# OS X/OS 9.2 Dual Boot Password Recovery



## absalom_daak (Apr 15, 2005)

Hi

I’ve recently purchased a second hand Powerbook G3 400 Pismo from ebay.

It’s currently set up as a dual boot machine running both OS X Panther and OS 9.2.

Booting into OS X works perfectly.

However, booting into OS 9 presents two username options and both are passworded. Unfortunately the ebay seller doesn’t have these passwords as they were already set when he got the machine.

Does anyone out there know if there’s any way of recovering or changing these passwords from inside OS X?

Thanks


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## tcvolcomskater (Jan 18, 2005)

call apple tech support i guess :4-dontkno


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## YeeFam (Nov 19, 2004)

Welcome to TSF.

Do not think there is an easy way from OS X. If there was - what is the point of the security?

Ok - a few questions first.

*Do you have the Restore CDs?* The complete set comes with a CD for you to install OS 9. If you have that - you should be able to wipe out the current version of OS 9 and get a fresh one to play with. That will work.

*Have you tried just to start OS 9?* You do not have to start (boot) to OS 9 to use OS 9 applications. If you invoke System Preferences, select Classic in the System area, Classic will be started and you will get to run OS 9 apps. As FYI - if you ever start an OS 9 application, the Classic will start up to support the application.

Are you needing OS 9 or just want to see how it looks and feel?


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## absalom_daak (Apr 15, 2005)

Thanks YeeFam!

I have some CD's that came with the package - though they're labelled as OS X Panther CD's - so I don't think they're the ones.

But anyway I can't actually read them as the CD/DVD drive doesn't work.

I figured out about Classic so it's not really a problem with running older apps. I just really wanted to see how OS 9 worked on the setup - and it's also annoying having an entire aspect of my computer that I can't get access to.

So I guess first step is get a working CD/DVD drive and then some OS 9 disks.

Recovering passwords always seems much easier when Tom Cruise does it while saving the world.


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## YeeFam (Nov 19, 2004)

Yep - it is always easier in Hollywood! I love those movies where a picture is blown up 10,000X without any pixellations. I wish I had those cameras.

Back to computers - I had rebooted by PowerBook G4 to Classic mode - and could not see any any advantages vs running Classic from OS X (at least for what I was looking for.) We use OS 9 only to support some software apps/utilites that still need (mainly because we know all the bugs in them and have worked around them).

I think on G5s you could only run Classic from OS X. Our G4s are the last generation that could boot to Classic and OS X.

Have fun with your Mac!


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## absalom_daak (Apr 15, 2005)

Okay. I’m still not Tom Cruise, and I haven’t completely solved the problem, but I have found an effective side-door.

Just in case anyone else has the same problem I thought I’d relate my experiences here.

Being a Mac Newbie I had picked up a copy of ‘OS X: The Missing Manual’. While flicking through it I noticed a section on customising and optimising Classic startup within OS X. As Classic used to take some time to get going, I figured this was worth trying.

(For other total newbies like me this involved going to system preferences, clicking on Classic, manually starting it up and holding down SPACE as soon as the startup bar appeared. This then gave me access to the extension and control panels for OS 9.)

I was following the instructions and disabling the recommended control panels and extensions that wouldn’t make any difference in X, when I noticed there was a control panel called ‘Multiple Users’ and an extension called ‘Multi-User Startup’. I had also noticed that when I began manually starting 9, the system preference panel had said I had only one OS 9 system folder. So was I not only manipulating the preferences for classic startup but also for booting into OS 9?

With that thought, and the fact that I couldn’t really make the situation worse, I disabled both multi user files, continued booting into classic and then, with my fingers crossed, rebooted into OS 9.

And it worked... No log in screen... Straight into the OS 9 desktop...

I booted back into X and undid everything I did, just to confirm what was going on, and when I booted back into 9, there was the login screen of death again.

So that seems to be it. Obviously this worked because I had only one OS 9 system folder, but I still find it odd that changes I made to Classic startup were also made to the complete reboot of OS 9. Also, obviously, if I leave the multiple users off then I’ve got a gaping security hole with anyone booting into OS 9 having access to the whole system. 

Still at least I’ve been able to empty the OS 9 trash and clean up the desktop...


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## YeeFam (Nov 19, 2004)

You can lock your preferences - if you do that, you cannot chage the startup OS without administrative password.

Specifications for highly secure OS X computers are NO OS 9 installed. It does weaken the security.


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