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Macos system preferences password not working – 5 Solutions

A lot of people face the dilemma of not being able to login to their Mac system preferences account. This can be frustrating, especially when you don’t know how to fix the problem. In this blog, we’ll provide 5 solutions that may help you unlock your password and access the system preferences on your Mac.

Note that not all of the solutions might work for everyone, so try out different methods until you find the one that works for you. Good luck!

Solutions for Mac password not working

If you are having issues with your Mac password, there are a few solutions you can try. Here are 5 of the most common:

  1. Check if the password is correct.
  2. Reset the password.
  3. Disable login screen lock.
  4. Enable password recovery.
  5. Check the login server.

Reset NVRAM/PRAM

If you’re having trouble resetting your Mac system preferences password, or if the password isn’t working at all, try resetting the NVRAM and/or PRAM.

The reset process varies depending on the type of Mac system preferences you’re having problems with, so consult the manual or online instructions for your particular model. In most cases, restarting your computer will also help solve the issue.

If that doesn’t work, you may need to reset your system preferences using a computer with admin privileges.

Reset SMC

If your Mac password isn’t working, resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) might help. Here are five solutions:

  1. Try restarting your computer.
  2. Reset your account password on the login screen.
  3. Restart the SMC: Hold down Command-R while restarting your computer.
  4. Reset the SMC by following these steps:
    1. Open a terminal window
    2. Type sudo smc
    3. Enter admin password when prompted
    4. Hit enter
    5. Type reset smc
    6. Reboot your computer
    7. If the reset smc command yields an error message, reboot in recovery mode by restarting your computer with the power button held down for at least 5 seconds
    8. Finally, reinstall mac os using the installer from the mac os x installation disk
    9. If all fails, restore from a backup

Boot into Safe Mode

If you are having trouble logging in to your Mac system, and the password isn’t working, try one of the following solutions:

  1. Boot into Safe Mode by holding down the Option key when restarting your computer.
  2. Reset your password by going to System Preferences > Password & Accounts and entering a new password.
  3. Reset the login account by going to System Preferences > Accounts and selecting the login account you want to reset.

Reset your password

If you’re having trouble resetting your password for your Mac system preferences, here are 5 solutions:

  1. Go to the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
  2. Click the login name and password icon in the lower-left corner of the System Preferences window.
  3. Enter your login name and password, and then click the lock button to confirm.
  4. Click the user account icon in the lower-left corner of the System Preferences window, select your user account, and then click Change Password.
  5. Type in a new password twice, and then click Change Password again to confirm it.

Recover data and reset your Mac

If your Mac password isn’t working, there are 5 solutions that you can try.

  1. Try resetting your password using the Apple menu > System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Password.
  2. If that doesn’t work, you can try resetting your Mac by holding down the power button for 30 seconds.
  3. You can also try resetting your password using recovery mode, which is available when you press and hold Option + Command + R at the same time.
  4. If that still doesn’t work, you can reset your system preferences by going to Apple menu > System Preferences and clicking on General > Reset > Reset System Preferences.
  5. Last resort is to erase all the data on your Mac and start from scratch.

How to Add a Separate Admin Account

If your Mac system preferences password isn’t working, it might be because you’re trying to login with the account that is currently admin. To add a separate admin account, follow these simple steps from Sohne.net Tech Reviews:

  1. Open the System Preferences app on your Mac.
  2. Select the Users & Groups icon.
  3. Click the Add button next to the admin account.
  4. Enter the admin account password and click the OK button.
  5. Click the lock icon in the bottom left corner of the System Preferences window to make sure the new admin account is locked.
  6. Restart your Mac system for the changes to take effect.

How to Remove an Administrator from Mac

If the system preferences password on your Mac is not working, there may be a number of reasons. One solution is to remove the administrator account from the system preferences. Follow these steps to do so:

  1. Launch the System Preferences app from the Mac menu.
  2. Select the Security & Privacy icon.
  3. Click the Account button.
  4. Under the account name, select the admin user and then click the Remove button.
  5. Click the OK button to confirm the removal.

Conclusion

If you are having trouble logging in to your Mac system preferences, there are a few solutions that you can try. Add a separate admin account if the password reset procedure fails multiple times. Remove an administrator if you are the only user and do not want to share admin privileges with others.

Additionally, check the system preferences for login items and make sure that the password is set correctly. If you still cannot login, please leave a comment below and we’ll help you out as soon as possible!