Recover MySQL root Password

Question

We can reset the mysql password by using the mysqld_safe with --skip-grant-tables option.

1. Can we reset it without mysql restart?

Answer 1

1) You can update user table in mysql database but only if you still have active connection with enough privileges.

2) You cannot, passwords are not stored, only their hash values, on your login hash of your password is compared to hash stored in mysql and there is no way to find password out of hash other than trying all possible passwords hoping for hash match.

Answer 2

This is documented in the Official MySQL documentation here: https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/resetting-permissions.html

I doubt this won't address any and all concerns because you can basically fix any permission or user problem with this method.

Answer 3

1. No
2. No

And there is good reason of both No answers.

1. You can't just let any non-root user reset your root password without having full admin level access to the MySQL process on that host.
2. MySQL passwords (like Unix passwords) encryption is 1 way street, they can be reset but cannot be decrypted back.

Answer 4

1. stop mysql service and start it in safe mode
2. start mysqld --skip-grant-tables
3. change password normally

see also [1]: http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/442