Re: what to do if lost password

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Author: Stephen Partington
Date:  
To: Main PLUG discussion list
Subject: Re: what to do if lost password
I think i recall you working with Linux Mint, but this should be reasonably
close for most *buntu/debian related builds.

http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/339

On Wed, May 27, 2015 at 12:37 PM, Michael Havens <> wrote:

> I haven't changed anything yet but in my trial run on the computer I do
> not want to change anything on it asked me for the new password.
> These are the instructions I followed:
>
> Just use GRUB to boot into single user mode / recovery mode.
>
> (1) At grub boot screen (after restart)
> (2) Select the kernel
> (3) Press the e key to edit the entry
> (4) Select line starting with the word kernel or linux
> (6) Append the letter S (or word Single) to the end of the (kernel) line
> Append init=/bin/sh to the kernel command line
> cntrl-X
> then mount the root filesystem (if it isn't already done for you) and run
> passwd to reset the root password or passwd user to reset user's password.
>
>
> :-)~MIKE~(-:
>
> On Wed, May 27, 2015 at 8:06 AM, Stephen Partington <>
> wrote:
>
>> This works great on Linux based systems. But on something running Linux
>> you will need to hash the registry and reset the password. There is a tool
>> to do this if there are any local users present. (does not work on active
>> directory accounts).
>> On May 27, 2015 7:17 AM, "Michael Havens" <> wrote:
>>
>>> I got a friend upon whose computer (old XP) I installed Linux. She
>>> called me last night because she forgot the password. Well, I asked the
>>> Florida user group about what to do and this is what they had to say:
>>>
>>>
>>> Just use GRUB to boot into single user mode / recovery mode.
>>>
>>> Append *init=/bin/sh* to the kernel command line, then mount the root
>>> filesystem (if it isn't already done for you) and run *passwd *to reset
>>> the root password or *password user *to reset user's password.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.debuntu.org/how-to-recover-root-password-under-linux-with-single-user-mode/
>>> I'd bring a CD containing System Rescue CD just in case.
>>>
>>> http://www.sysresccd.org/SystemRescueCd_Homepage
>>>
>>> By the way, you can bust back into borked VMs with System Rescue CD ISO
>>> files, too.
>>>
>>> By the way, if you use System Rescue CD, do something like this,
>>> assuming her / is the mountpoint for /dev/sda1:
>>>
>>> mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
>>> chroot /mnt/ bash
>>> cd /etc
>>> vi passwd
>>>
>>> Now delete the x between the first and second colons, for both user
>>> root and her ordinary username, then quit vi
>>>
>>> exit
>>> umount /mnt
>>> reboot
>>>
>>> Now, when asked for her password, leave it blank and she'll get in.
>>> Then she can change her password as desired. Same thing's true the
>>> first time she logs in as root.
>>>
>>> If she's not trustworthy enough to leave with blank passwords, you
>>> could probably use the passwd program after the chroot to change the
>>> passwords.
>>> :-)~MIKE~(-:
>>>
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--
A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from
rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

Stephen
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