ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' (using password: YES)

Question

Note: For MySQL 5.7+, please see the answer from Lahiru to this question. That contains more current information.

For MySQL < 5.7:

The default root password is blank (i.e., an empty string), not root. So you can just log in as:

mysql -u root

You should obviously change your root password after installation:

mysqladmin -u root password [newpassword]

In most cases you should also set up individual user accounts before working extensively with the database as well.

I was able to solve this problem by executing this statement

sudo dpkg-reconfigure mysql-server-5.5

Which will change the root password.

You have to reset the password! Steps for Mac OS X (tested and working) and Ubuntu:

Stop MySQL using

sudo service mysql stop

or

sudo /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server stop

Start it in safe mode:

sudo mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables --skip-networking

(the above line is the whole command)

This will be an ongoing command until the process is finished, so open another shell/terminal window, log in without a password:

mysql -u root

mysql> UPDATE mysql.user SET Password=PASSWORD('password') WHERE User='root';

As per @IberoMedia's comment, for newer versions of MySQL, the field is called authentication_string:

mysql> UPDATE mysql.user SET authentication_string =PASSWORD('password') WHERE User='root';

Start MySQL using:

sudo service mysql start

or

sudo /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server start

Your new password is 'password'.

Note: for version of MySQL > 5.7 try this:

update mysql.user set authentication_string='password' where user='root';

I was recently faced with the same problem, but in my case, I remember my password quite alright, but it kept on giving me the same error. I tried so many solutions, but still none helped. Then I tried this:

mysql -u root -p

After which it asks you for a password like this

Enter password:

And then I typed in the password I used. That's all.

It happens when your password is missing.

Steps to change the password when you have forgotten it:

1. Stop MySQL Server (on Linux):

   sudo systemctl stop mysql
   

2. Start the database without loading the grant tables or enabling networking:

   sudo mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables --skip-networking &
   

   The ampersand at the end of this command will make this process run in the background, so you can continue to use your terminal and run mysql -u root (as root). It will not ask for a password.

   If you get error like as below:

   2018-02-12T08:57:39.826071Z mysqld_safe Directory '/var/run/mysqld' for UNIX
   socket file don't exists.
   mysql -u root
   ERROR 2002 (HY000): Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket
   '/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock' (2)
   [1]+  Exit 1
   

3. Make MySQL service directory.

   sudo mkdir /var/run/mysqld
   

   Give MySQL user permission to write to the service directory.

   sudo chown mysql: /var/run/mysqld
   

4. Run the same command in step 2 to run MySQL in background.

5. Run mysql -u root. You will get the MySQL console without entering a password.

   Run these commands

   FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
   

   For MySQL 5.7.6 and newer

   ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'new_password';
   

   For MySQL 5.7.5 and older

   SET PASSWORD FOR 'root'@'localhost' = PASSWORD('new_password');
   

   If the ALTER USER command doesn't work use:

   UPDATE mysql.user SET authentication_string = PASSWORD('new_password')     WHERE User = 'root' AND Host = 'localhost';
   

   Now exit

6. To stop the instance started manually:

   sudo kill `cat /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.pid`
   

7. Restart MySQL

   sudo systemctl start mysql