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Macintosh Duo 230 - Password removal

anny84

6502
Hi,

How can I remove the startup password to the notebook "Apple Macintosh Duo 230"?

I remember the startup password is removeable from any kind of Apple Vintage Computer but I don't remember how.

Thanks!

Anny

 
The whole point of a password is that it should be difficult to remove. Removal implies that you have authority to do so. A software password is best removed with the utility that installed it, which implies that you have the authority to do so by 'owning' the software. Similarly for a password-protected disk (FDD or HDD). Even Apple's At Ease, which is just an access barrier, needs a careful process to remove it.

The extension of this is that in the absence of knowledge about which kind of protection you are facing, and no access to the means of removing the password, you can do no more than wipe and reformat the disk. Even this will be difficult or awkward if the protection prevents booting from a startup volume of any kind. The password will then have performed its task of protection of drive or files.

If the apparent problem is no more than that a boot (or a data) volume is locked, and the volume mounts on the desktop, see whether Get Info. (highlight the volume's icon, and then press command-i) shows a ticked [checked] Locked box. That is the simplest and least bothersome obstacle to overcome. If the protection is more rigorous in truly needing a password, you have a larger difficulty.

Being of the cast of mind that I am, I should also seriously doubt the bona fides of a downloadable universal 'password killer'. At the very least, run a virus-checker over it before using such a 'utility'.

de

 
The Duo will be a fuss because there is no floppy. The usual procedure in by-passing At Ease (the likely culprit) is, AS I RECALL, to start from floppy and delete the At Ease Preferences file in the System folder.

Would starting up with extensions off allow you to do the same? Boot the machine with Shift key held down.

 
If you have the At Ease Install disk:WARNING Do not attempt to remove At Ease without turning it off first.

Open At Ease Setup, type the administrator password ... &c., (which leads to a Custom Remove).

If you do not have the At Ease Install disk:

WARNING Do not attempt to remove At Ease without turning it off first.

Open At Ease Setup, type the administrator password ... &c., (followed by trashing 6 files/folders and emptying the Trash).
The preceding is for At Ease 3.0, but not wildly different from earlier versions. You see the difficulty. Without password (and software diskette), scorched-earth reformatting is the only sure remedy. According to this the Duo can be reached in target disk mode only in the MiniDock.

de

 
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