How to Recover Forgotten Administrator Password

If you have forgotten your administrator password you can reset it using one of the two following methods. Unfortunately, it is not possible to recover your existing password. Passwords are stored in the Mambo database and are encrypted using a one-way MD5 hash, which means your only option is to set a new, hashed password. Using one of these two methods will restore your access.

Resetting your Administrator password through the database

Use this method if you have access to your database via phpMyAdmin, the MySQL command line utility, SQLYog or some other similar program.

Run the following statement:

    update mos_users
    set password = md5('newpassword')
    where username = 'admin';

Replace 'newpassword' with the new password you wish to use and replace 'admin' with whatever your Administrator username is. The default Administrator username is 'admin' so unless you changed it this is probably still the same. Replace mos_users with the name of your user table. The '_users' part will always be the same, but if you selected a different database prefix during installation then 'mos' may differ. If you left the database prefix alone during installation then the table will be 'mos_users'.

Alternatively, you can change your password directly within the Mambo user table in your database.

First, you need to create a new MD5 hashed password. There are MD5 utilities available on the web which allow you to make your own hashed password.

Here are two online MD5 creators:
JavaScript MD5 - http://pajhome.org.uk/crypt/md5/
MD5er - http://www.md5er.com/

Make sure you create a STRONG password, ideally 8 characters in length and nothing from the dictionary or anything that can be guessed at.

Secondly, you must edit the password field in your database.
Look for the users table in your Mambo database. If you accepted the default suggestions when you installed Mambo, your user table will be called mos_user.
Browse to the username that requires the password change. Click on the edit icon (in phpMyAdmin this is an image of a pencil) and look for the password row. Paste in your hashed password and save.

If you are not comfortable with creating your own hashed password, and you use phpMyAdmin, you can enter a plain text password into the record in your database and choose the option, "MD5" from the phpMyAdmin dropdown function options. phpMyAdmin automatically encrypts the plain text you entered as an MD5 hash.
Save your change and exit your MySQL manager.

That's it! You should now be able to login using the new password.

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