Member Avatar for Lomoco

I lost the master password for my mac. However, I still have the admin passwords. Any way I can recover it? There is a keychain, (filevaultmaster), but I can't access it. I tried all known passwords (except the master password because I lost it) but got nothing. I opened the keychain in textedit, but the password part is encrypted. Can someone help? Is there a way to crack the password or decrypt the textedit version? I remember the password was completely random (mix of letters and numbers). Anyone have an answer?

  • 8 Contributors
  • 13 Replies
  • 363 Views
  • 5 Years Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by Bwazza10

Dani AI

Generated

Brief summary and practical context for this thread: the “master password” referenced by is a recovery mechanism that was used with older FileVault/home-folder encryption schemes; having administrator passwords does not automatically give access to data that was encrypted with a different secret. The right recovery path depends critically on which macOS/FileVault era is involved (legacy home‑folder FileVault vs modern FileVault 2 / APFS full‑disk encryption) and whether a recovery key or Apple (iCloud) recovery option was set when encryption was enabled. (support.apple.com)

If the home folder was not encrypted (as reported), the immediate problem is a locked keychain rather than irrecoverable disk encryption. An administrator can reset account login passwords, but an existing login keychain that’s still encrypted to the old password remains inaccessible; the supported remedy is to create a new login keychain (risking loss of stored passwords) while preserving the original file for possible later recovery. Apple documents the supported keychain reset flow and the consequences of creating a new default keychain. (support.apple.com)

If FileVault (full‑disk) was enabled, recovery requires either the account password for an enabled user, the stored recovery key, or the iCloud/Apple‑ID reset option chosen at setup. Without one of those, encrypted volumes cannot be decrypted and data will be lost; Apple explicitly warns that losing both password and recovery key leaves data unrecoverable. Check the system’s recovery options and the Passwords app (where modern macOS shows a machine’s recovery key if one exists). (support.apple.com)

Recommended non‑destructive checklist (ordered): determine exact macOS version and whether FileVault was ever turned on; locate any stored recovery key or Apple Account recovery option; back up any readable files from other accounts or in Target Disk mode; if the issue is only a locked keychain, reset default keychains per Apple guidance and keep the original keychain file safe for later forensic attempts; treat full reinstall as a last resort. Forensic/third‑party “cracking” attempts are generally impractical against modern FileVault encryption and carry risk; professional recovery services can be consulted but cannot guarantee success without keys. (support.apple.com)

Notes tied to this thread: ’s suggestion to back up and reinstall is a valid last‑resort option; several members asked how completed their reset — the decisive detail is which FileVault/version behavior applied, so readers should first establish the macOS version and the presence (or absence) of a recovery key before taking irreversible steps.

Recommended Answers

All 13 Replies

Member Avatar for John A

As far as I know, there isn't a way of doing this. If you've encrypted any of your data with FileLock, you should probably retrieve any that you can get based on your existing knowledge of user's passwords on the system. Once you've salvaged as much data as possible, then proceed to a reformat and reinstall of OS X.

Member Avatar for Lomoco

I have no idea what filelock is. Do you mean filevault? No i don't have my home folder locked with filevault. Is there a way to access the keychain? (filevaultmaster) Is there any keychain decrypting programs out there?

Member Avatar for John A

Ah yes, sorry I meant FileVault.

No, I don't know of any programs that can decrypt or hack the keychain. I'd say the best thing is just to backup your data and do a reinstall.

Member Avatar for Lomoco

Never mind. I figured out a way to reset the master password without using the original!

Member Avatar for shayman

Never mind. I figured out a way to reset the master password without using the original!

Hi,

Can you please explain how you did this? I'm in the same predicament.

Thanks

Scott

Member Avatar for doormatt

Never mind. I figured out a way to reset the master password without using the original!

how did you do it? plz reply.

~doormatt

Member Avatar for shayman

This is the part that I was referring to:

If you forget the master password, you can reset it, but you must know the passwords for any accounts with FileVault enabled:

  1. As an administrator user, delete the master password keychain file (/Library/Keychains/FileVaultMaster.keychain). When the master password keychain is deleted, Mac OS X assumes that no master password is set yet.
Member Avatar for clare_lou

Never mind. I figured out a way to reset the master password without using the original!

Hi, how did you reset your master password? I can't remember mine and it's driving me crazy, I don't have a clue what to do!

Member Avatar for chicoriico

This is the part that I was referring to:

If you forget the master password, you can reset it, but you must know the passwords for any accounts with FileVault enabled:

  1. As an administrator user, delete the master password keychain file (/When the master password keychain is deleted, Mac OS X assumes that no master password is set yet.

Hi guys!!!
Im traying to follow to delete the Library/Keychains/FileVaultMaster.keychain).But Still asking me for the master password.Any help?
thank!!!!!!

Member Avatar for me xx

Guys,
all i need to know is WHAT the master password is... PLEASE PLEASE help!!

Member Avatar for Bwazza10

this for anyone else who has forgotten their master password is the solution to resetting it! Hope it helps :)

Edited by crunchie because: not allowed
Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.