Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Two Ways To Reset macOS High Sierra Password

Have you forgotten your Mac login password? Did you recover it? In this article, I’m going to show you How to Reset macOS High Sierra Password on MacBook Pro, Air, and iMac.  If you don’t remember your MacBook password, and you forget it again and again so, this is the right place that wants to help you to reset your forgotten Mac password without losing any data.

Reset macOS High Sierra Password without Losing Data

These are the best and easy way to reset macOS High Sierra password without losing any data. Remembering lots of passwords are complicated and challenging. If you don’t get your passwords, so there is some good software that will help you to use them.  The top-rated software for Mac users is 1Password. You can add your all account password here safe.

Related Guide: Reset macOS Sierra Admin Password on MacBook Pro, Air

Method #1. Reset macOS Password Using Recovery Mode

This process is very straightforward and easy. You don’t need anything. No, bootable USB for macOS and no macOS DVD. Apple includes a Utility to reset an administrator’s password on every install Recovery HD partition. To use the Reset Password app, you’ll need to start your Mac using either the install DVD or the Recovery HD.

Step #1. First, Restart your computer and then press and hold Command+R until the Apple logo should appear. It means that you boot your device in Recovery Mode.

Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Command Plus R

Step #2. On the welcome window, choose the language then hit at Continue arrow button.

Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Click Continue

Step #3.  A new window will be shown to you and navigate to Utilities Tab> Terminal.

Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Terminal

Step #4. When you clicked on Terminal, start typing the below command.

resetpassword

Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Resetpassword

Step #5. Choose the username then click Next.

Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Select User Account

Step #6. Type New Password with an appropriate hint that should not forget next time. Keep in mind that verify the password. It means you should enter the password two times. Now click Next.

Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Enter the New Password

Step #7. Your user account password has been reset. Now you can reboot your computer to sign in with the new password. Click Restart.

Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Reset Your System

Step #8. Type your new password then hit Enter.

Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Login to your Account

The System was Unable to Unlock your Login Keychain

If you remember your old password, you can update the keychain password. If you don’t remember your old password, you can create a new login keychain or choose to leave the login keychain using a different password. You have these three options. I recommend you to Create New Keychain.

Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Create a New Keychain

Method #2. Create a New Admin Account to Reset the Old One

Most of the Mac users don’t know how to reset forgotten Mac OS password, so when they don’t remember the password, change the operating system. I think it’s not a correct way because they might lose their data that don’t want to lose. Again they believe that there is not any way to reset the password. Don’t worry about losing data or personal files. Because we are going to show a simple way to reset Mac forgotten password.

Step #1. Restart your Mac computer then press and hold on the Command+S from the keyboard.

Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Command Plus S

Step #2. You’ll be promoted to a black coloured screen with white colour text. So type the following commands after one another.

  • <strong>mount -uw /</strong>
  • <strong>rm /var/db/.applesetupdone</strong>
  • <strong>shutdown -h now</strong>
Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Enter Command

Step #3. Once your system is restarted, don’t touch any key, then let it boot normally.

Step #4. When the system boots, you will see the installation process when you setup macOS for the first time.

Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Choose Country

Step #5. Create a new user account. If you don’t know, click here.

Step #6. Once you login to your new account, navigate to Apple logo> Preferences> Users & Groups.

Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Users and Groups

Step #7. Click the “Lock” icon then enter your “Username” and “Password”.

Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Enter the Account Password

Step #8. Choose the old user then click on “Reset Password“.

Step #9. Type the new password and verify it. If you would like to enter a hint type and click Change Password”.

Two Ways to Reset macOS High Sierra Password Without Losing Data-MacBook Pro, Air

Change Password

Now, log out of your account and navigate to your old account with the new password you have created in step #9.

How to Reset Forgotten macOS Sierra Password?

Login in to your old Account

Related Guide: Reset Mac OS X El Capitan Password on MacBook Pro, Air

Conclusion

With these two easy steps, you can reset forgotten macOS High Sierra 10.13 password. Just create a new user and reset the old user password. You don’t need to know what the password was. Follow this step by step guide. If you have any question feel free to comment below this post and we will try to the response it within 24 hours. Thanks for being with us.

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Mukhtar Jafari is the founder and CEO of wikigain.com. He is CISCO CCENT & CCNA Certified and has got his diploma in IT Networking from North Metro TAFE PERTH. He is currently working as a Help Desk Technician at DEEPTECH Perth Western Australia. In addition, he loves helping other tech enthusiasts so he is working part-time on wikigain.com. He shares his experience through this website for IT beginners.

51 Comments

  1. blankChristopher Miller Reply

    This was amazing. My half brother passed and gave a basically new Mac Mini to my half sister. She didn’t need it and gave it to me. Admin password protected and she really didn’t want to go through the hassle of taking it back and then going to the Mac store. I followed method #2 and it worked perfectly.

    Now I can send her pics and other family stuff he had stored.

    I now have a new Mac Mini which was on time because my original one was getting near it’s dying days.

    Thank you so much.

  2. blankDominic A. Palisi Reply

    I have a Sierra 10.12 that has encrypted data. No patches on the OS. The mentioned method did not work. Once in the MAC, nothing else is pwd protected, but File Vault is on. Options??

  3. blankMatze Reply

    Easily the best answer to the question “I forgot my mac’s password, what do I do now?” Thanks a lot. I was going to get the hard drive out of my Mac and fire wire it to my other machine to save the data… imagine the hours that would’ve taken.

  4. blankDaniel Trujillo Vallecillo Reply

    Is it possible come back to the previous state of the computer?
    After choose my language dont stop thinking, dont continue the installation process.

  5. blankDaniel Trujillo Vallecillo Reply

    My problem is after select my language and press the arrow, don’t stop thinking and don’t continue with the installation.
    I power off and restart but begin the installation process again.
    Does exost the way to come back to the previous state of the computer?

  6. blankKirilmo Reply

    That was awesome, the very idea of creating admin user and resetting password of another user is simple and genuine. Been looking for hours for any Mac password reset solution, and finally that’s it!

  7. blankWuke anto Reply

    Hi sir, i tried your 2nd option. However after creating it, i dont see ‘my original’ user in Sytem Preferences-Users &groups.
    I can see ‘my dummy’ user as my only current user. Did i miss something in the process?

  8. blankNicholas Reply

    Hi sir,
    I try to do both and in process one the iMac reset password pop up instead of select user
    In process two the file is not there, any other way.

  9. blankscott Reply

    Hi. I have a related problem. I forgot my mac password and since reset my icloud password. when I try logging in via icloud password it keeps asking for the old one!
    Will the steps you’ve highlighted above also solve this issue?

  10. blankJeruss Berdin Reply

    I tried changing my Admin name and password, I think I made a mistake during the process. Now I can’t change the settings of my computer. Is there another way to change my admin name and password?

  11. blankgmotv Reply

    I’m not having any luck using cmd+s. I can’t seem to get the commands to do anything, I just keep getting rebooted to the normal login screen. The setup assistant ever launches. Any ideas?

  12. blankDon Wagaman Reply

    When I attempt to reset password as you describe, my screen requires the old (lost) password! HELP

    OS 10.13.2 on a MacBook Pro

  13. blankJanvrin Reply

    Hi,
    Thank you, but it’s not working for me, after login to my old session, It still asking for password. None works. Then when I restart my computer, It seems like nothing been changed. Getting tired of this. After a lot of tries, with other website, I found your method with better explanation. But still can’t fix the problem. Any more tip. Thank you

  14. blankMarcelo Reply

    Very good explanation! It works very nice with a MAC Pro (late 2010) that I’ve just updated to High Sierra (It blows my adm password user).
    Very good job!

  15. blankoscar Reply

    thanks for this perfect tip.
    inwas using an empty password, but that no longer worked on Sierra High … scared me to death.
    this worked and everything is restored.

  16. blankJeff Hamilton Reply

    Just updated to High Sierra grand master and it blew out my password – Arrgh. Quick google search and found your site. Great explanation and procedure – worked great. Nice that Apple has this ability to reset as long as you have your apple account. Thanks, again.

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