Microsoft KB Archive/824662

= Reset your Mac OS X password to install Virtual PC =

Article ID: 824662

Article Last Modified on 2/8/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Office X for Mac Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Virtual PC for Mac Version 7
 * Microsoft Virtual PC for Mac Version 6.1
 * Connectix Virtual PC for Mac 6.0
 * Connectix Virtual PC for Mac 6.0
 * Connectix Virtual PC for Mac 6.0

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SUMMARY
When you install any program in Mac OS X, you are prompted to enter your administrator password. If you have forgotten your administrator password, you must either contact your administrator to obtain the administrator password or reset the administrator password.

This article discusses how to reset your administrator password in Mac OS X.



MORE INFORMATION
If you are the only administrator on your computer and you have forgotten your administrator password, contact Apple Support for additional assistance. For more information, visit the following AppleCare Web site:

http://www.apple.com/support

Note Microsoft Product Support Services does not provide information about resetting an administrator password in Mac OS X.

If you are not the only administrator on your computer, ask one of the other administrators on your computer to reset your password. To do this, follow these steps:

For Mac OS X 10.3.x
 Log on with an administrator account. On the Apple menu, click System Preferences. On the View menu, click Accounts. If it is required, click to unlock the lock icon, type the authentication information, and then click OK. Select the username whose password you want to change. Type a new password in both the Password and Verify boxes. Quit System Preferences.</li> Click OK when you receive the following message:

The Keychain password for this user cannot be changed to the new account password.

.</li></ol>

For Mac OS X 10.2.x
<ol> Log on with an administrator account.</li> On the Apple menu, click System Preferences.</li> On the View menu, click Accounts.</li> If it is required, click to unlock the lock icon, type the authentication information, and then click OK.</li> Select the username whose password you want to change.</li> Click Edit User.</li> Type a new password in both the Password and Verify boxes.</li> Click OK.</li> Click OK when you receive the following message:

The Keychain password for this user cannot be changed to the new account password.

</li> Quit System Preferences.</li></ol>

For Mac OS X 10.1.x
<ol> Log on with an administrator account.</li> On the Apple menu, click System Preferences.</li> On the View menu, click Users.</li> If it is required, click to unlock the lock icon, type the authentication information, and then click OK.</li> <li>Select the username whose password you want to change.</li> <li>Click Edit User.</li> <li>Click the Password tab.</li> <li>Type a new password in both the Password and Verify boxes.</li> <li>Click Save.</li> <li>Click OK when you receive the following message:

The Keychain password for this user cannot be changed to the new account password.

</li> <li>Quit System Preferences.</li></ol>

Note about the Keychain passwords
The default Keychain password is the same as your or the user account password. This lets programs automatically unlock your keychain as needed. If you change your default Keychain password, you will be prompted to type the keychain password every time a program has to access the keychain. Additionally, you can delete your Keychain files by using the Keychain Access utility that is located in the Utilities folder. After you delete your old keychain files, you must create a new keychain. To create a new keychain, follow these steps:
 * 1) Start Keychain Access.
 * 2) Click Show Keychains, and then select the keychain that you wan to delete.
 * 3) Click File, and then click Delete  .
 * 4) Click either Delete References or Delete References & Files.
 * 5) * The Delete References option removes the keychain from the keychain list, but it does not remove the keychain files from your hard disk. If you remember your password later, you can use the Add Keychain feature of Keychain Access to recover items that are stored in this file.
 * 6) * The Delete References & Files option permanently removes the keychain from the keychain list and from the hard disk.
 * 7) Click File, and then click New Keychain.
 * 8) Type a name and select a location for the keychain, and then click Create.
 * 9) Type a password for the keychain.
 * 10) Click File, and then click Make Default.
 * 11) Quit Keychain Access.

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Additional query words: offx off2004 virtualpc virtual pc macintosh mac apple password OSX OS X reset

Additional query words: Content Maintenance 33446

Keywords: kbhowto KB824662

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