I recently needed to reset the SYSTEM password on my VAXstation 4000 VLC. I found some material on the web which helped, specifically the following http://www.people.vcu.edu/~agnew/MVAX/MVAX_FAQ_TEXT.HTML and http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/83final/ba322_90045/apas01.html. The procedure I followed was:
Step 1
Get to the >>> boot prompt by pressing the reset button and then enter:
>>> B/1
If you need to boot from the non-default device then just add that to the end. This command will start an conversational (interactive) boot and bring you to the SYSBOOT> prompt.
Step 2
Enter the following commands:
SYSBOOT>SET/STARTUP OPA0:
SYSBOOT>SET WINDOW_SYSTEM 0
SYSBOOT>SET WRITESYSPARAMS 0
SYSBOOT>CONTINUE
SYSBOOT>SET WINDOW_SYSTEM 0
SYSBOOT>SET WRITESYSPARAMS 0
SYSBOOT>CONTINUE
The first command will tell VMS to take the system boot commands from the console. The second prevents the Windows system from starting and the third ensures that the changes are not made permanent.
Now wait for the $ prompt
Step 3
Enter the following commands:
$ SET NOON
$ SPAWN
$ @SYS$SYSTEM:STARTUP
SET NOON prevents a mistyped command causing an error that will log you out. The SPAWN is needed to prevent you being logged out once the startup completes.
Wait for the startup to complete. You will see a logout from the spawned process and a message that the spawned process has terminated, returning you to the process from which you spawned.
Step 4
Enter the following commands:
$ SET DEF SYS$SYSTEM:
$ R AUTHORIZE
UAF> MODIFY SYSTEM/PASSWORD=<NEW PASSWORD>
UAF> EXIT
$ @SYS$SYSTEM:SHUTDOWN
The system can now be rebooted and it will have the new SYSTEM password.
Rob's Old Computers 