In my linux machine, i lost /etc/passwd file and /etc/shadow file, then how ca

Categories >> Software >> Operating Systems >> Linux >> Linux Commands
Suggest New Category

In my linux machine, i lost /etc/passwd file
and /etc/shadow file, then how can i recover it?

Question Posted / chin

5 Answers
18094 Views
Google, I also Faced
E-Mail Answers

Answers were Sorted based on User's Feedback

In my linux machine, i lost /etc/passwd file and /etc/shadow file, then how can i recover it?..

Answer / sachinmali17

## In that case you need to recover /etc/passwd file first.
For this you have to following steps,

-Start GRUB on boot (press ESC while booting)
-Press e over (recovery mode)
-Press e over the line beginning with kernel
-Press Space bar and enter "init=/bin/bash"
-Press enter
-Press b
-At command prompt type: "cp /etc/passwd- /etc/passwd"
-reboot to GRUB again
-Press e over (recovery mode)
-Press e over the line beginning with kernel
-Press Space bar and enter "init=/bin/bash"
-Press enter
-Press b
-At command prompt type "mount -o remount,rw /"
-Type "passwd YOURUSERNAMEHERE" (IF you don't know your user
name type "ls /home" (that is a Lower case L and lower case
S) for a list of users)
-Enter new password at prompt
-reboot to normal boot.

Hope that helps others like it did me!

### Then to recover /etc/shadow file, Use following command
pwconf

This command will generate /etc/shadow file from /etc/passwd

Is This Answer Correct ?

17 Yes

1 No

In my linux machine, i lost /etc/passwd file and /etc/shadow file, then how can i recover it?..

Answer / rallapalli

Enter into single user mode
$cp /etc/passwd~ /etc/passwd
$cp /etc/shadow~ /etc/shadow

passwd~ and shadow~ are backup files of passwd, shadow

Thanks,

Is This Answer Correct ?

4 Yes

1 No

In my linux machine, i lost /etc/passwd file and /etc/shadow file, then how can i recover it?..

Answer / venkat

Normally in linux we must have backup by default for
/etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files

/etc/passwd ---> /etc/passwd-
/etc/shadow ---> /etc/shadow-

from there we can copy or restore. If both are not available.
Then follow below steps:
1. reboot
2. Single user mode [ single init=/bin/bash ]
3. pwconv
4. check /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files are there
5. sync
6. init 3 or reboot with init 3

Is This Answer Correct ?

3 Yes

1 No

In my linux machine, i lost /etc/passwd file and /etc/shadow file, then how can i recover it?..

Answer / inam

Recovery of passwd & shadow file

-write on kernel line "init=/bin/bash

-Press enter
-Press b
copy /etc/passwd- /etc/passwd

then use command
pwconf to regenerate shadow from passwd.

u can change password of ur user until u create shadow.

after all these changes just change ur user password with

-passwd username.

( i post one before but it has some mistake)
this opne will work try out

Is This Answer Correct ?

2 Yes

1 No

In my linux machine, i lost /etc/passwd file and /etc/shadow file, then how can i recover it?..

Answer / anil kumar

1. reboot
2. singal user mode (init=/bin/bash)
3. pwconv
4. check /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files are there
5. sync
6. init 3

Is This Answer Correct ?

0 Yes

2 No

Post New Answer