Neil Lazar

Q: A friend's business closed. He gave me an iMac. I don't have the password. Just want to erase the machine and install the latest OS. Can someone tell me how to do that?

Erase entire machine and Install latest OS without login password.

imac 24 Intel, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Feb 2, 2016 8:58 AM

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Q: A friend's business closed. He gave me an iMac. I don't have the password. Just want to erase the machine and install the latest O ... more

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  • by pinkstones,

    pinkstones pinkstones Feb 2, 2016 9:01 AM in response to Neil Lazar
    Level 5 (4,209 points)
    Safari
    Feb 2, 2016 9:01 AM in response to Neil Lazar

    The person who gave you the computer is supposed to have done that before giving it to you.  Give the computer back to them and tell them to wipe the hard drive, removing all of their administrator information.

  • by Limnos,

    Limnos Limnos Feb 2, 2016 9:03 AM in response to Neil Lazar
    Level 9 (53,643 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 2, 2016 9:03 AM in response to Neil Lazar

    KurtLang Aug. 2014 post on restoring newer computers that do not come with a optical disc - https://discussions.apple.com/message/26479617#26479617

     

    Kappy Jan. 2016 post on using network recovery - https://discussions.apple.com/message/29713317#29713317

  • by seventy one,

    seventy one seventy one Feb 2, 2016 9:08 AM in response to Neil Lazar
    Level 6 (15,083 points)
    Peripherals
    Feb 2, 2016 9:08 AM in response to Neil Lazar

    You cannot do that without the password.   You need the current owner to provide the password, to erase the machine and return it to factory condition.   

     

    Once that is done you will need proof of the transfer of its ownership, either as a gift or in the form of a receipt for money paid.

     

    I'm not suggesting there is anything doubtful about your request but you must understand that were someone to steal a device and be able to achieve what you want to achieve, there would be no security for anyone.

  • by Neil Lazar,

    Neil Lazar Neil Lazar Feb 2, 2016 9:19 AM in response to Neil Lazar
    Level 1 (45 points)
    Feb 2, 2016 9:19 AM in response to Neil Lazar

    I understand the security implications but bringing the machine back to the owner is not possible. He's not around nor would he know the password - the machine was for an employee and they have all moved on. The machine is registered to the closed company; if I can find someone from the company's management, maybe I could get a letter on their letterhead saying they gave it to me and contact Apple.

     

    Any thoughts?

  • by pinkstones,

    pinkstones pinkstones Feb 2, 2016 9:29 AM in response to Neil Lazar
    Level 5 (4,209 points)
    Safari
    Feb 2, 2016 9:29 AM in response to Neil Lazar

    Neil Lazar wrote:

     

    I understand the security implications but bringing the machine back to the owner is not possible. He's not around nor would he know the password - the machine was for an employee and they have all moved on. The machine is registered to the closed company; if I can find someone from the company's management, maybe I could get a letter on their letterhead saying they gave it to me and contact Apple.

     

    Any thoughts?

     

    Contacting Apple isn't going to help — they won't know the password either.  You need the administrator password in order to wipe the hard drive clean and to then install El Capitan.  Without it, you're essentially screwed.

  • by Limnos,

    Limnos Limnos Feb 2, 2016 9:33 AM in response to pinkstones
    Level 9 (53,643 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 2, 2016 9:33 AM in response to pinkstones

    The recent link by Kappy I posted makes no mention of needing an administrator password. You do need it if you are going to create a new account but from what I can tell it is not necessary if you are wiping the entire drive.

  • by seventy one,

    seventy one seventy one Feb 2, 2016 9:34 AM in response to Neil Lazar
    Level 6 (15,083 points)
    Peripherals
    Feb 2, 2016 9:34 AM in response to Neil Lazar

    If the company is no longer in operation, any letter on the company's headed paper is unlikely to be acceptable.

     

    The best thing you can do (though I doubt you will succeed) is to write to Apple security and set out the precise details.   But you need to understand that it is not for Apple to do the detective work; their overall concern will be security for the original owner, whether or not he/she still has access to the machine.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Feb 2, 2016 9:35 AM in response to Neil Lazar
    Level 10 (207,926 points)
    Applications
    Feb 2, 2016 9:35 AM in response to Neil Lazar

    Before acquiring a second-hand computer, you should have run Apple Diagnostics or the Apple Hardware Test, whichever is applicable.

    The first thing to do after acquiring the computer is to erase the internal drive and install a clean copy of OS X. You—not the original owner—must do that. Changes made by Apple over the years have made this seemingly straightforward task very complex.

    How you go about it depends on the model, and on whether you already own another Mac. If you're not sure of the model, enter the serial number on this page. Then find the model on this page to see what OS version was originally installed.

    It's unsafe, and may be unlawful, to use a computer with software installed by a previous owner.

    1. If you don't own another Mac

    a. If the machine shipped with OS X 10.4 or 10.5, you need a boxed and shrink-wrapped retail Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) installation disc from the Apple Store or a reputable reseller—not from eBay or anything of the kind. If the machine is very old and has less than 1 GB of memory, you'll need to add more in order to install 10.6. Preferably, install as much memory as it can take, according to the technical specifications.

    b. If the machine shipped with OS X 10.6, you need the installation media that came with it: gray installation discs, or a USB flash drive for a MacBook Air. You should have received the media from the original owner, but if you didn't, order replacements from Apple. A retail disc, or the gray discs from another model, will not work.

    To start up from an optical disc or a flash drive, insert it, then restart the computer and hold down the C key at the startup chime. Release the key when you see the gray Apple logo on the screen.

    c. If the machine shipped with OS X 10.7 or later, you don't need media. It should start up in Internet Recovery mode when you hold down the key combination option-command-R at the startup chime. Release the keys when you see a spinning globe. Note that Mac Pro tower models older than late 2014 (with the "cheese-grater" enclosure) cannot use Internet Recovery, regardless of which OS version they shipped with. The round Mac Pro (2014 or later) can use it.

    d. Some 2010-2011 models shipped with OS X 10.6 and received a firmware update after 10.7 was released, enabling them to use Internet Recovery. If you have one of those models, you can't reinstall 10.6 even from the original media, and Internet Recovery will not work either without the original owner's Apple ID. In that case, contact Apple Support, or take the machine to an Apple Store or another authorized service provider to have the OS installed.

    2. If you do own another Mac

    If you already own another Mac that was upgraded in the App Store to the version of OS X that you want to install, and if the new Mac is compatible with it, then you can install it. Use Recovery Disk Assistant to prepare a USB device, then start up the new Mac from it by holding down the C key at the startup chime. Alternatively, if you have a Time Machine backup of OS X 10.7.3 or later on an external hard drive (not a Time Capsule or other network device), you can start from that by holding down the option key and selecting it from the row of icons that appears. Note that if your other Mac was never upgraded in the App Store, you can't use this method.

    3. Partition and install OS X

    a. If you see a lock screen when trying to start up from installation media or in Recovery mode, then a firmware password was set by the previous owner, or the machine was remotely locked via iCloud. You'll either have to contact the owner or take the machine to an Apple Store or another service provider to be unlocked. You may be asked for proof of ownership.

    b. Launch Disk Utility and select the icon of the internal drive—not any of the volume icons nested beneath it. In the  Partition tab, select the default options: a GUID partition table with one data volume in Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. This operation will permanently remove all existing data on the drive.

    c. An unusual problem may arise if all the following conditions apply:

              OS X 10.7 or later was installed by the previous owner

              The startup volume was encrypted with FileVault

              You're booted in Recovery mode (that is, not from a 10.6 installation disc)

    In that case, you won't be able to unlock the volume or partition the drive without the FileVault password. Ask for guidance or see this ASC discussion.

    d. After partitioning, quit Disk Utility and run the OS X Installer. If you're installing a version of OS X acquired from the App Store, you will need the Apple ID and password that you used. When the installation is done, the system will automatically restart into the Setup Assistant, which will prompt you to transfer the data from another Mac, its backups, or from a Windows computer. If you have any data to transfer, this is usually the best time to do it.

    e. Run Software Update and install all available system updates from Apple. To upgrade to a major version of OS X newer than 10.6, get it from the Mac App Store. Note that you can't keep an upgraded version that was installed by the original owner. He or she can't legally transfer it to you, and without the Apple ID you won't be able to update it in Software Update or reinstall, if that becomes necessary. The same goes for any App Store products that the previous owner installed—you have to repurchase them.

    4. Other issues

    a. If the original owner "accepted" the bundled iLife applications (iPhoto, iMovie, and Garage Band) in the App Store so that he or she could update them, then they're irrevocably linked to that Apple ID and you won't be able to download them without buying them. Reportedly, Mac App Store Customer Service has sometimes issued redemption codes for these apps to second owners who asked.

    b. If the previous owner didn't deauthorize the computer in the iTunes Store under his Apple ID, you wont be able to  authorize it immediately under your ID. In that case, you'll either have to wait up to 90 days or contact iTunes Support.

    c. When trying to create a new iCloud account, you might get a failure message: "Account limit reached." Apple imposes a lifetime limit of three iCloud account setups per device. Erasing the device does not reset the limit. You can still use an iCloud account that was created on another device, but you won't be able to create a new one. Contact iCloud Support for more information. The setup limit doesn't apply to Apple ID accounts used for other services, such as the iTunes and Mac App Stores, or iMessage. You can create as many of those accounts as you like.

  • by Neil Lazar,

    Neil Lazar Neil Lazar Feb 2, 2016 9:43 AM in response to Neil Lazar
    Level 1 (45 points)
    Feb 2, 2016 9:43 AM in response to Neil Lazar

    Thanks for all the help. I'll try some of the suggestions and see how it goes.