Comments on: Reset your lost Mac OS X password http://osxdaily.com/2009/12/14/reset-your-lost-mac-os-x-password/ News, tips, software, reviews, and more for Mac OS X, iPhone, iPad Tue, 21 May 2013 21:37:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: emma torbido http://osxdaily.com/2009/12/14/reset-your-lost-mac-os-x-password/#comment-421651 emma torbido Wed, 29 Aug 2012 00:37:37 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=1923#comment-421651 I tried to reset my admin password with the install disc my mac came with and I came across a problem in the password window... The mac os x disc (my original account) that contains the password I want to reset doesn't even show up as an option; just the install disc itself. And when I click on the install disc, it shows up as the "system administrator (root)" help?? I tried to reset my admin password with the install disc my mac came with and I came across a problem in the password window…
The mac os x disc (my original account) that contains the password I want to reset doesn’t even show up as an option; just the install disc itself. And when I click on the install disc, it shows up as the “system administrator (root)”
help??

]]> By: Karena Dato http://osxdaily.com/2009/12/14/reset-your-lost-mac-os-x-password/#comment-101547 Karena Dato Fri, 14 May 2010 02:50:05 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=1923#comment-101547 Random question: I am just starting my blog, but how did you start gaining readership? was it just natural? I mean how did people start finding you? Random question: I am just starting my blog, but how did you start gaining readership? was it just natural? I mean how did people start finding you?

]]> By: Jim http://osxdaily.com/2009/12/14/reset-your-lost-mac-os-x-password/#comment-99090 Jim Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:08:11 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=1923#comment-99090 Also, this will not reset the password on your keychain so any passwords, certificates, etc, you have stored in there will remain inaccessible. Resetting the keychain will delete all previously stored keychain data, although the keychain file will have been backed up by Time Machine if you've been using it. As for your laptop being stolen: Unless you're running FileVault or Whole Disk Encryption, accessing the data on your laptop's hard drive -- regardless of the operating system -- is as easy as removing the drive, putting it in an enclosure, and connecting it to a different computer that you have admin rights on. In the case of Apple laptops with a firewire port, you can just boot the computer in target disk mode (assuming you've defeated the PROM/EFI password, if there was one) and skip the remove-the-disk part. As an alternative to FileVault and its myriad issues, I'd recommend Espionage (http://www.taoeffect.com/espionage/) because it can encrypt individual folders and handles mounting/unmounting of them automatically. (I have no interest here other than being a happy customer.) It also supports sparsebundles, which are easier on disk space and Time Machine backups, in addition to the usual sparseimages that FileVault uses (which Time Machine can't touch until you logout of the account). Also, this will not reset the password on your keychain so any passwords, certificates, etc, you have stored in there will remain inaccessible. Resetting the keychain will delete all previously stored keychain data, although the keychain file will have been backed up by Time Machine if you’ve been using it.

As for your laptop being stolen:
Unless you’re running FileVault or Whole Disk Encryption, accessing the data on your laptop’s hard drive — regardless of the operating system — is as easy as removing the drive, putting it in an enclosure, and connecting it to a different computer that you have admin rights on. In the case of Apple laptops with a firewire port, you can just boot the computer in target disk mode (assuming you’ve defeated the PROM/EFI password, if there was one) and skip the remove-the-disk part.

As an alternative to FileVault and its myriad issues, I’d recommend Espionage (http://www.taoeffect.com/espionage/) because it can encrypt individual folders and handles mounting/unmounting of them automatically. (I have no interest here other than being a happy customer.) It also supports sparsebundles, which are easier on disk space and Time Machine backups, in addition to the usual sparseimages that FileVault uses (which Time Machine can’t touch until you logout of the account).

]]> By: DistortedLoop http://osxdaily.com/2009/12/14/reset-your-lost-mac-os-x-password/#comment-99089 DistortedLoop Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:07:59 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=1923#comment-99089 If your laptop is stolen, it's even easier to get into it. Just boot the Mac in target mode, and everything's open as if it's an external drive. Without FileVault, security on OS X, if physical access is granted, is a joke. It may be easy enough for a hacker to hack into Windows machines, but it's not so easy for any average Joe with an install disc to simply change your root password and get into the machine as if they were you. If your laptop is stolen, it’s even easier to get into it. Just boot the Mac in target mode, and everything’s open as if it’s an external drive.

Without FileVault, security on OS X, if physical access is granted, is a joke. It may be easy enough for a hacker to hack into Windows machines, but it’s not so easy for any average Joe with an install disc to simply change your root password and get into the machine as if they were you.

]]> By: Z http://osxdaily.com/2009/12/14/reset-your-lost-mac-os-x-password/#comment-99087 Z Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:37:41 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=1923#comment-99087 So if your laptop is stolen, it's this easy to get into the computer? Or am I missing something here? So if your laptop is stolen, it’s this easy to get into the computer? Or am I missing something here?

]]> By: Sepp http://osxdaily.com/2009/12/14/reset-your-lost-mac-os-x-password/#comment-99086 Sepp Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:14:12 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=1923#comment-99086 Nice one, but I think you'll run into much trouble here if file vault is active... ;-) Nice one, but I think you’ll run into much trouble here if file vault is active… ;-)

]]>