How can I ensure a MacBook doesn’t have MDM installed?

[Cursayer]

I’m buying a MacBook on Craigslist and the owner says it was their old company laptop and they no longer work there, but the employer let them keep their equipment.

Besides checking that it’s not activation locked, what else can I do to make sure it won’t get locked by the company in 3 months?

 

[Bigwaff]

Besides checking that it’s not activation locked, what else can I do to make sure it won’t get locked by the company in 3 months?

Nothing. You have to contact the company to verify it has been removed from their MDM system.

 

[ChrisA]

Nothing. You have to contact the company to verify it has been removed from their MDM system.

Really? Even if you wipe all the data and reinstall the OS? Where would this MDM software be stored so that wiping all of the storage would not remove it?

You need to know the name and password of an admin account to wipe the disk. If the seller does not have this, the Mac is not his to sell.

 

[Slartibart]

you can see installed profiles in System Settings (macOS 13 or later) or System Preferences (macOS 12.0.1 or earlier) under »Profiles«. If the Mac is removed from the company MDM and the profile is still there, click the Remove-button (-) when the current MDM profile is selected to get rid of it. If you can’t, the company still has to remove the Mac from their MDM.

Additionally check wether you can create a new user with admin rights. Check wether there are login items related to the company, (try to) remove these.

 

[Bigwaff]

Really? Even if you wipe all the data and reinstall the OS? Where would this MDM software be stored so that wiping all of the storage would not remove it?

Correct. Wiping the data and reinstalling the OS does not erase the T2 chip security subsystem or the Apple Silicon Secure Enclave.

 

[Fishrrman]

My advice to the OP:

DON'T buy this.
Particularly if the price seems "too good to be true".

If you want a MBP that you KNOW "is good", buy an Apple-refurbished unit from Apple.

Consider yourself as having been duly warned by reading this far.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

The only way to know for sure, is to completely erase the Mac and install a fresh version of macOS via Recovery. If it has MDM (or "Automated Device Enrollment" which automatically installs MDM) it will show up during the install.

It's somewhat time consuming and requires a solid Internet connection, so it's really only an option if you're buying the Mac in person and can meet somewhere with good Internet - e.g. an Apple Store.

So it could work out for you, if the seller is willing to do that and spend the time for an install (perhaps an hour, often less). Be prepared to "Walk away" on a hair trigger though.

 

[sgtaylor5]

My advice to the OP:

DON'T buy this.
Particularly if the price seems "too good to be true".

If you want a MBP that you KNOW "is good", buy an Apple-refurbished unit from Apple.

Consider yourself as having been duly warned by reading this far.

or, buy from a local reseller you have a long time relationship with. I'd never buy from eBay for this reason.