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How to completely wipe drive (including recovery partition) for fresh install

M

mrt209

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 21, 2010
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USA/Germany
How do I completely wipe everything on a MacBook Air M1 including the recovery drive?

Family member bought a MBA from work because it was discounted but it has an IT account on it for remote access which they would like to remove for privacy reasons. When I follow this guide by Apple and re-install Big Sur from a bootable usb, the IT account gets added again despite erasing the drive. I'm not sure but seems like their software is embedded in the recovery drive somehow.

The IT department said they made a mistake installing their software and that they can remove it but due to wfh and covid it will take 2 weeks so was hoping someone here has any idea how to get rid of it.

Thanks
 
If the MBA still has the install media on it (you should be able to grab it from the App Store if it doesn't), you should be able to create a new USB stick with the instructions from here:

Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

You can use a USB flash drive or other secondary volume as a startup disk from which to install the Mac operating system. These steps are primarily for system administrators and other experienced users who are familiar with entering commands in Terminal.
support.apple.com support.apple.com

Be sure to boot to the USB stick by holding down the option button when starting. From there, you should be able to go into Disk utility and completely wipe everything, including reformatting the drive.

There's no way that the USB stick should recreate an IT account if the USB stick is based off of the MacOS install media downloaded from the App Store. Give that a shot and see how it goes.

Now, I'll caveat this by saying that this works on my MBA, though I'm still running a now 10-year old Mac, but this process has worked for me with updating the OS, from Lion all the way up to Sierra and High Sierra. This process also works on my wife's 2019 16" MBP, so I'd assume it will work on a Silicon Mac as well.

BL.
 
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bradl said:
If the MBA still has the install media on it (you should be able to grab it from the App Store if it doesn't), you should be able to create a new USB stick with the instructions from here:

Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

You can use a USB flash drive or other secondary volume as a startup disk from which to install the Mac operating system. These steps are primarily for system administrators and other experienced users who are familiar with entering commands in Terminal.
support.apple.com support.apple.com

Be sure to boot to the USB stick by holding down the option button when starting. From there, you should be able to go into Disk utility and completely wipe everything, including reformatting the drive.

There's no way that the USB stick should recreate an IT account if the USB stick is based off of the MacOS install media downloaded from the App Store. Give that a shot and see how it goes.

Now, I'll caveat this by saying that this works on my MBA, though I'm still running a now 10-year old Mac, but this process has worked for me with updating the OS, from Lion all the way up to Sierra and High Sierra. This process also works on my wife's 2019 16" MBP, so I'd assume it will work on a Silicon Mac as well.

BL.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the help. I'm also confused why the IT account gets added when installing from the usb... I followed the Apple guide to create a bootable usb, and I've been able to do this in the past so not sure what the issue is. Going to give it another shot, will report back.
 
Tried again and didn't work... After installing and going through the setup process there's a "Remote Management" step listing the comany name and saying it will be managed by them. No way to decline the remote management, I wonder if it's tied to the MBA serial number... Guess I'll just have to wait.

Found another one with the same experience: https://apple.stackexchange.com/que...ok-pro-is-forcing-me-to-use-remote-management
 
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bradl said:
Be sure to boot to the USB stick by holding down the option button when starting. From there, you should be able to go into Disk utility and completely wipe everything, including reformatting the drive.
Click to expand...
For info, as I expect the OP has discovered anyway, this is not how you boot an M1 Mac to a USB installer.

Shut down
Press and hold the power button until you see "loading startup options"
Wait until you see all bootable volumes appear, along with "options" (which would take you to Recovery)
Choose the USB installer.

I agree with your view that the IT Department software should be removed by a correct erase (with DU) and reinstall.
 
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This would be so much easier in macOS Monterery(coming later this year) as Apple added a setting in System Preferences to RESET a Mac like it would be when you first buy it from Apple.
 
Mike Boreham said:
Restoring with Apple Configurator 2 in DFU mode is the only way.

Many sites and videos around eg:

https://mrmacintosh.com/restore-macos-firmware-on-an-apple-silicon-mac-boot-to-dfu-mode/

EDIT Personally I doubt very much that the IT account is in the Recovery or firmware. You should be able to do this by booting from Recovery or a USB installer, erasing the volume group, and reinstalling.....ie without AC2.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I have tried restoring in DFU mode, but same thing as before. After Big Sur is finished installing and walks you through the setup there is a notice that the MacBook Air is being remote managed and it cannot be disabled. During that that step it starts downloading various certificates relating to the company so I believe that's when the IT account gets added.

I have found several posts of people who bought second hand Macs and had the same issue, the only solution for them was to contact the former owner and get the device deregistered them.
 
If it was bought with Apple Business Manager, the serial number is linked to the business's Mobile Device Management. When the MacBook connects to the internet to activate and check for iCloud locks etc., it will download their configuration profile. You'll have to ask them to remove that MacBook from their system from their end.
 
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Howard Ellacott said:
If it was bought with Apple Business Manager, the serial number is linked to the business's Mobile Device Management. When the MacBook connects to the internet to activate and check for iCloud locks etc., it will download their configuration profile. You'll have to ask them to remove that MacBook from their system from their end.
Click to expand...

Yes thank you, understand that now. Going to try to have them remove it over the phone, if not I'll have to wait for the appointment with the IT department.

Thanks
 
Howard Ellacott said:
If it was bought with Apple Business Manager, the serial number is linked to the business's Mobile Device Management. When the MacBook connects to the internet to activate and check for iCloud locks etc., it will download their configuration profile. You'll have to ask them to remove that MacBook from their system from their end.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Understand. That makes a lot more sense than something being installed on Recovery etc.
 
"The IT department said they made a mistake installing their software and that they can remove it but due to wfh and covid it will take 2 weeks so was hoping someone here has any idea how to get rid of it"

I predict the ONLY way to "get rid of it" will be to hand the MBa back to them, and let them do it.
It could take a couple of days.
It could take a couple of weeks.
But if you "want it done", this is what you're gonna have to do.
 
BTW, it is a similar situation if an M1 has not been logged out of "Find My..." with iCloud. You will need to the original AppleID credentials to activate after an Apple Configurator 2 install.
 
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