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Mr. 123

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 20, 2016
386
261
I am buying a second hand 2015 MacBook Air and I want to wipe it completely clean and then reinstall OSX. It's a simple process but how does it work when someone else has owned the computer and the OS is registered to his or her Apple ID? I am guessing it will ask me to enter the Apple ID and password from the previous owner when reinstalling OSX.
How can I get around this?

Thanks in advance!
 

fischersd

macrumors 603
Oct 23, 2014
5,380
1,942
Port Moody, BC, Canada
I am buying a second hand 2015 MacBook Air and I want to wipe it completely clean and then reinstall OSX. It's a simple process but how does it work when someone else has owned the computer and the OS is registered to his or her Apple ID? I am guessing it will ask me to enter the Apple ID and password from the previous owner when reinstalling OSX.
How can I get around this?

Thanks in advance!
Sorry, asking how to circumvent security inherently makes people think "So, you stole the MacBook then?" :)

It's very simple. You have the owner remove their security measures before they hand over the MacBook to you.
 

blindpcguy

macrumors 6502
Mar 4, 2016
422
93
Bald Knob Arkansas
as long as there is no bit locker encryption or something like that the first thing witch i believe we can discuss is i would boot into internet recovery if it boots into there just nuke and pave simple as that don't even got to touch the other persons os or worry about any of that kind of stuff.
 

chatbr

macrumors member
Sep 5, 2015
39
20
I am pretty sure the security blocks that are in place in iOS arent in MacOS.
Meaning, you can wipe completely clean any Mac with a bootable USB, even when they are locked behind an Apple ID, password and Filevaulted.
The only thing you cannot do is access their files. You can still access terminal and wipe clean the storage or use Disk Utility to wipe the partition and create a new one.
 

FreakinEurekan

macrumors 603
Sep 8, 2011
6,458
3,332
I am buying a second hand 2015 MacBook Air and I want to wipe it completely clean and then reinstall OSX. It's a simple process but how does it work when someone else has owned the computer and the OS is registered to his or her Apple ID? I am guessing it will ask me to enter the Apple ID and password from the previous owner when reinstalling OSX.
How can I get around this?

Thanks in advance!
Super simple on just about any Mac ~2012 and newer (basically anything that shipped with Lion or later). http://support.apple.com/kb/HT204904 - use Internet Recovery, returns it to the originally shipping version of OS X and does not require the original owner's Apple ID.
 

997440

Cancelled
Oct 11, 2015
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Mr. 123

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 20, 2016
386
261
Sorry, asking how to circumvent security inherently makes people think "So, you stole the MacBook then?" :)
Haha I don't have it yet:)
[doublepost=1474786782][/doublepost]
Super simple on just about any Mac ~2012 and newer (basically anything that shipped with Lion or later). http://support.apple.com/kb/HT204904 - use Internet Recovery, returns it to the originally shipping version of OS X and does not require the original owner's Apple ID.
Great thanks! How does one check if there is FileVault security? I have never used it.
[doublepost=1474786854][/doublepost]
I am pretty sure the security blocks that are in place in iOS arent in MacOS.
Meaning, you can wipe completely clean any Mac with a bootable USB, even when they are locked behind an Apple ID, password and Filevaulted.
The only thing you cannot do is access their files. You can still access terminal and wipe clean the storage or use Disk Utility to wipe the partition and create a new one.
I'm planning just to reinsta via recovery mode (not with a a USB) will that be a problem?
 
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