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Reset Forgotten Password on Kali Linux in VM or Dual Boot

· 2 min read
Aditi Rai

Step 1: Open the Boot Screen​

When you start your computer, you will see the Boot Screen.

Booting Screen

Step 2: Open GRUB (Bootloader)​

GRUB (Grand Unified Bootloader) is responsible for initiating the operating system during startup. To access it:

Press e to open the GRUB menu.

Opening GRUB

Step 3: Modify the Boot Parameters​

You need to change the boot parameters.

Before Modification:​

Before Modifications

Modify This Line:​

Replace ro quiet splash with rw init=/bin/bash:

# Original
ro quiet splash 

# Modified
rw init=/bin/bash
  • ro → Read-only mode
  • rw → Read & write mode

Now, press CTRL + X to exit the GRUB menu and boot into the modified mode.

After Modification:​

After Modifications

Step 4: Add a New Password​

After exiting the GRUB menu, the root shell prompt (a terminal with superuser access) will appear.

Find Your Username​

Run the following command to check available users:

ls /home

Change the Password​

Replace username with your actual username and set a new password:

passwd username

Changing Password

Enter the new password

Step 5: Reboot the System​

After resetting the password, reboot your system by typing the following command:

reboot -f
  • -f → Forces an immediate reboot.

Now, log in to your Kali Linux system with your new password!

Kali Linux Home Screen