Resetting Your Admin Password, Cleaning Your New Mac and Viewing VCD Files :: My First Mac - Help Buying and Getting Started with Your New Mac

Resetting Your Admin Password, Cleaning Your New Mac and Viewing VCD Files

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Reset your Admin password by booting from your install disk or just reinstall and start agin from scratch.

Clean your Mac with damp lint free cloths. Your sunglasses might have come one.

QuickTime will play VCDs, you just need to find the right file to open.

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Resetting Your Admin Password, Cleaning Your New Mac and Viewing VCD Files

By: Chuck Konfrst
Categories: My First Mac Q&A

Welcome to My First Mac's Q&A column. It is said that Macs are easier to use, but they are still complex in their own right. Here are a few questions we have received lately from readers like you. Sometimes we reformat the questions for clarity and presentation.

This week we have questions about Resetting your Admin password, cleaning your new Mac and viewing VCD files.

		I was given an eMac and want to install the Mac OS X Leopard software, however I need the old admin ID and password. What do I do?

		You have a couple of options here. Insert the Mac OS X installer disc into the drive, restart, and hold down the "C" key until the eMac starts booting from the disc. Once the installer has completely booted, select "Reset Password" from the Utilities menu (Mac 10.4 & earlier; Installer in Mac 10.5). Select the user account you'd like to change the password to and you should be set. The other option is to completely erase the hard drive and install Mac OS X Leopard. Boot from the installer disc as described above, and begin installation. Select "Options" from the install wizard and choose "Erase & Install". This will completely erase the hard drive and any applications, documents, etc. will be lost unless you back them up.

		I was wondering what's the best way to clean my computer? (Keyboard, Touch Pad, Etc.)

		Let's start with the keyboard. Simply wipe it gently with a slightly-damp (not wet!) a lint-free cloth. To get all the pizza and sandwich crumbs, get a can of compressed air from your favorite computer or department store and blast away. A slightly damp cloth works well for the touch pad too. For your LCD screen, first make sure it has been off for a few minutes and cooled down. Then use a slight damp lint-free soft cloth. Do not use harsh chemicals like glass cleaner, alcohol as they may permanently stain or etch the surface. Use a dry lint-free cloth to polish the screen. In all cases, do not use a paper towel as it will leave particles behind.

		I buy many VCD's in Indonesia because I am learning languages there. They won't play on my new Mac. I had a way to convert them on my PC but I've forgotten how. Anyone know?

		A Video Compact Disc (VCD) contains video as well as audio. QuickTime will actually play VCDs. Insert the VCD into your Mac's drive, open the QuickTime player, navigate to the "MPEGAV" folder of the disc and select the file that ends in ".DAT". When the movie opens, simply press play.

You can send in your questions via the Contact page or email us at editor[AT]myfirstmac[DOT]com. Because of the volume of email we receive, we can't reply to each and every question personally. We read each question that comes in and reply to the ones that fit the scope of this column. We also save some questions for future columns.

If you need your specific question answered right away, try asking it in the Comments section of a related article or in the MFM Forums.


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Your Comments:

I just bought a used imac from gainsaver and I dont know the admin password. They did install leopard before sending it to me. When I try to update or any thing it wants the password. They did not send the leopard disc. This is a 10.4.6 and all I have is the old panther 10.3 disc. I am assuming I cant use the Panther disc as it is 10.3 versus the 10.4.6 that is in the computer. So do I need a Leopard disc to reinstall and change the password? And can I use a ethernet cable from the old computer to the new? Both are macs. Thanks Mitch

kenneth mitchell
12/19/2008 at 07:20 PM

It's worth trying to reset the password from your Tiger disk. If that doesn't work, you'll need a new Leopard disk to install leopard or just wipe the drive and install Tiger.

Ethernet should be fine between them. You'll have to turn sharing on, tho.

Chris Kerins
12/19/2008 at 08:30 PM

hi there.

i seem to have locked myself out...can't remember choosing a password

help me..

ALBERT AND TEMPIE
05/12/2009 at 01:29 AM

Albert, you may have to go through the reset instructions if can't remember it.

Chris Kerins
05/18/2009 at 09:51 AM