How To Reset Your Ubuntu Password

by Stephen on October 27, 2009

In case you forgot your Ubuntu password, here is a quick, easy way to reset it:

  1. Start your computer; pay close attention to boot promts
     
  2. When your computer boots to the GRUB screen, looks like below

    => use your up/down arrow keys on your keyboard to select any line that has (single-user mode)
     
  3. Once you got a line with (single-user mode) selected, hit Enter
     
  4. When the “Recovery Menu” pops up, use the Down arrow key and select “root       Drop to root shell prompt”

     
  5. Once selected, press the Tab key; this would highlight <Ok> => Once Ok is selected, press Enter

     
  6. A shell prompt would appear. We can now use the “passwd” command to reset password. Make sure to replace “your_username” with the username you used to login to your Ubuntu.
    passwd your_username  (i.e. password stephen and hit Enter)
    
    Enter new UNIX password:  (enter your password and hit Enter)
    Retype new UNIX password:  (enter your password and hit Enter)
    
    passwd: password updated successfully => you are done.
    

    Now type this to restart your computer:

    reboot

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