How to recover my password in Mac OS X?

Question

I have a serious problem with my Mac - I don't need to enter my password to login but when I need to edit a file using the vi editor I have to enter the password. I don't remember the password - is it possible to recover it?

Answer 1

From the Mac Help, when searching for "forgot password":

If you forget your administrator password

If you don’t remember your administrator password, you can reset it using the Mac OS X installation disc.

To reset the administrator password using the Mac OS X installation disc:

• Insert the Mac OS X installation disc into your computer’s optical drive (or an optical drive connected to your computer), and then double-click the Install Mac OS X icon.

• In the Installer, click Utilities, and then click Restart.

• When the Language Chooser appears, select your language, and then click the Continue button (looks like an arrow).

• In the Installer, choose Utilities > Reset Password.

• Follow the onscreen instructions to change the password.