If you have lost your password for the "admin" account on your FortiGate, how should you reset it?

Logging in with another super_admin account allows password changes for other users, but this method is for resetting the 'admin' account when no other super_admin account is accessible for that purpose.

Formatting the boot device or the entire configuration would erase all settings, which is an overly destructive method compared to a simple password reset.

To reset a lost admin password on a FortiGate, the standard procedure involves physically accessing the device, power cycling it, and then interrupting the boot sequence via the console within the first 30 seconds to access the maintenance or configuration menu, where the password can be reset without erasing the configuration. This method leverages a specific bootloader option designed for password recovery.

While accessing the boot loader via the local console is part of the process, simply using a menu to 'log in as' during the bootloader is not the correct sequence for resetting a lost password; a specific recovery option is required.