Command + R not working no password

[AndrewKn345]

I am in need of some help. I have an old iMac running OSX 10.6.8 that I have forgotten the password for.

I am trying to get to recovery mode so I can make a new password for the computer.

I have tried holding down Command + R during start up
I have tried holding down option during start up
I have tried holding down Command + R + Option during start up

I have tried all different kinds of timing for pressing those different key combinations, before the chime, after the chime, before hitting power etc

None of those do anything. The computer just starts up as normal.

Is there any way to get to recovery mode without having to go through this ridiculous process during start up?

Is there another way to change an unknown password?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

There isn't a recovery mode in Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard. You need to startup from the installer CD to enable access to the password reset function. Here is a link to the steps on Apple Support Communities:

Reset the password for 10.6 Snow Leopard

As always, we recommend having a current Time Machine or other backup, and proceed at your own risk.

C

 

[honestone]

Please, please heed Cory's advice about first making some kind of backup. A clone would actually be better, using something like SuperDuper!.

 

[AndrewKn345]

Ok, I definitely do not have the installer CD. I also tried following the instructions on the link you sent. The computer does not respond to me trying to boot it up holding Command + s.

I have taken any documents that I might need off the computer already, there's nothing on the computer I'm worried about backing up at this point. Is there anyway to just nuke everything on the computer and start fresh? Without the startup disk of course. I have zero dollars to my name so purchasing anything is not an option for me.

This whole process just seems so unintuitive.

 

[honestone]

The Snow Leopard DVD costs only $19.99US from the Apple Store:

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard

That link is for customers located in the US. You might be able to find it on eBay. (If you were located near where I am (about 20 miles south of Seattle, WA), I'd let you borrow mine).

In any event, you will need some way to "isolate" your internal hard drive before you "nuke" everything on it. One way, of course, is via the Snow Leopard DVD. Another way is if you have a friend that has a Mac with a Firewire 800 port, and assuming your iMac has one also, the two machines can be connected together via a Firewire 800 cable, and your machine could be booted in Target Disk Mode. With that, the other machine could repair your hard drive, from a software perspective. Also, an applicable OS could be installed onto your machine via that other Mac.

 

[AndrewKn345]

Extremely unhelpful. $0 is less than $19.99.

 

[honestone]

With that kind of attitude, trying to help you seems to be a waste of my valuable time.