How to Reset Any User's Password on a Mac

Method 1 of 2:

Restart your Mac. When your Mac begins its startup process, hold down the "Command" and "R" keys.
Open Terminal.
1. Click "Utilities" in the menu bar.
2. Select "Terminal".
Type "reset password" into Terminal and hit "Enter". This will result in a reset password tool popping up.
Select your computer's hard drive. In some isolated cases your computer's hard drive may not show up. This occurs if your hard drive is encrypted and can't be modified with this password tool.
Choose a user to reset.
Enter a new password. This will become your user's master password, so be sure to remember your change.
Click Save. After clicking save, nothing major will happen. The password fields in the form will go blank. Just go ahead and proceed to the next step.
Restart your Mac. When your Mac boots, you should be able to log in to the user you forgot the password for.

Method 2 of 2:

Put your OS installation disk in your Mac's CD drive.
- Do this while the computer is on.
Restart your Mac. When your Mac begins its start-up process, hold down the "C" key.
Select your language.
Open the password reset tool.
- For 10.6 or later, click "Utilities" in the menu and select "Password Reset".
- For 10.4 or later, click "Utilities" in the menu and select "Reset Password".
- For 10.3, click "Installer" in the menu and select "Reset Password".
Select your computer's hard drive.
Choose a user to reset.
Enter a new password.
Click Save.
Restart your Mac and your password will be reset.

It's easy to forget passwords. If you're lucky enough to own a Mac, you have an easy option for recovering access to your computer with minimal risk to your computer's security. These instructions should run you through the process of...