Recover Root Password for HP-UX

HP-UX  

The steps to reactivate the root account:

1. Boot the system in to single user mode.
2. Mount /usr file systems.
# mount /usr

Note: The file system might need file system check (fsck) before mounting.

3. Systems that are not using Trusted System security skip to step #4.
For Trusted Systems (presence of a /tcb directory), follow these additional

steps:
a) Use the following command to reactivate the 'root' account:
# /usr/lbin/modprpw -k root
b) Use the 'modprpw' command to null the password, so that the passwd command does not prompt for the old password.

For HP-UX 10.x
# /usr/lbin/modprpw -w "" root

For HP-UX 11.x
# /usr/sam/lbin/usermod.sam -F -p "" root

NOTE: To untrust the system, use: tsconvert -r

4. Change the root account password.
# passwd root

5. Boot the system in to multi user mode.