How to Reset Password on Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit

Resetting your password on a Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit system can be a crucial task, especially if you’ve forgotten your login credentials or if you need to change them for security reasons. This guide will walk you through the process step by step, ensuring that you can regain access to your Raspberry Pi without any hassle.

Before You Begin

Before diving into the password reset process, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

• Ensure that you have physical access to your Raspberry Pi.
• Make sure you have a microSD card reader to access the card if it’s not already inserted into your computer.
• Have a backup of any important data if necessary.

Method 1: Resetting Password via Command Line

This method involves using the command line to reset your password. It’s a straightforward process, but it requires some technical knowledge.

1. Insert your Raspberry Pi’s microSD card into your computer and mount it.
2. Open a terminal on your computer and navigate to the mounted SD card.
3. Access the chroot environment by running the following command:

sudo chroot /dev/sdX1

4. Once inside the chroot environment, you can reset your password using the ‘passwd’ command:

passwd pi

5. Enter a new password when prompted and confirm it.
6. Exit the chroot environment by typing ‘exit’ and then unmount the SD card.
7. Insert the SD card back into your Raspberry Pi and boot it up.

Method 2: Resetting Password via Recovery Mode

This method is a bit more involved but can be useful if you can’t access the command line or if you’re using a headless setup.

1. Insert your Raspberry Pi’s microSD card into your computer and mount it.
2. Open a terminal on your computer and navigate to the mounted SD card.
3. Copy the ‘raspi-config’ file to a safe location on your computer for backup.
4. Remove the ‘raspi-config’ file from the SD card.
5. Insert the SD card back into your Raspberry Pi and boot it up.
6. When you see the ‘pi’ user login prompt, press ‘Ctrl + Alt + F2’ to switch to the second virtual console.
7. Log in as the ‘root’ user with the password ‘raspberry’ (this is the default password for the root user on Raspberry Pi OS).
8. Change the password for the ‘pi’ user by running the following command:

passwd pi

10. Enter a new password when prompted and confirm it.
11. Press ‘Ctrl + Alt + F1’ to return to the graphical login prompt.
12. Log in with your new password.

Method 3: Resetting Password via a Live USB

This method is useful if you don’t have physical access to your Raspberry Pi or if you’re using a headless setup.

1. Download the Raspberry Pi Imager and create a live USB with the latest version of Raspberry Pi OS.
2. Insert the live USB into your Raspberry Pi and boot it up.
3. Open a terminal and navigate to the mounted SD card.
4. Access the chroot environment by running the following command:

sudo chroot /dev/sdX1

5. Once inside the chroot environment, you can reset your password using the ‘passwd’ command:

passwd pi

6. Enter a new password when prompted and confirm it.
7. Exit the chroot environment by typing ‘exit’ and then unmount the SD card.
8. Insert the SD card back into your Raspberry Pi and boot it up.

Additional Tips