Here we have 3 different ways for you.
Have you ever forgotten your Mac’s administrator account password? If you can’t remember your administrator password, you may have difficulty logging in to your account or performing various tasks that require an administrator password. The Apple setup utility ran you through the process of creating the account and then sent you off to use your Mac.
You can reset a user account password, including any administrator account, using one of the following methods:
• Use an Existing Administrator Account to Reset Another Administrator Account
Resetting an administrator account isn’t difficult, as long as you have a second administrator account to use.Of course, this assumes that you haven’t also forgotten the password for the other administrator account.
1. If you do know the password for the second administrator account, log in to that account.
2. Launch System Preferences, and select the User and Groups preference pane.
3. Click the lock icon in the bottom left corner of the preference pane, and then supply your administrator password.
4. In the left-hand pane, select the administrator account whose password needs to be reset.
5. Click the Reset Password button in the right-hand pane.
6. In the sheet that drops down, enter a new password for the account.
7. Click the Reset Password button on the drop-down sheet.
8. Resetting the password this way creates a new keychain file for the user account. If you wish to use the old keychain file, see the instructions below.
• Using Your Apple ID to Reset an Administrator Account
Next is the ability to use your Apple ID to reset your administrator account on your Mac. Actually, you can use this feature to reset the password for any user account type, including a standard account, managed account, or sharing account.
1. In order to use your Apple ID to reset an account’s password, the Apple ID must be associated with that account. You would have associated your Apple ID with your user account either when you originally set up your Mac or when you added user accounts.
2. After entering your password incorrectly three times at the login screen, a message will display your password hint, as well as the option to reset your password using your Apple ID. Click the small right-facing button next to the “…reset it using your Apple ID” text.
3. Enter your Apple ID and password, and then click the Reset Password button.
4. A warning message will display, telling you that resetting the password will cause a new keychain file to be created. Your keychain holds frequently used passwords; creating a new keychain usually means you’ll have to resupply passwords for some services you use, including email accounts and some websites you’ve set up for automatic log-in. Click the OK button to reset the password.
5. Enter the new password, along with a password hint, and then click the Reset Password button.
6. You will be logged in and the Desktop will appear.
• Avoiding the Keychain Login Issue
One thing you can do is use a secure third-party password service as a place to store your login information for various services. This isn’t a replacement for Mac’s keychain, but a secure storehouse for you to keep the information safe, one which you can access using a different, and hopefully not forgotten, password.
One of my favorites for this job is 1 Password, but there are many others to choose from including LastPass, Dashlane, and mSecure. If you would like to find more password management options, open the Mac App Store, and search for the phrase “password.
