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jfavazza
Contributor II
Contributor II

PostgreSQL Password forgot

How can I recover my password for PostgreSQL  12.5?

 

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1 Solution

Accepted Solutions
Scotchy
Partner - Creator
Partner - Creator

G'day, Try this , let me know if it worked for you ?

Steps to Recover PostgreSQL Password

  1. Access the PostgreSQL Configuration File:

    • Locate the pg_hba.conf file in your PostgreSQL installation directory. This file controls the client authentication and is usually found in the data directory.
    • Typical path on a Unix/Linux system: /var/lib/pgsql/data/pg_hba.conf
    • Typical path on Windows: C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\16\data\pg_hba.conf
  2. Edit the pg_hba.conf File:

    • Open the pg_hba.conf file in a text editor with administrative privileges.
    • Find the lines that look like this: host all all 127.0.0.1/32 md5 or host all all ::1/128 md5.
    • Temporarily change the md5 to trust. This will allow you to log in without a password.
    • Example change: host all all 127.0.0.1/32 trust
  3. Reload the PostgreSQL Service:

    • You'll need to reload the PostgreSQL service to apply these changes.
    • On Unix/Linux, you can typically do this with a command like sudo systemctl reload postgresql.
    • On Windows, restart the PostgreSQL service through the Services management console.
  4. Reset the Password:

    • Now, log in to the PostgreSQL command line. You can do this by running psql -U username where username is your PostgreSQL username.
    • Once logged in, run the following SQL command to reset your password: ALTER USER username PASSWORD 'newpassword'; (replace username and newpassword with your actual username and the new password you wish to set).
  5. Restore Original Configuration:

    • After resetting your password, don't forget to revert the changes made in the pg_hba.conf file.
    • Change trust back to md5 or its original setting.
    • Reload the PostgreSQL service again as you did in step 3.
  6. Test the New Password:

    • Finally, test the new password by logging into PostgreSQL with the new credentials.

Important Notes:

  • Ensure that you have the necessary administrative permissions to make these changes.
  • Be cautious when editing the pg_hba.conf file, as incorrect settings can affect database security.
  • Always back up the pg_hba.conf file before making any changes.

View solution in original post

1 Reply
Scotchy
Partner - Creator
Partner - Creator

G'day, Try this , let me know if it worked for you ?

Steps to Recover PostgreSQL Password

  1. Access the PostgreSQL Configuration File:

    • Locate the pg_hba.conf file in your PostgreSQL installation directory. This file controls the client authentication and is usually found in the data directory.
    • Typical path on a Unix/Linux system: /var/lib/pgsql/data/pg_hba.conf
    • Typical path on Windows: C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\16\data\pg_hba.conf
  2. Edit the pg_hba.conf File:

    • Open the pg_hba.conf file in a text editor with administrative privileges.
    • Find the lines that look like this: host all all 127.0.0.1/32 md5 or host all all ::1/128 md5.
    • Temporarily change the md5 to trust. This will allow you to log in without a password.
    • Example change: host all all 127.0.0.1/32 trust
  3. Reload the PostgreSQL Service:

    • You'll need to reload the PostgreSQL service to apply these changes.
    • On Unix/Linux, you can typically do this with a command like sudo systemctl reload postgresql.
    • On Windows, restart the PostgreSQL service through the Services management console.
  4. Reset the Password:

    • Now, log in to the PostgreSQL command line. You can do this by running psql -U username where username is your PostgreSQL username.
    • Once logged in, run the following SQL command to reset your password: ALTER USER username PASSWORD 'newpassword'; (replace username and newpassword with your actual username and the new password you wish to set).
  5. Restore Original Configuration:

    • After resetting your password, don't forget to revert the changes made in the pg_hba.conf file.
    • Change trust back to md5 or its original setting.
    • Reload the PostgreSQL service again as you did in step 3.
  6. Test the New Password:

    • Finally, test the new password by logging into PostgreSQL with the new credentials.

Important Notes:

  • Ensure that you have the necessary administrative permissions to make these changes.
  • Be cautious when editing the pg_hba.conf file, as incorrect settings can affect database security.
  • Always back up the pg_hba.conf file before making any changes.