This Mac Has Been Locked With Find My Mac… but not by me!

[canadianreader]

Purchased secondhand, but five years ago — and fully wiped, factory reset and signed in on my Apple ID in the meantime. Could the previous owner still have control even after the HDD was wiped and macOS reinstalled fresh when I bought it?

Could be a stolen Mac and the original owner activated Remote Management Profile and locked the device behind a passcode. This happened to me with an iPod Touch I bought on Facebook used it for a few years one day I tried to reset it and I got the input pin screen btw the iPod was linked to my icloud including findmy but it didn't matter. If you want to know more it's called Remote Management Profile. To fix it the previous owner must remove the MDM profile. Still don't know if this applies to you but worth reading

Intro to mobile device management profiles

MDM lets you securely and wirelessly configure devices, whether they’re owned by the user or your organization.

support.apple.com

 

[Siliconguy]

Would putting a brand new HDD or SDD into the machine bypass this? Seems absolutely insane to me that you can totally reset everything but a total stranger still has the power to brick it remotely.

Good question. There are multiple partitions on newer Macs. The EFI partition, the recovery partition, and the Locked partition that holds the master copy of the OS.

I've swapped the SSD out of multiple mini's to either upgrade the capacity or to convert them to Linux. So what's written to the NVRAM? PC's have a Wipe the NVRAM jumper, I didn't look for one of those last time I had a mini apart.

If it has a T2 chip, you are hosed by design regardless of OS.

Which OS were you running anyway?

 

[Parowdy]

Sorry but I don’t have the money to pay brand new or official refurbished prices. I refuse to buy into Apple’s Chuck-Away-And-Buy-New culture, adding to piles of e-waste of devices which are only a handful of years old. And I much prefer the design of older Mac models anyway.

I have only ever bought one Mac from new — I bought it in 2013, and I still use it all the time as my main work laptops. All my other Macs — plus my iPhone and six iPads — are secondhand.

You have this many Apple devices and never opened or looked at your Find My/Devices list? That’s impressive. Just like you still rocking that 2013 MacBook (Pro?).

 

[macfacts]

IF...

- the original owner can't be found (or won't help)
and
- Apple won't help (if you try taking it to them)
then
... you might as well just put it into the closet and get something else and start over.

THIS TIME, DO NOT buy a second-hand Mac.
Either get something new from Apple, or perhaps from the Apple online refurbished store.

so someone gets "burned" by apple (maybe by accident from a software bug) and you suggest to buy new harrdware from them. lol theres a saying definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

 

[bollman]

Proof of purchase is good enough.
How do I know? Because I've had Apple Stores unlock stolen macs from my work :/
Sometimes they've unlocked it like 2-3 times a week as I would insta-lock a device that comes online again (the "customer" comes back the next day with the computer locked again).
With MDM you can place a different message at that screen and I've made it very clear to the Apple Store on that screen that the mac they're about to unlock is stolen. They never cared.
I've even taken that higher up withinin Apple and they always say the same thing: the customer showed proof of purchase.
I've then asked to see that PoP and it was just a piece of paper someone had scribbled on.

 

[Siliconguy]

This might help;


https://ilostmynotes.blogspot.com/2013/11/disable-find-my-mac-by-modifiying-nvram.html

Basically you need to wipe the nvram, then completely wipe or just replace the hard hard drive. Booting from a Linux USB will do that, wipe/delete all partitions, including the EFI, then do a full reinstall. And that will only work on a machine that does not have a T2. If T2, then scrap metal. This is by intent, both for security to destroy the value of stolen machines, and as a fringe benefit it also suppresses the legal market for used machines which is also to Apple's benefit.

Remember, if it's more than seven years old Apple wants you to burn it with fire. Literally as it gets tossed into the smelter to recover the metals.

 

[Ruggy]

If you have been using it for 5 years and have used in on your Apple ID it's hard to understand how anyone else has locked it. You wouldn't be able to connect it to your ID if it was still linked to anyone else's .
The password required to unlock it is your Apple ID password. Not one you sign the device in with normally, the one you sign into Apple with. You might have to go to Find My on the net and unlock it with your Apple id password there and as long as it's linked to your account you can do that. You can erase it completely there and then set it up again- but only if it's linked to your Apple account
It's possible someone has got hold of your Apple id and locked you out that way but you'd know that I think?

 

[Manek43509]

So, I found email confirmation of the eBay purchase (dated December 2020) in my emails today. Unfortunately the seller has deleted their eBay account so there is now no way for me to contact them! I will still try asking in the Apple Store – with the email receipt as proof of purchase – though. I'm not going to give up on it, even though you can get the same model again for around £100 on eBay right now!

Ironically, when searching in my emails to find the details, I also found this from an old episode of the Fight To Repair newsletter (to which I am a paying subscriber)...

 

[Manek43509]

If you have been using it for 5 years and have used in on your Apple ID it's hard to understand how anyone else has locked it. You wouldn't be able to connect it to your ID if it was still linked to anyone else's .
The password required to unlock it is your Apple ID password. Not one you sign the device in with normally, the one you sign into Apple with. You might have to go to Find My on the net and unlock it with your Apple id password there and as long as it's linked to your account you can do that. You can erase it completely there and then set it up again- but only if it's linked to your Apple account
It's possible someone has got hold of your Apple id and locked you out that way but you'd know that I think?

As you can see on my image above, it is aksing for a six-digit passcode to unlock, not for my Apple ID password! I have checked Find My on the web and this Mac Mini does not appear in the list.

 

[Manek43509]

This might help;


https://ilostmynotes.blogspot.com/2013/11/disable-find-my-mac-by-modifiying-nvram.html

Basically you need to wipe the nvram, then completely wipe or just replace the hard hard drive. Booting from a Linux USB will do that, wipe/delete all partitions, including the EFI, then do a full reinstall. And that will only work on a machine that does not have a T2. If T2, then scrap metal. This is by intent, both for security to destroy the value of stolen machines, and as a fringe benefit it also suppresses the legal market for used machines which is also to Apple's benefit.

Remember, if it's more than seven years old Apple wants you to burn it with fire. Literally as it gets tossed into the smelter to recover the metals.

OK, this looks promising! I can confirm no T2 on this machine so I just need to get a bootable Linux USB and get into the command line?

 

[Manek43509]

You have this many Apple devices and never opened or looked at your Find My/Devices list? That’s impressive. Just like you still rocking that 2013 MacBook (Pro?).

Why would I look at something named Find My if I haven't Lost My...?

The MacBook Pro is a mid-2012 model (still the best MacBook they have ever made, in my opinion) and gets near-constant use in my work. I have upgraded the RAM, changed to an SSD, added a secondary HDD and swapped the logicboard in order to upgrade from an i5 to an i7 processor. It's had three new batteries and a new trackpad due to general wear and tear, but just keeps on going. That's a fantatsic Mac which does everything I need.

I'm also using a 2010 server-edition 'cheesegrater' Mac Pro in my studio for all my studio work – again, absolutely brilliant device, and pisses all over newer models!

 

[Manek43509]

Proof of purchase is good enough.
How do I know? Because I've had Apple Stores unlock stolen macs from my work :/
Sometimes they've unlocked it like 2-3 times a week as I would insta-lock a device that comes online again (the "customer" comes back the next day with the computer locked again).
With MDM you can place a different message at that screen and I've made it very clear to the Apple Store on that screen that the mac they're about to unlock is stolen. They never cared.
I've even taken that higher up withinin Apple and they always say the same thing: the customer showed proof of purchase.
I've then asked to see that PoP and it was just a piece of paper someone had scribbled on.

Speechless at this! All that big talk about 'security' from Apple, and this is how it actually works in the real world?!

 

[tenthousandthings]

Speechless at this! All that big talk about 'security' from Apple, and this is how it actually works in the real world?!

That dialogue you showed in the initial post does not look like MDM to me. That looks like Find My. It’s nothing like what @bollman was venting about. It is exactly what @FreakinEurekan was exploring with you.

With your eBay documentation (maybe go into your account and see if there’s something else more definitive than an email) they will probably be willing to bypass it for you. I think this is probably pretty common, you won’t be the first customer to ask them to do this. Assuming, of course, you find someone both willing and able to help you with “obsolete” hardware…

 

[Parowdy]

Why would I look at something named Find My if I haven't Lost My...?

The MacBook Pro is a mid-2012 model (still the best MacBook they have ever made, in my opinion) and gets near-constant use in my work. I have upgraded the RAM, changed to an SSD, added a secondary HDD and swapped the logicboard in order to upgrade from an i5 to an i7 processor. It's had three new batteries and a new trackpad due to general wear and tear, but just keeps on going. That's a fantatsic Mac which does everything I need.

I'm also using a 2010 server-edition 'cheesegrater' Mac Pro in my studio for all my studio work – again, absolutely brilliant device, and pisses all over newer models!

I for my part would be intrigued what I might find opening Find My and what there is to find, how and why. Especially when it was called Find My Mac. Well, now you know. Not your Mac mini.

 

[Nermal]

Proof of purchase is good enough.
How do I know? Because I've had Apple Stores unlock stolen macs from my work :/
Sometimes they've unlocked it like 2-3 times a week as I would insta-lock a device that comes online again (the "customer" comes back the next day with the computer locked again).
With MDM you can place a different message at that screen and I've made it very clear to the Apple Store on that screen that the mac they're about to unlock is stolen. They never cared.
I've even taken that higher up withinin Apple and they always say the same thing: the customer showed proof of purchase.
I've then asked to see that PoP and it was just a piece of paper someone had scribbled on.

We semi-regularly have to get activation lock removed from corporate iPhones. Usually we contact Apple and supply proof of purchase, but there have been occasions where we've forgotten to attach the PoP and they've still gone ahead and unlocked them, no questions asked.

 

[bollman]

We semi-regularly have to get activation lock removed from corporate iPhones. Usually we contact Apple and supply proof of purchase, but there have been occasions where we've forgotten to attach the PoP and they've still gone ahead and unlocked them, no questions asked.

You are aware that if you use ABM/ASM, you can do it yourself nowadays? Very convenient.

 

[Nermal]

You are aware that if you use ABM/ASM, you can do it yourself nowadays? Very convenient.

I should have said "had" rather than "have". I don't think it's been a problem since we put an MDM system in (I don't actually work in that department, I've just heard stories).

 

[macsforme]

As others said, see if Apple will help you first. That is by far the easiest solution, if they are willing to do it. If the machine was locked by Find My, ideally they would both provide you the unlock code and remove the machine from the iCloud account of the previous owner (so this does not happen again in the future).

If Apple will not help you, there are other methods of recovery available for pre-T2/pre-Apple-silicon Macs (including your 2012), depending of course on lawful ownership and legal factors within in your jurisdiction. You would have to dump your firmware with an EEPROM programmer and clip, and do some manipulations to it with UEFI tools/software. The process is technical, but the tools required are not expensive. Only you can decide whether the cost and trouble are worth it for such an old machine.

 

[Mike Boreham]

THIS TIME, DO NOT buy a second-hand Mac.
Either get something new from Apple, or perhaps from the Apple online refurbished store.

Nothing wrong with buying second hand (all my watches, iPhones, iPads and Macs were bought second hand), but make sure it is not activation locked, by checking you can turn on Find my.

I have bought all my stuff from a national chain in UK (CEX) often trading in older devices. They are very rigorous about checking anything they take in for activation lock.

 

[m..]

I have upgraded the RAM, changed to an SSD, added a secondary HDD and swapped the logicboard in order to upgrade from an i5 to an i7 processor. It's had three new batteries and a new trackpad due to general wear and tear, but just keeps on going. That's a fantatsic Mac which does everything I need.

The new logic board will be the one which is locked. Have you tried contacting the person you bought it from?
If you can't get that one unlocked and you still have the original then you could always swap them back.