Locked out of password- no user account to reset! Help!!

[Ktann]

Hi!
I'm hoping someone here may be able to share a bit of genius wisdom!
Long and short of it - My partner was a team leader, he had a colleagues macbook from when she left- he was then later made redundant and told he could keep said macbook, he told me I could have said macbook (happy days!)
But then quickly realised we can't get in it! Have tried the reset thing that's shown everywhere online but there is no user account to select (odd as it's still got her name and company name on start up)
Anyway, she isn't answering messages about it and so I'm screwed....have an macbook paperweight....
If anyone can help would be so grateful as it's such a waste and I need it! (I HATE my partners HP! LOL)
Thanks in advance

 

[960design]

1. Turn off your Mac (choose Apple > Shut Down).
2. Press the power button while holding down Command-R. The Mac will boot into Recovery mode. ...
3. Select Disk Utility and press Continue.
4. Choose Utilities > Terminal.
5. Enter resetpassword (all one word, lowercase letters) and press Return.

Get an MDM to manage your devices.

 

[Ktann]

Hi ,
We've already done that (won't work as have to select a user and there are none) Apart from what you said about getting an MDM to manage devices? But I have no idea what that means!

 

[960design]

Hi ,
We've already done that (won't work as have to select a user and there are none) Apart from what you said about getting an MDM to manage devices? But I have no idea what that means!

Booting into recovery does not require selecting a user, even if your Mac has multiple accounts. Recovery is 'behind' the user's accounts. If you boot into recovery properly you should see this screen appear:

Click on the Utilities menu within the menu bar, NOT the Disk Utility > select Terminal.


Please take a screenshot and show us what you are seeing or take your Mac to the nearest Apple Store for support.


MDM = Mobile Device Management. It allows advanced administration of mobile assets. Not for the faint of heart, but should be required for all businesses to prevent loss of assets.

 

[Ktann]

Sorry for the delay- noirovirus struck our house!

Doing what you said (which we had already tried) this box pops up, if we try trying reset password this second box pops up where as you can see there are no users available so we can't do anything with it...

 

[0007776]

Hi!
I'm hoping someone here may be able to share a bit of genius wisdom!
Long and short of it - My partner was a team leader, he had a colleagues macbook from when she left- he was then later made redundant and told he could keep said macbook, he told me I could have said macbook (happy days!)
But then quickly realised we can't get in it! Have tried the reset thing that's shown everywhere online but there is no user account to select (odd as it's still got her name and company name on start up)
Anyway, she isn't answering messages about it and so I'm screwed....have an macbook paperweight....
If anyone can help would be so grateful as it's such a waste and I need it! (I HATE my partners HP! LOL)
Thanks in advance

Does your company not have an IT department you can talk to. If the company gave it to your partner, but it didn't have a clean install of the OS they should be happy to take care of that for him.

 

[960design]

Welcome back!
Yep... just wanted to make sure. You have filevault encryption set on your drive. You cannot get access to it until you enter the password. To get to the drive:

1. Launch Disk Utility
2. Select the drive
3. Click unlock

If you do not have the encryption recovery key that popped up when filevault was initiated AND you do not have access to the password to unlock the drive, there is NO way to get access to the data.

WARNING READ ALL BELOW BEFORE CONTINUING
The only other option is to run an internet restore:
Have VERY good WiFi available
Power down Mac
Once fully powered down, restart
CMD + OPTION + R immediately after hearing the startup chime and do not let go until you see the little world spinning.
This downloads the original OS that came with your mac and restore it to factory fresh. All of the data on the computer will be lost, but not the cloud data.

This will take some time. Couple of hours the last time I did it.

If you have an older mac you may have to recover with the Mac Recovery disc that came with your Mac.

Good luck!

 

[Ktann]

As explained in the original post he was made redundant, the laptop was that if a team member that he was told he could keep so no.thats not possible hence posting.on here
[doublepost=1492800928][/doublepost]Th

Welcome back!
Yep... just wanted to make sure. You have filevault encryption set on your drive. You cannot get access to it until you enter the password. To get to the drive:

1. Launch Disk Utility
2. Select the drive
3. Click unlock

If you do not have the encryption recovery key that popped up when filevault was initiated AND you do not have access to the password to unlock the drive, there is NO way to get access to the data.

WARNING READ ALL BELOW BEFORE CONTINUING
The only other option is to run an internet restore:
Have VERY good WiFi available
Power down Mac
Once fully powered down, restart
CMD + OPTION + R immediately after hearing the startup chime and do not let go until you see the little world spinning.
This downloads the original OS that came with your mac and restore it to factory fresh. All of the data on the computer will be lost, but not the cloud data.

This will take some time. Couple of hours the last time I did it.

If you have an older mac you may have to recover with the Mac Recovery disc that came with your Mac.

Good luck!

Thank you!!! Will try this and see what happens..appreciate your help!
[doublepost=1492801587][/doublepost]

Welcome back!
Yep... just wanted to make sure. You have filevault encryption set on your drive. You cannot get access to it until you enter the password. To get to the drive:

1. Launch Disk Utility
2. Select the drive
3. Click unlock

If you do not have the encryption recovery key that popped up when filevault was initiated AND you do not have access to the password to unlock the drive, there is NO way to get access to the data.

WARNING READ ALL BELOW BEFORE CONTINUING
The only other option is to run an internet restore:
Have VERY good WiFi available
Power down Mac
Once fully powered down, restart
CMD + OPTION + R immediately after hearing the startup chime and do not let go until you see the little world spinning.
This downloads the original OS that came with your mac and restore it to factory fresh. All of the data on the computer will be lost, but not the cloud data.

This will take some time. Couple of hours the last time I did it.

If you have an older mac you may have to recover with the Mac Recovery disc that came with your Mac.

Good luck!

I have a spinning world! Thank you!! If this works I'll be very grateful!
[doublepost=1492802415][/doublepost]

Welcome back!
Yep... just wanted to make sure. You have filevault encryption set on your drive. You cannot get access to it until you enter the password. To get to the drive:

1. Launch Disk Utility
2. Select the drive
3. Click unlock

If you do not have the encryption recovery key that popped up when filevault was initiated AND you do not have access to the password to unlock the drive, there is NO way to get access to the data.

WARNING READ ALL BELOW BEFORE CONTINUING
The only other option is to run an internet restore:
Have VERY good WiFi available
Power down Mac
Once fully powered down, restart
CMD + OPTION + R immediately after hearing the startup chime and do not let go until you see the little world spinning.
This downloads the original OS that came with your mac and restore it to factory fresh. All of the data on the computer will be lost, but not the cloud data.

This will take some time. Couple of hours the last time I did it.

If you have an older mac you may have to recover with the Mac Recovery disc that came with your Mac.

Good luck!

That was quick! This is what I now have....

 

[960design]

That was quick! This is what I now have....

Perfect... now follow this guide:
https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2013/06/29/erasing-a-filevault-2-encrypted-volume/

 

[Ktann]

Perfect... now follow this guide:
https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2013/06/29/erasing-a-filevault-2-encrypted-volume/

I've had a look but it makes no sense to me whatsoever (I'm not a techie person so it's literally gobbledygook lol) I've got those two boxes shown on the website but I have no idea what I'm meant to do with them or where I'm meant to enter that command.....agggh lol

 

[960design]

...where I'm meant to enter that command.....agggh lol

We got this! The command is entered in the Bash Terminal... remember the resetpassword? You need the UUID ( a crazy long bit of characters after the words "Logical Group Volume" - don't include "Logical Group Volume" in your copy/paste... well it would be silly for one, two it just plain wouldn't work.

Follow the rest of the article and then restart with the Command + Option + R to download the original OS that came with that computer. After the very long install... be sure to update to the latest OS.

 

[Ktann]

We got this! The command is entered in the Bash Terminal... remember the resetpassword? You need the UUID ( a crazy long bit of characters after the words "Logical Group Volume" - don't include "Logical Group Volume" in your copy/paste... well it would be silly for one, two it just plain wouldn't work.

Follow the rest of the article and then restart with the Command + Option + R to download the original OS that came with that computer. After the very long install... be sure to update to the latest OS.

I've got a headache lol....so i have to go back to where i was before? I've got this box and can see logical volume group but I can't see a code? God I don't know how you know all this stuff I feel like throwing it out the window lol!

 

[960design]

I've got a headache lol....so i have to go back to where i was before? I've got this box and can see logical volume group but I can't see a code? God I don't know how you know all this stuff I feel like throwing it out the window lol!

Yes, I'm sorry to take you on what seems the round about way of solving your issues. But working over the internet, with descriptions from someone that may or may not understand will lead us on a path of frustration and failure. The step are required to ensure we are solving the proper issue.

You'll need to use the terminal to enter the commands. Remember this screen?

Utilities > Terminal

Then follow the steps listed to find the drive UUID and delete it.

 

[Ktann]

Yes, I'm sorry to take you on what seems the round about way of solving your issues. But working over the internet, with descriptions from someone that may or may not understand will lead us on a path of frustration and failure. The step are required to ensure we are solving the proper issue.

You'll need to use the terminal to enter the commands. Remember this screen?
View attachment 697184

Utilities > Terminal

Then follow the steps listed to find the drive UUID and delete it.

I understand I just think youre very clever!!
Ok done that what next?

 

[960design]

I understand I just think youre very clever!!
Ok done that what next?

Flattery will get everywhere! You should now have an unencrypted and completely blank HD. Now restart and quickly press and hold Command + Option + R until you see the spinning globe. Reinstall OS. Grab a coffee and sit back for a while.

 

[Ktann]

Haha no.i do really...I haven't got a bloody clue! Lol.
Bit annoying now...I've restarted...but for some reason it's not picking up my wifi... (I've have a very good connection) and the screen where you can put it in manually to search for it it won't let me click in the password part to type it in : (
[doublepost=1492944410][/doublepost]

Flattery will get everywhere! You should now have an unencrypted and completely blank HD. Now restart and quickly press and hold Command + Option + R until you see the spinning globe. Reinstall OS. Grab a coffee and sit back for a while.

Ignore last comment I've done it and world is spinning once again hahaha!
[doublepost=1492946839][/doublepost]

Flattery will get everywhere! You should now have an unencrypted and completely blank HD. Now restart and quickly press and hold Command + Option + R until you see the spinning globe. Reinstall OS. Grab a coffee and sit back for a while.

You my friend are a genius!!!!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!

 

[960design]

Haha no.i do really...I haven't got a bloody clue! Lol.
Bit annoying now...I've restarted...but for some reason it's not picking up my wifi... (I've have a very good connection) and the screen where you can put it in manually to search for it it won't let me click in the password part to type it in : (
[doublepost=1492944410][/doublepost]


Ignore last comment I've done it and world is spinning once again hahaha!
[doublepost=1492946839][/doublepost]


You my friend are a genius!!!!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!

Congrats and enjoy!

 

[jsibs]

Perfect... now follow this guide:
https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2013/06/29/erasing-a-filevault-2-encrypted-volume/

Thank you so much your guide helped me as well. After following this article, I restarted, and chose "install OS" since at Cmd + Option + R is didn't do the install right away. OS X: Mountain Lion.
Cheers. Thank you!