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    [SOLVED-SORT OF)Lost Password

    I have an old IBM T23 Thinkpad, with a dual boot of Windows XP and Kubuntu that I gave to another user. They returned it to me because they could not get into the Linux install.

    I absolutely cannot remember the password for the Kubuntu install; I've tried all my usual passwords as used on other machines and nothing works.
    Is there any way I can recover from this without wiping and re-installing Or should I use GParted or something to reformat the Linux partition to a drive D: for Windows (NTFS??)

    Thanks...

    Bob
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    Tried the suggestions given below, but no luck. Finally re-formatted the drive leaving Windows and a new data partition in place of Linux. Then used the Windows disk to repair the boot record. All working now.

    Bob

    #2
    Re: Lost Password

    http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/resetpassword
    "A problem well stated is a problem half solved." --Charles F. Kettering
    "Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."--Dr. Seuss

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      #3
      Re: Lost Password

      Arochester... thanks for the prompt reply.

      I have tried the procedure you suggest, and it appears that there is another problem... when I enter the command ls /home, the response is just another prompt... there is no user listed.

      When I try to reset the passsword for bob, it tells me "user 'bob' does not exist.

      Anything else I can try before a re-format

      Bob

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        #4
        Re: Lost Password

        Boot the system into the recovery console.

        When the menu comes up, choose "root shell" (I don't remember the exact words, similar to that).

        At the prompt, type:

        passwd bob

        it will prompt you for the new password.

        Then reboot and you should be fine.

        Note: the "ls /home" part is just to remind you what the available usernames are. If you remember your user name, no need for that.

        Edit: Try this:

        grep 1000 /etc/passwd

        That should give you the name of the first installed user on the system.

        If that, and "ls /home" both come up blank, then there are no users installed on the system.

        That's just about impossible, unless the installation failed. If that is what happened, then a fresh install is probably the best plan, as it is impossible to tell what else might have gone wrong.
        We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet. -- Stephen Hawking

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