Mac: Recovering a lost root password

12:14:00 AM |


  1. Click Restart at the login window
  2. While the computer is restarting, hold down "Command-S" until you see text scrolling through the window. This boots the computer into single user mode.
  3. At the Localhost% prompt type:
    /sbin/mount -uw /
    /sbin/SystemStarter
    You will then see various services starting up.
  4. When the Localhost% prompt reappears, type:
    passwd root
    It will then ask you to type the new root password twice, so do so.
  5. After entering the new password, type:
    reboot
At the login window, enter username root wih the new password. Once you are connected, you can use the Multiple Users application (/Applications/Utilities) to change your normal user's password, or create a new user account.