Resetting a Broken or Forgotten Mac OS X Keychain

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If Keychain First Aid finds an issue that it can't repair, or if you don't know your keychain password, you might need to reset your keychain. 

Resetting a keychain sets aside the original default keychain file and creates a new one.

To reset your keychain in Mac OS X 10.4, Mac OS X 10.5, and Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard or later:

  1. Open Keychain Access, which is in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder.
  2. From the Keychain Access menu, choose Preferences.
  3. Click General, then click Reset My Default Keychain.
  4. Authenticate with your Mac's account login password.
  5. Quit Keychain Access.
  6. Restart your computer.
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