Unable to reset lost password in Linux Mint Cinnamon 19.3
 

Hello everyone, I hope someone may be able to help me please as although I successfully installed Linux Mint Cinnamon 19.3 on an old Dell laptop,previously on Win 7,I promptly forgot the password...
Determined as I was to try to recover/reset it I scoured all the info I could find and can now manage to get to the point of entering a new UNIX password,this I do,and am told password updated successully.
Next I try to reboot,one way I read was at this point to press crtl/alt/del, (other texts skip over this point completely),and I get back to the log in page.
I then enter the new password and am told 'invalid password'
I am NOT a computer expert by any means and was pleasantly surprised I managed to install it in the first place but now I'm stuck,can't delete it,can't use it either,any help will be gratefully received,as I'm going round in circles!
many thanks
Steven
( North Wales,UK )

How?

I would take one of two approaches. Either boot into some sort of rescue mode (I don't know what Ubuntu or Mint offers in this area) and reset the password there, or booting the PC from live media, then reset the password on the disk.

puffin369,

Welcome to LQ forums.

If you are running Linux Mint only and not using a dual-boot with another OS, then try this:

https://websiteforstudents.com/reset...4-17-10-18-04/

At the end, type the command:

and press Enter.

EDIT

The above link has changed, so try this:
https://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/resetpassword

When you boot live media and attempt to change password, you change the password for the live media, not the installed system. If you chroot to the installed system from live media, then changing its password is possible. Chroot is described in many places, so I will not repeat it here.

Beachboy2, hello and thanks for your reply to my question,I'm trying to contact you and am not sure if this is the right way to do it,there is no email button on your post as I was told there would be so I've added you to my contacts in case you might get in touch.s
I tried your advice on resetting my password but I see completely different info to that described in the article and am still no nearer to a solution,can I email you please?? many thanks,Steven.

Hi puffin369,

Please keep questions within the technical threads of LQ this helps others to understand the problem and if they encounter a similar situation, they'll potentially benefit from seeing the process to work out the issue. Meanwhile, it also enables others who may be able to diagnose your problem where they may have information that they can add to things and aid you getting past this blocking point you are in.

Can you relate more specific details as to what you saw versus expected when you followed the recommended link?

In your initial post, you indicate you tried to change the password. In post 2, you were asked by a member "how" you did that and you did not respond? As asked above, you need to post details on exactly how you tried to make the change and the results, post 4 asks if you used a Live media of Mint, did you? Or were you able to boot the installed Mint under one of the advanced options? The link below is specific to Mint although I don't see why the link posted above did not work for you. You need to post more specific details.

puffin369,

Thanks for your reply.

As rtmistler says, it is best to keep the thread visible to all so that more people benefit.

Can you let us have screenshots or photos (see Attach Files > Manage Attachments, below the text box) of what you have been trying and any other details which will help us to solve your problem.

puffin369,

The original link I gave in post #3 has changed for some reason.

Copy, paste and print the essentials of this link onto a crib sheet and try again:
try this:
https://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/resetpassword

response to beachboy2 re forgotten password
 

Hi, thanks for further information,which I have tried to follow,I can't get beyond a certain point however,as I obviously can't send screenshots from the 'dead' computer I've had to take photos to show what I see.
I can follow the instructions as far as what you see in the first photo,'root drop to root shell prompt',pressing enter then shows 'give root password for maintenance' ( haven't got one...) or 'press control d to continue' ( nothing happens )
I try typing,the cursor is flashing,but nothing happens,and I can't see how to 'enter the follow command',there is nowhere to type.
If you can't help with this then not to worry,thanks for trying to help but I'll just have to send the computer for recycling as it's locked in effect.
I'd been asked to provide info on what steps I'd taken but it's easier said than done,I had read so many articles and watched so many videos,most of them different in some way,and I couldn't describe everything I'd done,all I can tell you is that I did get to point of seeing 'password updated successfully but it still didn't work when trying to log in,as ever,whenever I read an article that shows successive steps to be taken,I soon get to one step that is completely different to what I've been shown.
Thanks again
Steven.

puffin369,

Try the Alternate Method to reset Ubuntu password (scroll down) shown here:

https://itsfoss.com/how-to-hack-ubuntu-password/

Instructions

1. Reboot your computer. Hold Shift to bring up the grub screen (if it doesn’t automatically). At the grub prompt, press E to edit the grub screen.

2. Find the line starting with linux.
Go to the very end of the line, remove the “ro quiet splash” part with the backspace key, and then add this onto the end:

3. Press Ctrl-X to save your changes and boot.

Now you are booting into the Linux kernel with read and write permission and instead of going to graphical user interface, you’ll use the bash shell.

In other words, your system will boot up to a passwordless root shell.

4. Type in the passwd command with your username:

Set your new password.

Once you have set the new password, exit the terminal.

Just type in the terminal or use the shutdown command.

Your password should be changed now.