How can I delete an user if I can't do it on System Preference/Users and Groups

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Level 1

9 points

How can I delete an user if I can't do it on System Preference/Users and Groups

I want to remove a couple of users from my old MacBook Pro.

I tried using the standard procedure (System Preferences/Users and Groups ==> unlock ==> select the user to be deleted ==> press minus button), but it doesn't work. The "minus" button changes it's color to grey from white, but then nothing else happens...

The users I want to delete are not in use when I try to delete.

One user had got administrator privileges, the other one didn't.

The Mac Book is currently running Mac OS High Sierra (V. 10.13.6).

Can anybody help me, please?

Thanks.

Riccardo

Posted on Dec 28, 2020 3:39 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,602 points

Dec 30, 2020 3:52 AM in response to Rikybrain

This is very confusing, it should really be simple.

Have you tried booting your mac up in Safe Mode,

How to use safe mode on your Mac – Apple Support Safe Mode takes a while to boot up so be patient.

Safe Mode carries out disk repairs and flushes out caches

which may help with your problem.

You can try deleting users in Safe Mode or

when you boot back normally.

If Safe Mode has made no difference, click once on the Desktop

click on Go in the menubar and select Go To Folder enter this text

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist

press Go

A new Finder window will open with the file highlighted, move the file to the Desktop.

Restart your mac, the file will be replaced.

When the mac has started up try deleting Users now.

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Answer 2

BDAqua

Level 10

245,339 points

Dec 28, 2020 4:28 PM in response to Rikybrain

Did this happen after the 2020-006 SecUpd ?

Try reinstalling this in Safe Mode, but not using Firefox...

https://itunes.apple.com/app/macos-high-sierra/id1246284741?mt=12

Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at startup).

Seems to fix about 90% of the problems.

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Answer 3

Rikybrain Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 29, 2020 12:32 PM in response to Eau Rouge

Hi Eau Rouge.

Here attached you find three screenshot:

the first one is when I just access the "Users and Groups" panel
the second one is hen I unlocked the user admin (Tommaso Cervellin) who should delete "Riccardo Cervellin" and "Utente Ospite"
the last one was taken after I tried to delete "Riccardo Cervellin".

Thanks for your help

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Answer 4

Rikybrain Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 28, 2020 2:49 PM in response to Eau Rouge

Thanks for your reply, Eau Rouge...

Yes, sure... I did log in as an Administrator, but it didn't work.

I also tried restarting the machine, logging in with another Admin account, but the outcome is always the same... I can't delete the accounts.

It's not like a task which starts and run forever, it's as if it doesn't start at all...

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Answer 5

Rikybrain Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 30, 2020 3:37 AM in response to Eau Rouge

I suspected the same...

The first one was "Riccardo Cervellin" and I tried to delete it from "Lucia ".

So, since it didn't work, I tried to delete the user "Tommaso Cervellin" who hadn't Admin powers. I tried to delete it both from my account (Riccardo) and from my wife's (Lucia), but the outcome was always the same.

Then I gave Admin power to Tommaso and tried to delete my or my wife's account but, again, it was not possible...

I've also reinstalled Sierra on my Mac Book... The machine is now much faster than before, but user deletion is not possible yet.

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