Password help

[watervampire]

Okay, my school is involved with a laptop for students program (check the State of Maine out for info, however my highschool is the one providing the laptop). Anyway, I don't have the admin password, and I can't find a universal password anywhere I look. I'm locked out of a lot of crap and they have apple remote desktop on here too, so they can monitor us (that's what they use it for anyway). The computer people at my school suck and are really not very nice, so I just wanted some way to get into the admin account and do a few things. I can download programs and everything though. I have no idea how to hack, otherwise I wouldn't be here, but I'm fairly computer literate. My OS is OSX Tiger by the way. I'm also running an iBook G4. So, can someone provide some way to get around their stupid passwords?

 

[grapes911]

Pop in any OS X install disk. Run the reset password utility. Works every time.

 

[watervampire]

Pop in any OS X install disk. Run the reset password utility. Works every time.

Problem with that is I don't have one. The computer people at the school have all of them and since they have remote desktop my bet is that they don't have too many of them.

 

[grapes911]

If you don't have an install disk, then you are pretty much screwed.

 

[watervampire]

If you don't have an install disk, then you are pretty much screwed.

Yeah, that's not quite what I wanted to hear...But umm...I was looking for maybe another way to go about this. I have read about using a start up disk but like I said, I don't have one. If I did, I wouldn't have come to you guys probably. Anyway...is there any other way to go about this?

 

[grapes911]

Nope.

 

[watervampire]

Thanks grapes, I'm begining to think that's the only way, but does anyone else have any ideas? Or maybe just a way to turn off the Remote Desktop without going into the admin prefrences? Creativity is fine.

 

[yellow]

Maaaaaaybe since this isn't your laptop, you should avoid doing things that aren't "proper" and may land you very hot water?

It'll be pretty obvious to the admins that you've changed the password or created another admin user or installed things that shouldn't be there. And typically that gets you in trouble.. whatever trouble they carve up for high school students.

I think you should just fly the straight and narrow until you get your own laptop/desktop, and then you do whatever the hell you want to it.

And finally, before my soapbox collapses, MacRumors takes a narrow view of h4x0ring, so I wouldn't persue this one too much further.

 

[watervampire]

Maaaaaaybe since this isn't your laptop, you should avoid doing things that aren't "proper" and may land you very hot water?

It'll be pretty obvious to the admins that you've changed the password or created another admin user or installed things that shouldn't be there. And typically that gets you in trouble.. whatever trouble they carve up for high school students.

I think you should just fly the straight and narrow until you get your own laptop/desktop, and then you do whatever the hell you want to it.

And finally, before my soapbox collapses, MacRumors takes a narrow view of h4x0ring, so I wouldn't persue this one too much further.

Nah, I wasn't talking about hacking my own computer or the admins. I just wanted to know if there was a way that I was missing. But I'm not going to do anything bad on my laptop, I just want to turn off remote desktop. The computer people know very little, honestly. They didn't know how to reset the admin password when one guy figgured it out and changed it- they had to call him and get it. So, if getting a start up disk is the only way then I'm SOL besides guessing. If there are any other ideas, then post them, if not, that's fine.

 

[Blackheart]

Nah, I wasn't talking about hacking my own computer or the admins. I just wanted to know if there was a way that I was missing. But I'm not going to do anything bad on my laptop, I just want to turn off remote desktop. The computer people know very little, honestly. They didn't know how to reset the admin password when one guy figgured it out and changed it- they had to call him and get it. So, if getting a start up disk is the only way then I'm SOL besides guessing. If there are any other ideas, then post them, if not, that's fine.

Well there IS a way to get around Apple Remote Desktop... disconnect from the internet/network.

EDIT: Alternatively, you could buy a router and not forward the ports necessary for ARD.

 

[Gokhan]

k

there is a way to reset the password whether it would work i dont know but here goes :

if u can hook up ur mac to another mac via fireports and press t on your powerbook while starting you should see your hardrive show up on the other mac now look for the folder in ur hardrive that keeps the sysytem password and either change its contents or delete it


THIS IS NOT TRIED SO IF U SCREW THIS UP DONT BLAME ME

good luck

 

[yellow]

now look for the folder in ur hardrive that keeps the sysytem password and either change its contents or delete it

Yeah... that doesn't exist. The password isn't kept in a flat file someplace that isn't encrypted. It's hashed and salted and to break it, you're going to have to crack it... AND no one is going to front you on cracking here.

 

[Gokhan]

k

well i know a folder with the passwords exists beacuse i have seen it although a mac tech at uni showed it to me but whether u can reaplce its contents or delete i dont know

 

[26139]

What?!@?

well i know a folder with the passwords exists beacuse i have seen it although a mac tech at uni showed it to me but whether u can reaplce its contents or delete i dont know

I want whatever YOU'RE smoking.

As to the original poster...quit asking around in forums how to break admin passwords. It's not your computer and you should have no authority or admin access to it. Just be thankful you are able to use a free computer.

Didn't some kids just get suspended for this because they used an admin password so they could open ports to use iChat?

 

[Gokhan]

k

yeah i should just quit while ahead and i dont smoke but i do sometimes drink !

 

[grapes911]

yeah i should just quit while ahead and i dont smoke but i do sometimes drink !

You are no longer ahead, but don't let that stop you from drinking.

 

[Gokhan]

k

no siry will drink still just not heavyly although i did when i got my first mac but a nice tech put a end to my misery for £80

 

[Oryan]

Okay, my school is involved with a laptop for students program (check the State of Maine out for info, however my highschool is the one providing the laptop). Anyway, I don't have the admin password, and I can't find a universal password anywhere I look. I'm locked out of a lot of crap and they have apple remote desktop on here too, so they can monitor us (that's what they use it for anyway). The computer people at my school suck and are really not very nice, so I just wanted some way to get into the admin account and do a few things. I can download programs and everything though. I have no idea how to hack, otherwise I wouldn't be here, but I'm fairly computer literate. My OS is OSX Tiger by the way. I'm also running an iBook G4. So, can someone provide some way to get around their stupid passwords?

My high school had a similar program. Luckily I was a student tech assistant so I was entrusted with the password so I pretty much had free roam with my laptop. In your case, it is very unlikely that you would get/reset the admin password without an install cd. However, there are ways to create a new admin account without a cd. I will say no more; just please don't end up like these kids.

 

[InfiniteLoop1]

Pop in any OS X install disk. Run the reset password utility. Works every time.

at my school all my friends try to hack into my mac, i just laugh at them cos they're not smart enough. they have managed to get the administrator password for the whole school network, which is entirely made up of PC's by using some boot disk, but yet they can't hack into my powerbook, so I've half managed to convince them that macs are more secure than PC's.

They did try the install disk trick, but when they clicked reset it asked for the administrator password, so to reset the admin password that way required the admin password! is my security higher than the average mac?

When they tried this they locked themselves up in a classroom, the principal came in an they got roasted for taking my laptop without my permission! now they've given up trying to hack into my computer

 

[katie ta achoo]

well i know a folder with the passwords exists beacuse i have seen it although a mac tech at uni showed it to me but whether u can reaplce its contents or delete i dont know

you mean viewing the keychain?

that app SAVED MY BUTT the other day!

it'll be in the apps > utilities > keychain access

but about the admin pass... I dunno. don't break things you aren't supposed to.

Where'd I leave my halo and wings?

 

[Koodauw]

I stole this from someone else who posted it awhile back. It should do what you want.

So I forgot my password today, and I didn't have my install CDs, and, really needing my computer, I decided to figure out how to fix it all on my own.

Basically you create another admin account, which really is far too easy to do, but here we go:

(Remove all quotes before typing the commands I put here)

1) Start up in Super-User mode by holding Apple+S at startup...the screen will go black and be covered in white text.

2) Type "/sbin/fsck -y", hit return, then type "/sbin/mount -wu /"

3) Once you have the prompt again type "cd /var/db/"

4) The prompt will change slightly. Then type "ls" and verify that somewhere in the table of items there is the file: ".AppleSetupDone"

5) Making sure that this file is there, then you can delete it by typing "rm ./.AppleSetupDone" or move it to the root of your hard drive for safekeeping by typing "mv ./.AppleSetupDone /"

6) Once it is no longer in place, type "reboot" and the computer will restart...and the first-run video will play and prompt you to register. You don't have to fill any of this in, you can just press Apple+Q, confirm the dialog, and you'll be presented with a page where you set up a new admin account. Put in whatever you want, log in, and you can change the password on your main account.

If you're ever in a fix, being able to do this can be very helpful.

Now go have fun.

 

[InfiniteLoop1]

wow, hope my friends dont find out about that one!!

 

[yellow]

wow, hope my friends dont find out about that one!!

Assuming you turn on and OF Password, people cannot boot into Single User Mode on your Mac.

 

[InfiniteLoop1]

Assuming you turn on and OF Password, people cannot boot into Single User Mode on your Mac.

ermm... where do i turn password on and off? (slinks to the corner feeling dumb)

 

[mad jew]

Turning on the open firmware password maybe? Not recommended unless you're pretty apt with OSX.

Warning: Attempts to use Open Firmware in a manner that is not explicitly endorsed by Apple may damage your computer's logic board. Any repairs that are necessary because of this damage will not be covered under the terms of the Apple One-Year Limited Warranty, AppleCare Protection Plan, or other AppleCare agreement.