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Lost Gmail password from auto-password generator?

Help! My friend lost his Google Gmail password because he used a password generator on his Mac, but when he copied the generated password to the clipboard, it didnt really copy. Then he closed the password box and effectively lost that new password for his Gmail. He tried filling out the Gmail technical support form to get access again but they said the info he gave them was "inconclusive" and they couldn't give him access back at this time. Is there a way to recover his Gmail password on a Mac? Since there are no cookies like Windows I'm not sure how he can get it back. Thanks!

Dave's Answer:

Sounds like a tricky situation because you didn't tell me which password generator your friend used, but odds are good that whatever he ran, it likely has some sort of internal database of encrypted passwords.

If it's really well behaved, it might even be adding the password information to the existing account and password storage system on your Mac OS X system: Keychain.

In fact, let's start there. While you might be familiar with Keychain as the utility that applications like Safari use to store passwords, you might not realize that it's actually a separate application you can launch. To find it, go to Applications --> Utilities and look for "Keychain Access"

The opening window looks like this:

Scroll down (or search) and see if you can find the account information in question. Once you do, select it and choose File --> Get Info (or just press Cmd-I) and it'll show you more details:

Check "Show password" and it'll ask you for your system password:

Mac OS X: Keychain Access: Prompting for Password

If you enter it correctly, you'll now have the password for that account revealed. Helpful!

If you can't find it there, try the password generating application itself. For example, I use 1Password for account management within the Web browser and it too has the ability to show you otherwise encrypted passwords, as shown here:

Again, find the specific entry you're interested in and choose it. Immediately, the lower pane will fill with account details:

Mac OS X: 1Password: Account Info Window

If the password isn't shown, simply click on "Edit" and it'll reveal it.

Hopefully these will give you and your pal some ideas about how to recover the password your application assigned to his Gmail account. Good luck!

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Categorized: Mac OS X Help (Article 8105)
Tagged: account management, mac keychain, password management, password recovery, security
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Comments

Hi Dave, No tech support for gmail is unfortunate...started a new iMac with OS X Tiger, also downloaded the latest version of Firefox, and presto gmail did not remember me... it refused to accept my password - which has not been changed.

After answering my "private question" incorrectly, ...perhaps a typo at time of setup?...who knows, it then asked me to verify my latest sent emails addresses: However, those addresses were available & located on the gmail server, not on my previous computer, so without access to gmail I could not retrieve my last emails, for proof of verification.

My alternate email at mac.com expired last year and the new one is slightly different...so I'm not able to send an email to google tech support for gmail to correct the situation.

Any advice?
Laurel

Posted by: Laurel at July 3, 2008 3:41 PM

I forgot gmail password. I just changed gmail password few days before. Now gmail is telling me to wait for 5 days. can i recover passowrd immediately?

Posted by: yubaraj at July 25, 2008 5:46 AM

I dont understand why gmail makes it so hard to e-mail them .I can see no number ,people would be calling all day.I am having a problem with never getting my paypal e-mails though gmail.I think gmail you are a zero .......

Posted by: jay at October 9, 2008 5:48 PM

i have lost my password at gmail my email address is northcutt.troy@gmail.com they have no tech support please help thanks troy northcutt

Posted by: troy northcutt at October 10, 2008 3:55 PM

my gmail password has been forgotten ,can you help me !if you can ,please email wolfstarer@gmail.com and i tell you the gmail account!

Posted by: roy at March 8, 2009 6:45 AM

I m in serious trouble, If u can den plz help, i hav lost my gmail password and i think the confirmation mial is not coming in my secondary mail,,,,What should i do where should i complain.......

Plz reply bak...
kunaljha1987@yahoo.com

Posted by: Kunal at March 31, 2009 4:17 AM

Hey I forgot may gmail password and please help me to recovber that.It is very important becouase I send my CV to a Company and the reply will come to that gmail address.Soi please help me.You can contact me on this addres cmjayasinghe@hotmail.com

Posted by: Mangala at May 8, 2009 4:58 AM

hello deve taylor please tell me the way to hack gmail password of others.....i hope u will reply

Posted by: abinchandrababu at May 19, 2009 6:18 PM

password is lost send mail (avtarpumar@gmail.com)

Posted by: haresh at June 2, 2009 10:54 PM

pls send my gmail password . send other email id
deepali134@yaho.com pls send.

Posted by: deepali at June 8, 2009 5:01 AM

i frogot my Password of gmail account and i dont remember the sequrity question also plz tell me how to retreav the password i have the secondory account

Posted by: Vijay Kumar at September 10, 2009 2:13 AM

Sir,my friend had forgotten his gmail account password,and also his secondary mail id.how could he retrive his password with out this information?some body is using his id also.how could he hack this id and retrive the password of his gmail account.plz reply its very urgent.

Posted by: payal at September 13, 2009 4:44 AM

pls send my gmail password . send other email id
nrmlrao0@gmail.com pls send.

Posted by: kiran at September 22, 2009 6:08 AM

sir i know my gmail password but when i open my gmail id its not open plz help me.

Posted by: rohit.4933 at October 4, 2009 1:55 AM

i have lost my password at gmail my email address is jagugodara@gmail.com they have no tech support please help thanks jagdish vishnoi

Posted by: jagdish at November 18, 2009 7:38 AM

dear sir,
i am loss my passwod pls.give my cureent password

regards
jai saini

Posted by: jai saini at December 10, 2009 1:25 AM

Hai Dev,
How i can find the password of others Gmail account. i just want to know only one person, my G friend. I want to check her mails and chats History.. Any option. Plz Help, If u dont lik eto help, plz, dont make any comments, OK.

Posted by: shinas at January 9, 2010 11:27 PM

Nice thing but from where i can download this software for free???

Posted by: Shreyansh Hingar at February 18, 2010 6:03 PM

plz help me to get my gmail password which is changed by some one else..id is
: anushivi@gmail.com

Posted by: shivi at March 18, 2010 10:49 PM

I have something to say, now that you mention it, but ...

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!