Reset iMac Password (OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard)

Hello

Just to make sure you're using the right key combination, here is the meaning of the Apple keys:
- Command: key ⌘
- Option: key alt or ⌥

As for macOS 10.6.8, it is hard to find on second-hand sites. If you find a DVD, you need to make sure it's a complete DVD and not an upgrade.

example:
The complete DVD is labeled "Install DVD - version 10.6 - ..."

The upgrade DVD is labeled "Upgrade DVD - Version 10.6 -..."

Question:

could you specify the exact model of this Mac? This will help determine whether it could accept an older version but newer than macOS 10.6 "Snow Leopard", such as macOS 10.7 "Lion", because if that's the case, then downloading a macOS Lion version is possible as explained HERE

To find out the exact model,

Use one of the following links:
* Apple: Technical Specifications
* Apple: Service and Support Coverage
* AppleSerialNumberInfo.com
- choose your hardware and enter your Mac's serial number
- Click the blue "Search" button (or "Search")
Once you get the Apple web page that describes your Mac, send us the link to that page and we can tell you more.

Ritchi

Hello

Being able to upgrade this iMac to macOS 10.11 El Capitan is indeed good news as El Capitan is easier to find!

But, this means adding as much RAM as possible, otherwise this iMac will be a real turtle since it only has 1GB of RAM.
So, I'm not even sure you can install El Capitan with such little RAM in this iMac.

For your information, at least 6 to 8GB of RAM is needed for El Capitan to be usable, and this requirement for more RAM dates back to the release of macOS 10.10 Yosemite in 2014.
Why the slowdown?
The reason for this slowdown is a strange consequence of the drop in prices of high-capacity memory modules in the early 2010s.
At that time, noticing that the price of these was becoming increasingly affordable, Apple engineers decided to prioritize buffering not in the virtual memory of the hard drive but in the RAM on the motherboard because the access time to information in RAM is infinitely shorter than that required with a hard drive.
Using RAM is therefore faster and more efficient!
A troublesome consequence for many people at the time: you had to boost your Mac with more RAM.
4GB is an ultra-minimum minimum.
6GB is better but not sufficient.
8GB is good and above that, it's very good.

So if you want/need to install a more recent system, I recommend choosing either macOS Lion 10.7, macOS Mountain Lion 10.8, or macOS Maverick 10.9, so you won't have to buy RAM for this iMac.

Ritchi

Hello,

(I apologize, yesterday I tried to copy and paste a text and had problems with the editor with the message "message body empty". Now I’m typing directly)

Thanks to BoBot (is it also AI?) for his response. I note that in the context of the blockage described, a simple update does not help to "work around the problem" but reinstalling the system does, YES. I didn't know that it worked around it.

(I thought of the update because I knew where to download it. However, I don't know where to download or buy a DVD or CD with the OS X 10.6.8 system. I will keep looking for it then.)

But in this new lead, I'm missing how to get to RECOVERY MODE. I said I tried without success the "COMMAND + R" method and now I just tried the method proposed by BoBot, the "COMMAND + OPTION + R" method and I can't get that to work either. Nothing changes.

Is there still another suggestion to get to RECOVERY MODE?

And in the event that there is and I get to RECOVERY MODE and I just downloaded the system somewhere in .dmg format, I need to be able to create a DVD or CD with it.

But I still need to find a .dmg burning software that works on Windows. I just realized that CD BURNER XP does not work in this case.

Well, see you tonight, I have more to say on this subject.

Good night,

Thank you _Ritchi_ for your response, suggestions, and recommendations.

(However, I don't know why I can't find the text of your message on the site. But I can read it on Windows Mail.

1. I used the correct keys, the ones you indicated. So I don't know why I can't access RECOVERY MODE: for the blocking context or for the keyboard. The friend who took the iMac to see if I can help him find a solution tells me that it’s a client who gave him the machine, but without a keyboard, without a mouse, and without a password. So I found among my old computer stuff: a Mac keyboard and a mouse both. But I don’t remember which machine they were from. (I got rid of it a few years ago).

The question I just asked myself is: could this keyboard explain why the key combination to get to Recovery Mode doesn't work? I have other keyboards but they are not Mac. I will try to find another one, even consider buying one, not too expensive.

Thank you for recommending that I pay attention to the DVD (System installation and not just a simple update)

Yes, it’s possible to try the following version: Lion (OS X 10.7).

But a big thank you for the information that will allow me to download it. Thanks to the link, I have already taken note of it, in case.

For the model of the iMac: it is model No. A1224. Since the iMac arrived in its cardboard box, we have most of the information: 20-inch LCD screen, INTEL Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB DDR2 SDRAM memory, 320GB serial ATA hard drive, etc. etc.

SO IN SUMMARY, regarding this solution pathway we have left:

a) to access RECOVERY MODE (unless it is absolutely impossible due to the type of blockage)

b) Find a burning software that accepts the .dmg format and works on Windows.

Thanks again for the help

In the meantime, I’ll see you next time.

An iMac A1224 is a 20" model manufactured between 2007 and 2009 (there are several models) that can run up to El Capitan (OS X 10.11.6). This is good news, as El Capitan can be downloaded from the Apple website (this page must be visited using the Safari browser). Instructions for creating a USB drive to boot a Mac and install the system can be found on this page. A Mac is absolutely required, but it is conceivable to create this drive on Windows using a tool called Transmac (without a guarantee of success), see this page for more details.

Unless I’m mistaken, starting in recovery mode is not possible on a machine with Snow Leopard, as the necessary Recovery partition was only offered with later versions (at least Lion, if I remember correctly).

Even under El Capitan, it will still be a "collectible" machine, no longer really compatible with much...

Hello at your place!
Bernard

Hello everyone,

As promised, and since in my case it was impossible to apply the "COMMAND + R" method or the "COMMAND + OPTION + R" method (both preceded by starting the machine), after some readings, I thought I should try "starting up and then OPTION." This allowed me not to reach the screen of our blockage but to another one that was prepared to receive A SYSTEM INSTALLATION, with the image of two hard drives, one titled Macintosh and another Snow. After selecting the first one, I arrived at another screen with a horizontal menu bar at the top, and by searching, I eventually found the command RESET PASSWORD.

I was then able to enter a new password for the user on the home page.

For the information I asked for, I started searching on the Internet and eventually understood the essentials (after all, in Windows there is also an equivalent). So I ended up saving the new password and resetting the permissions and folders' lists. (I had one doubt: whether Internet was necessary), but in the end, everything went well. There was one downside (rather 2): the first one: I noticed that the selected language was English (with a QWERTY keyboard) which I hurried to change to French (with an AZERTY keyboard). So I understood that my password had to take that into account. I started up and logged in without any problems.

SO MY MAIN PROBLEM IS SOLVED.

My mission with the friend who asked me for help ends here, unless he wants me to explain what remains to be done. I don't think he knows the OS X system and the Mac world. Since I now have everything I need, I will suggest installing a later version. I noticed that instead of having 1 GB of memory as stated on the packaging, the machine has 4 GB, which is good news and can facilitate the promotion project.

A SECOND PROBLEM I encountered on the IMAC desktop is that most applications are IN THE TRASH !! (that makes 184 items) I would like to find an explanation for this: a virus, a mishandling, or something else??

I find it hard to imagine doing the operation one by one. If I had to take care of this at the moment, I don't have the best approach to speed it up. Promotion of the version or not, I would start with that, first.

Do you have any suggestions and ideas to offer, please?

It's been a long time since I worked on a MAC, and I need to revisit certain things. I need a good tutorial for that.

Thank you all for providing me with a lot of information, which I will take into account if the adventure continues. Thanks again.

I'll see you next time.