How to reset password in Debina 13 if forgot?

Forgetting your Debian 13 password can be stressful, but the good news is that you can reset it safely using Recovery Mode without reinstalling the operating system. This guide explains the process step by step in a simple and clear way, even for beginners.

To start the password reset process, you must access the GRUB boot menu, which allows you to enter recovery mode.As the system starts, press and hold Shift (BIOS) or tap Esc (UEFI) until the GRUB menu appears.

reboot

STEP 2: Enter Recovery Mode

In this step, you will boot Debian 13 into Recovery Mode, which allows you to access a root shell and reset the forgotten password safely without reinstalling the system.

# If the root filesystem is mounted as read-only, remount it as writable
mount -o remount,rw /

STEP 3: Drop to Root Shell

This step allows you to access a root shell with full administrative privileges, which is required to reset the forgotten password on Debian 13 safely and effectively without logging into a normal user session.

mount -o remount,rw /

STEP 4: Remount the Filesystem as Read/Write

By default, the system is mounted as read-only in recovery mode, so you must change it before editing passwords.This command allows system changes, including password resets.

mount -o remount,rw /

STEP 5: Reset the User Password

Replace username with your actual Debian username, then enter and confirm the new password when prompted.

Now you can reset the password for any user account.

passwd username

STEP 6: Fix Home Directory Permissions (Recommended)

After resetting the password, fixing ownership permissions helps prevent login or desktop issues.This ensures the user fully owns their home directory.

chown -R username:username /home/username

STEP 7: Reboot the System

Once all changes are applied, reboot your system to ensure that the new password and any permission updates take effect, allowing you to safely log in.

reboot

STEP 8: Log In with the New Password

After rebooting, log in using your newly set password. Your Debian 13 system should now work normally without any data loss.

# Enter your username and the new password at the login prompt
login: your_username
Password: your_new_password