if m1tk4 suggestion dosen't work, you can try boot using Knoppix (you can download from here http://www.knoppix.org/), which is a linux boot from CD.
mount the /etc partition and modify the /etc/shadow make the root without a password.
you can use fdisk to view the partitions
fdisk /dev/sda (for SCSI harddisk) fdisk /dev/hda (for IDE harddisk)
using "p" to display the partition, as below
/dev/sda1 * 6 266 2096482+ 6 FAT16
/dev/sda2 267 330 514080 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 331 17849 140721367+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda4 331 6704 51199123+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda5 6705 11803 40957686 83 Linux
after that, try mount each partition, using "mount"
eg. mount /dev/sda2 /test
go into the test folder by cd /test and display the folder of the mounted /test by using ls -l
you will find the folder called "/etc", after found get into it by cd /etc
after get into the /etc use the editor to modify the file called shadow
normally I will use vi, just type vi shadow and you will find an entry as below
root:$1$U1J3I2NF$ABIvm134H
change it to
root::13215:0:99999:7:::
now press esc and :wq to save the change
now the root will not have password. reboot the server/computer and try login as root without password.
but you might need to mount each partition to find the /etc folder
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by: m1tk4Posted on 2006-04-22 at 17:47:52ID: 16517166
1. Remove the CD from the drive, and start booting normally.
2. Once it gets to the screen that says "GRUB" or "Booting" and has the kernel number on it, press any key to stop booting process.
3. Press "A" to append to boot commands - you'll see a line that ends with "...rhgb quiet" and your cursor at the end of it
4. Add a " 1" (space and 1) at the end, no quotes, and press enter.
5. This will boot you to single-user mode with root logged in - you'll see a prompt that looks like
sh-3.1#
6. At this prompt, enter
passwd
and reset root password.
7. At the prompt, enter
reboot
8. Root is an equivalent of Administrator in windows, so now you have full control over the box and can reset other user passwords.