MobileMe: Syncing keychains asks for a password to a different computer

When using MobileMe to sync your important data, including keychains, online, some users find that they are prompted for a password to a different computer than the machine they are syncing. In order to sync a keychain to other computers, you must enter the password of the computer where the keychain originated. There are, however, some steps users can take if you do not know the password.

In the case that you are prompted for a keychain password to a machine you no longer have access to or have forgotten the password for, follow these steps:

1. You will be resetting the master keychain password file used during syncing, so users should backup their data on all machines before continuing.
2. To reset the master keychain password file, navigate to the Finder menu bar > Go > Utilities and Open Terminal.
3. In the Terminal window, choose the Mac OS you are running and enter the appropriate command (copy/paste to be sure you get the precise code):

   Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
   /System/Library/Frameworks/SecurityFoundation.framework/Versions/A/kcSync.app/Contents/MacOS/kcSync -reset

   Mac OS X 10.5 or earlier
   /System/Library/Frameworks/SecurityFoundation.framework/Versions/A/Resources/kcSync.app/Contents/MacOS/kcSync -reset

4. Press Return. A message will appear in Terminal after the code executes similar to: "Removing /Library/Keychains/.syncinfo/ login.keychain.syncinfo.plist was successful."
5. Quit Terminal and sync with MobileMe. (System Preferences > MobileMe > Sync).

Other applications may need to validate their keychain access after performing this fix. If the issue persists with MobileMe, try contacting MobileMe Support via Apple's Web site.

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