To do updates I need a password and I've forgotten my password, what do I do please?

Are you on a Mac with Lion (OS X 10.7) or something earlier? The procedure is different, depending.

If it is a Lion user password problem (and no file vault was used), I was talking to a very knowledgable local Mac the other day who was helping his friend with a new iMac, and the password they were told by the dealer who had transferred and setup their old Mac data, that to use either nothing and just hit return or use 'apple' as the PW, but neither worked.

He used one of the "approved" Apple methods ( I don't know which one) to reset the users login/password and they were able to do some installs etc., and then later discovered that the "new" password would NOT work to access any of their Keychain password stuff.

Anyone know why, or is this a new Lion "feature", or was the Lion password reset just not done correctly???

If it is a Lion user password problem (and no file vault was used), I was talking to a very knowledgable local Mac the other day who was helping his friend with a new iMac, and the password they were told by the dealer who had transferred and setup their old Mac data, that to use either nothing and just hit return or use 'apple' as the PW, but neither worked.

He used one of the "approved" Apple methods ( I don't know which one) to reset the users login/password and they were able to do some installs etc., and then later discovered that the "new" password would NOT work to access any of their Keychain password stuff.

Anyone know why, or is this a new Lion "feature", or was the Lion password reset just not done correctly???

Force resetting the password does not change the keychain password(s) - those are lost if you do not remember them. Resetting the password resets the user login password only.

Force resetting the password does not change the keychain password(s) - those are lost if you do not remember them. Resetting the password resets the user login password only.


Thanks Lars.
Do you or anyone know how to get ALL the Lion user's password stuff reset properly (ie: Keychain Access etc.) that was available and worked with pre-Lion installs and using the reset method from the 10.6 and lower install disk only "reset" option that sure seemed to work. ???

Thanks Lars.
Do you or anyone know how to get ALL the Lion user's password stuff reset properly (ie: Keychain Access etc.) that was available and worked with pre-Lion installs and using the reset method from the 10.6 and lower install disk only "reset" option that sure seemed to work. ???

It never worked on pre-Lion installs, either, as far as I know. If you recall, if you reset the password from the Install disc previously, when you rebooted and logged in, it would prompt you for the keychain password -- that password was not reset, and thus if you entered the new password you had just set, it would reject it.

It never worked on pre-Lion installs, either, as far as I know. If you recall, if you reset the password from the Install disc previously, when you rebooted and logged in, it would prompt you for the keychain password -- that password was not reset, and thus if you entered the new password you had just set, it would reject it.


I always found if resetting the users password using and booting from the pre 10.7 Lion OS X install disk, ALL "new" permission passwords were general for all that users stuff, including any Keychain stuff.

If just using the non-boot from the OS X install disk password reset method was used, then the Keychain password access was kaput, but a new one could be created - IF the user knew how to do so!!

If I recall, Apple had some kb articles on the topic and how to resolve any such issues.

But it seems that Lion has a new and different method and may or may not all work.

Maybe it depends on the various methods one can use???

Lars is correct. In both 10.5 and 10.6 after booting with an install disc and using the reset password tool you have to change your login keychain password in Keychain Access to match your new account password and unlock your keychain.