How do you change the Admin Password
 

After my windows computer died of old age, I was given this computer. It has Linux Mint 9 Isadora on it. I am trying to learn how to use it. The update and other functions are locked out with a password. Is it possible to change it without reinstalling the entire Os.

Hi

You can boot into single user mode - which basically will boot (passwordless) into a root shell.

Thereafter you run:

Reboot and you can login using the new password you just set.

You can follow these steps to boot into single user mode.

two ways one from a live cd or one from the boot. in grub 1 legacy as soon as the grub loads press escape the press e to edit the line and type telinit 1 then type passwd then type in roots new password then type it a again to confirm. it has bee a long time since i have had to do this.
there is a second problem is there is a sudo user if you change the password for root you can then go in as root and change the sudo user password so you now it.
the other way is to down load puppylinux burn it and boot it then edit the /boot/grub/menu.1st edit it put telinit 1.
third one is if you have linux mint with grub2 on the mbr .
I did this the other day to recover there system. I renamed grub2 to grub.2 old then installed grub one and edited my /boot/menu.1st to boot the system then got there system going and put grub2 back on.
all in a days work.

@ idom25 : If i am getting this write, you are talking about the admin(root) password right? In that case, as mentioned by alli_yas, you can boot in a single user mode but you will need the admin password before hand to change the admin password. BTW, the admin in a linux system is called the 'root'. So in short you need to change the root password and that is only possible when you have the old root password. Just as alli_yas directed using the passwd <username>, command.

Enjoy

Anugraha

Hi Anugraha

Actually this is incorrect. If you boot into single user mode, you don't require the current root password (the one you've forgotten/lost) - it will boot passwordless into a root shell.

When you run passwd root it will only prompt you for the new password and not the old password.

Do not make assumptions and give incorrect advices please. This is adversely incorrect statement.

@OP
You can use the steps either from post#1 or post#2 and change the root password. Root password on Mint and Ubuntu are not set by default. And you do not need root password to update your system. The password that it is asking is your own password, the password for the user you used to login into the system.

as linuxlover.chaitanya pointed out in telinit 1 you can change the paswwd I spelled it right. in debian system getting to run level one can be a bit frustrating so in debian linux mint ubuntu sudo world telinit 1 create a paswwd for root and login as root and change what ever you need.