macOS 11.1 cant remove user account

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Level 1

8 points

macOS 11.1 cant remove user account

Anyone, any ideas what is this about ? Im trying to delete from my laptop some local accounts (non admin), using Users & Groups UI and get always this error: "The operation couldn’t be completed. timed out"

I am using my admin account and I can create new accounts via Users & Groups UI but Im not able then to delete them anymore. Deleting them via command line is just fine. Anyone any ides what is this about?

The only thing, I did couple of days back was to stop iCloud Find My Mac service.

Thank you,

Stefan

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 11.1

Posted on Jan 13, 2021 5:21 AM

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Answer 1

leroydouglas

Level 10

199,560 points

Jan 13, 2021 6:25 AM in response to sparvu

sparvu wrote:

Im trying to delete from my laptop some local accounts (non admin), using Users & Groups UI and get always this error: "The operation couldn’t be completed. timed out"

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/7ab8cbcc-ef74-485b-b00d-93e2c6beadd6

I am using my admin account and I can create new accounts via Users & Groups UI but Im not able then to delete them anymore. Deleting them via command line is just fine. Anyone any ides what is this about?

Typically you have to be logged out of a User account in order for it to be deleted.

If you can successfully create & delete what is the point of drilling down here... why creating and deleting to begin with?

Delete a user or group on Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 2

sparvu Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 13, 2021 7:40 AM in response to leroydouglas

Well, of course the users Im trying to delete are already logged out, with no processes or applications running.

On this laptop, Im testing some of our sfw, which requires to make some local accounts, install some sfw and later remove the accounts. I want to use the user-interface, to simulate as much as possible a human being. Otherwise I would use the CLI option and remove the accounts. On the other hand I want to understand what has changed and why this does not work anymore. This has been working for months.

At this moment, it seems something has changed, not sure what which prevents removal of these accounts. Could it be something to do with XPC user-interface tools Users & Groups !? Does anyone here know more detailed how the Users & Groups UI program works?

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macOS 11.1 cant remove user account

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