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TUAW Tip: Create an OS X admin user without a disc

by Dave Caolo Sep 1st 2008 at 12:00PM

Recently, I had to create a new admin user on an older 500mhz Power Mac G4 running OS 10.3.9. Needless to say, there was no 10.3 install discs to be found. What to do? Follow these simple (but powerful) steps.

First, restart the Mac while holding down the Command and "S" keys to start in Single-User Mode. Next, you'll see the UNIX boot sequence in white text on a black field. Don't worry, that's what we expected. At the prompt, type the following commands, hitting "Return" after each.

  • mount -uw /
  • rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone
  • shutdown /h now
Please be sure to type these commands exactly as presented here (sans bullets). "rm" is a powerful little command and if the syntax isn't right, you might unintentionally delete something important. Next, your machine will shut down. Turn it back on and you'll see the "Welcome to OS X" video, and be prompted through the process of creating a new admin user.

Other users on that machine -- including other admin users -- will remain intact. This is also a good way to change the password on an older admin account without the disc. Simply follow the same steps and, once you've logged in with the new account, change the password on your old account. Then, log in as the old account and delete the new one.

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Recently, I had to create a new admin user on an older 500mhz Power Mac G4 running OS 10.3.9. Needless to say, there was no 10.3 install...
 

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karen

this might make sound like a dumb ass but how do you get the sans bullets when in that mode? yes i am new to mac...

September 19 2008 at 9:32 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Elliot

I'm gonna try this on the Mac's at my school :D

September 05 2008 at 2:38 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Dave

So, um... what's to prevent someone from doing this to my Mac and gaining full control over my system? Isn't this a pretty significant security problem?

September 02 2008 at 6:49 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Dave's comment
Matt Harlum

When there's physical access to a computer, there's no such thing as complete security.

September 02 2008 at 8:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Matt

Leopard:
command-s
mount -uw /
ls users
passwd shortusernamehere

Tiger:
command-s
mount -uw /
sh /etc/rc
ls users
passwd shortusernamehere

Why the heck are you creating an admin user to change a password when you can do it IN single user mode for ANY account?

September 02 2008 at 11:49 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ds

Here's an easier way to shutdown -h now:

halt

Props to FH for that one.

September 02 2008 at 8:30 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Eric

If you're worried about accidentally rm'ing the wrong file, why not simply mv it to a backup location instead?

September 01 2008 at 4:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
alansky

"This is also a good way to change the password on an older admin account without the disc. Simply follow the same steps and, once you've logged in with the new account, change the password on your old account. Then, log in as the old account and delete the new one." --TUAW

How are you going to change the password on the old account if you don't know the old password? And if you do know the old password, the whole exercise is unnecessary; the password is easily changed in the Accounts pane of System Preferences.

September 01 2008 at 2:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to alansky's comment
Mo

Because when you're booted into single-user mode, you already have root privileges and can reset the login password for any account, including an administrator's.

You can't, however, access keychains (or, by extension, FileVault home directories) without having (and knowing) a master password.

September 01 2008 at 4:01 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mo

Um, sorry, what I meant to say was:

The account you create using this process is an administrator, and so can change the passwords of other accounts without knowing the old password.

(My comments regarding keychains and FileVault still applies, though)

September 01 2008 at 4:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
urgent help

Guys, I need help urgently. I ran the umount command in the terminal while logged in, and now the computer will not boot.

"If you in Terminal, don't do the mount thing though... just the rm command." I did that and now it won't boot, please help. How do I fix this?

Thanks a lot.

September 01 2008 at 1:37 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to urgent help's comment
urgent help

It is a Macbook Pro with OSX 10.5 Leopard

Thank you.

September 01 2008 at 1:42 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Luigi193

Wait... what?
Are you blaming me? OR did you wish you saw that before you did it?

I didn't think it was possible to run the mount command while logged it...

Try booting from the DVD and going to disk utility and check to see if your hard drive is mounted... if its not, click it and click mount.

September 01 2008 at 4:51 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
tnn

As before mentioned, the flag to shutdown is -h.
You can speed things up, by entering
shutdown -r now
to reboot, or just type
reboot instead.

September 01 2008 at 1:16 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
R. Cabell

I presume this was a computer on which you did not know the current admin user's password? Because otherwise this is a lot more trouble than just creating a new user in System Preferences and ticking the "Allow user to administer this computer"

September 01 2008 at 12:53 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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