Hurricane Ian destroyed my home and I'm just now getting my Zorin 15.2 computer set back up. Very anxious to upgrade and I thought best to try and upgrade existing version before continuing. Ran into an immediate problem... it's been almost 2 years and I can't remember the password... I've tired every password I can remember but none work. It says I can't update without password. I downloaded Zorin 17.1 core and used Rufus to put it on usb drive first as a .iso file... it wouldn't load. So I downloaded as a disk image to a usb drive and it won't load that either... gives me message.. to enter password. .... i HAD CHANGED IT TO LOAD FROM USB... so I really don't understand how it can still demand the password. Is there a way for me to upgrade???
The best option would be to install from scratch, although losing all your files inside the computer during the process. Being an old computer, however, I assume this is not an issue.
Regarding issues with the ISO and the USB drive, two common issues are corrupted files and faulty hardware. To rule this out, check the integrity of the ISO after downloading it and try another USB drive.
If everything is correct thus far but you're still having issues, I would recommend downloading the ISO for Zorin OS 16 instead of the current release. It's still supported – until April, 2025 – and you can upgrade from there to Zorin OS 17 afterwards if you so wish to.
As a final measure if everything else fails, you can try to install Zorin OS over the network. You'll need another computer (this guide assumes it also runs Linux, but I'm sure a similar approach exists for Windows) and your laptop needs to have an ethernet port.
Thanks for your reply. My main issue is the existing zorin on computer demanding a password before it will allow me to load from the usb. Is there a way around this?
No, without the password you're locked out (which is the sort of the point). You can still use another computer to create the bootable drive, though.
Hi Deanna,
I've responded to your DM. You need to boot into safe / recovery mode and drop to a root shell (command line).
Changing your password from the root command prompt should do this unless Zorin has changed the procedure on this! The option of Safe /recovery mode should be available before you get to the login prompt. You don't need a password for root or your password once there.
(Page 279-282 of the Comic Relief version of the Unofficial Manual for Zorin 17 Mk.IIII)
Stating the obvious here does she not mean BIOS password which would stop her selecting the USB drive. If its that needs to remove the battery on the motherboard for 3 minutes then try. Just a thought.
Many years ago on another forum a guy posted links to BIOS password resets for 32_bit and 64-bit. I downloaded one of them but not the other!
This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.