mac login password????

No, it won't. Safari stores passwords for sites you go to that requires them, but not your login. And to get to the passwords you have to enter you login password anyway. I don't know of a way to display the password. Apple protects that pretty strongly. After all, if it were easy to display, any thief who stole a MBP could just display the password and have the entire machine open to get to bank accounts, credit cards, etc.

 

[krs]

Apple protects that pretty strongly. After all, if it were easy to display, any thief who stole a MBP could just display the password and have the entire machine open to get to bank accounts, credit cards, etc.

Well yes, I wouldn't expect to be able to have the password displayed while I'm logged out for the reason you mentioned.
But I am logged in, so being logged in already I thought I might be able to retrieve my login password somewhere on the Mac.
I do know my admin password since I use that regularly to install applications, but I haven't used my login password for years.
In fact, I don't even know if there is a login password set.
And if I remember right, one can reset the login password but that also wipes out everything on the hard drive.

 

[MacInWin]

Being logged in you can still lose your password if you are in an office environment, or a public place, and leave the machine even for a few seconds. A password thief could enter the command to display, get the password and be gone with the machine in seconds. Your login password is your admin password, most likely. It's not a good practice to bypass the login screen. It takes seconds to enter, reminds you of that critical piece of information every time you boot and is a basic protection for your data and system. Resetting the password does NOT wipe out anything on the hard drive. That's why making it easy to get to the password is not a good idea.

 

[chscag]

The browser will show my Mac login password????

As Jake said, no it won't. However, you didn't ask about displaying your admin login password, you asked about displaying the password to enter Mac-Forums. And yes, Safari or Chrome will display that for you provided you go into preferences, security, and enter your admin password. As a matter of fact, Safari will warn you if you have used the same password on several sites and offer to change it with one that it generates from the key chain.

 

[krs]

Resetting the password does NOT wipe out anything on the hard drive. That's why making it easy to get to the password is not a good idea.

Maybe I used the wrong word here.
By "resetting" I mean I have logged out, when booting up I'm asked for the password and can't remember it.
Other than what I genrally found on line, using the Apple ID or recovery mode and terminal commands, there used to be a way, at least on older macOSs to create a new login password but it meant the drive was wiped.
The normal option via System Preferences>Users & Groups I refer to as "changing" the login password - that obviously doesn't wipe out anything but to use that one has to know the current password.

BTW - I bypass the login screen because the Mac is a Mini sitting in my office at home, not going anywhere. It's for convenience so I can quickly check something since the Mac is running 24/7, only the display turns off

 

[krs]

As Jake said, no it won't. However, you didn't ask about displaying your admin login password, you asked about displaying the password to enter Mac-Forums.

Sorry, I see when I reread my post that I didn't make myself clear.
I meant the login password to my Mac since that is what this thread was about.
From what I read so far, I think the best option for me is to try to change my Mac's login password and try using the old passwords that I remember. That way the change will just be rejected if I guess wrong.
The admin password would be one I would try, but for some reason I think my Mac admin password is different than my Mac login password.

 

[chscag]

The admin password would be one I would try, but for some reason I think my Mac admin password is different than my Mac login password.

Normally, they would be the same. However, I can see doing it that way if you have more than one account on your Mac. I do not use a log on password for my iMac since it sits in my home office and I'm the only user of it.

 

[Rod]

Matilda 1000, to whom everyone is replying, has only made one entry being;

• #23

Hello, I need to change my password on my MacBook Pro. I read the directions for changing passwords in Catalina 10.15.6. There is no field to click that says "change my password." How do I do this? Thanks.

This is a new thread begun in the middle of another thread and Matilda has not replied.

 

[MacInWin]

Matilda 1000, to whom everyone is replying, has only made one entry being;

• #23

Hello, I need to change my password on my MacBook Pro. I read the directions for changing passwords in Catalina 10.15.6. There is no field to click that says "change my password." How do I do this? Thanks.

This is a new thread begun in the middle of another thread and Matilda has not replied.

Yep, happens all the time. Sometimes a MOD will take the post to a new thread, but most of the time it just goes on. Maybe Matilda sorted it out?

 

[chscag]

This is a new thread begun in the middle of another thread and Matilda has not replied.

Jake answered and gave her the correct directions for resetting the password. Whether or not she was successful resetting the password we do not know.

No point in going over it again. It happens all the time in this forum and others.

Best to just drop it.