How do I Reset Unknown Password

When your new computer boots, you usually get a small message at the bottom of the screen, informing you that you can press Esc to get to a boot menu. This menu differs from boot device selection screens available in some PCs during BIOS setup, and can be invoked just after BIOS finishes configuring hardware and passes control to the OS loader. Press Esc during boot to enter this menu. In this menu, you usually have 3 items: boot Ubuntu normally, boot Ubuntu in recover, or repair, mode, and perform a memory test. If you select the second option, you will be granted superuser rights. This means that in particular, you will be able to reset any password without knowing it, by typing this command:

passwd <user_name>

where <user_name> is the name of the user you would like to reset the password for.

When you reset the password, you can continue booting normally by entering "exit" command, without the quotes, and pressing Enter.

Hope this helps

HEY THANKS!.......Boy that was fast!

...and your instructions do sound very familiar...I believe I've known that
but forgotten about it. (confession: I'm just winging it most of the time
with computers...)

actually I've never heard of Ubuntu, but I'm curious to see what it's all
about...so I was hoping not to loose the OS...

Patrick

On 12/24/07, Dmitry Mityugov <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> Your question #20639 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/20639
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Dmitry Mityugov proposed the following answer:
> When your new computer boots, you usually get a small message at the
> bottom of the screen, informing you that you can press Esc to get to a
> boot menu. This menu differs from boot device selection screens
> available in some PCs during BIOS setup, and can be invoked just after
> BIOS finishes configuring hardware and passes control to the OS loader.
> Press Esc during boot to enter this menu. In this menu, you usually have
> 3 items: boot Ubuntu normally, boot Ubuntu in recover, or repair, mode,
> and perform a memory test. If you select the second option, you will be
> granted superuser rights. This means that in particular, you will be
> able to reset any password without knowing it, by typing this command:
>
> passwd <user_name>
>
> where <user_name> is the name of the user you would like to reset the
> password for.
>
> When you reset the password, you can continue booting normally by
> entering "exit" command, without the quotes, and pressing Enter.
>
> Hope this helps
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/20639/+confirm?answer_id=0
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/20639
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Dmitry Mityugov says...

".....select the second option, you will be
granted superuser rights. This means that in particular, you will be
able to reset any password without knowing it, by typing this command:

passwd <user_name>....."

OK...I get to this point by using the ESC key, but I'm not able to type anything once I get to the prompt?

I can however press CNTR-D and ubuntu loads as usual...still with unknown former password query...

After pressing ESC I eventually get to:

"give root password for maintenance or type control D to continue"

What am I doing wrong?.. why can't I type:

passwd <user_name>

> What am I doing wrong?.. why can't I type:
> passwd <user_name>

Oh, it seems the loader (it is probably GRUB) is password-protected. I have no experience with removing such passwords, but try to search the Net with a query similar to "remove grub password ubuntu". It seems for example that this article is a good place to start: http://nococomp.com/?p=8. Relevant links from that page may lead to more information.

Or let's hope that someone with more experience will chime in and provide a step-by-step guide on resetting GRUB password here

ok..thanks again. I'll go check out "GRUB". If I don't get this figured
out...Do I still need the password before being able to (if I decide to)
reformat the hard drive? I have an old copy of windows 98 I might put on
this tower.

On 12/24/07, Dmitry Mityugov <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> Your question #20639 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/20639
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Dmitry Mityugov proposed the following answer:
> > What am I doing wrong?.. why can't I type:
> > passwd <user_name>
>
> Oh, it seems the loader (it is probably GRUB) is password-protected. I
> have no experience with removing such passwords, but try to search the
> Net with a query similar to "remove grub password ubuntu". It seems for
> example that this article is a good place to start:
> http://nococomp.com/?p=8. Relevant links from that page may lead to more
> information.
>
> Or let's hope that someone with more experience will chime in and
> provide a step-by-step guide on resetting GRUB password here
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/20639/+confirm?answer_id=3
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/20639
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

> Do I still need the password before being able to (if I decide to)
reformat the hard drive?

No, I don't think so

thanks...

On 12/24/07, Dmitry Mityugov <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> Your question #20639 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/20639
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Dmitry Mityugov proposed the following answer:
> > Do I still need the password before being able to (if I decide to)
> reformat the hard drive?
>
> No, I don't think so
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/20639/+confirm?answer_id=5
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/20639
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

woh! freeze!

grub isn't password protected, starting ubuntu in safe-mode brings you to ground zero (command line with nothing else)
but before the computer gives you access, you need to enter the "root" password. which is the "super-user" account of the computer
does anything, for anyone, if you can give the password.
for security reasons, in ubuntu the root password by default is blank and no access to that account is available.
being that your the new owner you probably wouldn't have the root password, if it exists.

the only way to make yourself an account and use the computer would be to reformat the disk.
and re-install ubuntu, from a live cd, you can download a copy of it online and burn it at home onto your own cd if you wish.
other than that you can wait for your cd to come in the mail

if you get a second hand computer you should keep in mind that if it has a password still on it, you may need to reformat the hard-drive.
this just happens to be one of those cases... :-(

if you have anymore questions feel free to ask me
sorry

Reformatting a computer that you didn't install is probably a good idea. However, if you boot the recovery option you will be given a command prompt with root privileges. Be careful what you do as you can really mess things up. Since it's a "new" computer you are probably better off reinstalling. However, if you want to gain access you can follow these instructions to set a new password.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LostPassword

Hi Brian... Thanks for the reply.

I was leaning toward reformatting anyway....Can you explain how I should go
about that? I came across something called Kill Disk in the ubuntu
forum...should I start with something like that?

I guess for the moment I'm just interested in wiping the hard drive as I'm
not sure what OS I'll be putting on this tower....maybe an old copy
of Win98SE that I no longer use ...from another computer...maybe the
Ubuntu...when the CD gets here. Just not sure yet.

This is just a tower I was thinking of putting together for the woman who
cleans my mom's house...as she doesn't have any sort of computer at the
moment.

Patrick

On 12/25/07, Brian Michalski <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> Your question #20639 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/20639
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Brian Michalski proposed the following answer:
> woh! freeze!
>
> grub isn't password protected, starting ubuntu in safe-mode brings you to
> ground zero (command line with nothing else)
> but before the computer gives you access, you need to enter the "root"
> password. which is the "super-user" account of the computer
> does anything, for anyone, if you can give the password.
> for security reasons, in ubuntu the root password by default is blank and
> no access to that account is available.
> being that your the new owner you probably wouldn't have the root
> password, if it exists.
>
> the only way to make yourself an account and use the computer would be to
> reformat the disk.
> and re-install ubuntu, from a live cd, you can download a copy of it
> online and burn it at home onto your own cd if you wish.
> other than that you can wait for your cd to come in the mail
>
> if you get a second hand computer you should keep in mind that if it has a
> password still on it, you may need to reformat the hard-drive.
> this just happens to be one of those cases... :-(
>
>
> if you have anymore questions feel free to ask me
> sorry
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/20639/+confirm?answer_id=7
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/20639
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Thanks Jim...

I just printed that out...

On 12/25/07, Jim Hutchinson <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> Your question #20639 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/20639
>
> Jim Hutchinson proposed the following answer:
> Reformatting a computer that you didn't install is probably a good idea.
> However, if you boot the recovery option you will be given a command
> prompt with root privileges. Be careful what you do as you can really
> mess things up. Since it's a "new" computer you are probably better off
> reinstalling. However, if you want to gain access you can follow these
> instructions to set a new password.
>
> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LostPassword
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/20639/+confirm?answer_id=8
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/20639
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

if you want to reformat,

you would of course put something there to replace the old OS, some examples would be a fresh ubuntu, or windows 98, whichever you prefer.

simply insert the installation disk of the new OS and when it comes to the "where to install" part (it varies per OS) select use whole drive.
later on when you get your ubuntu you can (when installing) select use whole disk, and give windows the boot (send it to the sewers), or split the hard drive in two so that you have both windows 98 and ubuntu, and when you boot up your computer, it would give you a choice on which OS to boot. this is called dual-boot.

if you do want a dual-boot system, i recommed you install win 98, then ubuntu. it works much cleaner that way!

your very welcome,
Brian Michalski