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Administration Problem

Could I find a kind and knowledgeable person to help with my problem.

I have just purchased a used Mac meaning I don't have administrative power of my computer and the guy who sold it doesn't know the password.

How can I erase this guys administrative control and make me the one and only administrator if I don't know his password.

I've tried to change it within the command line but I do not have a username and root #.

These problems probably seem very simple but are causing me to lose my mind. If anyone knows the problem and wants to prevent a person from going insane...

Please help..

Thanks..

sam11
Newbie Poster
7 posts since Oct 2004
Reputation Points: 10
Solved Threads: 0
 

Boot from the Installer CD/DVD and reset the admin password.

yellow
Posting Pro
567 posts since Sep 2004
Reputation Points: 25
Solved Threads: 7
 

Hello,

I did not see this one at first, because it is in the discussion and not the support forum. Moving it there....

I agree with yellow, but would take his advice further.... rebuild the laptop from the ground up. You do not know if any software there is stolen, or if there are any viruses around, or if the hard drive has any old accounts on it, and perhaps personal data.

I would format the drive cold, and re-install from scratch. Apply all updates. Install all proper software. And welcome to your new Mac.

Christian

(P.S) I do this with all new hardware, both Mac and Windoze / Linux. Even if I buy them new. This way, I know how they are setup.

kc0arf
Posting Virtuoso
Team Colleague
1,937 posts since Mar 2004
Reputation Points: 121
Solved Threads: 57
 

This article has been dead for over three months

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