User profile for user: Garrett Bryant
Garrett Bryant Author
User level: Level 1
110 points

Setting up used Macbook Air A2337, stuck at creating user.

Okay, setting up MacBook Air (current model, A2337) that I got from acquaintance and witnessed it working fine. Erased their account and I start setting it up for myself, trouble ensues.


  1. Signed in with AppleID.
  2. Created Computer Account w/ new user and password.
  3. Wait 20 minutes while nothing happens. Restart.
  4. Try to sign in, won't accept Computer Account password I just specified (tried many times).
  5. Try to reset pass using AppleID, doesn't recognize password.
  6. "Forgot password", reset using AppleID on another device (iPhone).
  7. Doesn't accept new AppleID password I just changed. Reset this several times.
  8. Decide to wipe it and start again. Use Recovery to install MacOS, same sign in issue.
  9. Disk Utility, all checks fine, several restarts. Use Disk Utility to erase "Macintosh HD" & "Macintosh HD - Data".
  10. Reinstall MacOS, takes forever, shows a looooot of errors in log.
  11. Finishes installing and get prompt to again set up Computer Account. "Computer account creation failed. Computer account could not be created with the name and password specified. Please try again." Try 4-5 more times with various names and passes. Nothing works.
  12. Come to Reddit for help.


Help? Please?

MacBook Air (2020 or later)

Posted on Feb 21, 2022 9:36 PM

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4 replies
User profile for user: K Shaffer
K Shaffer
User level: Level 8
36,028 points

Feb 22, 2022 1:50 PM in response to Garrett Bryant

One of the questions that matter: had the original registered Apple product

owner, de-personalized the unit; before you tried to remove that information?


IF not, little you would have done, could have made a difference.


An authorized Apple service provider, given 'proof-of-ownership'

could try & straighten-out the situation. Or w/o that, you're sunk.


There's so little additional clues from there, to offer other advice..

..as Volunteer fellow mac user, thousands of miles away; at home.


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User profile for user: K Shaffer
K Shaffer
User level: Level 8
36,028 points

Feb 21, 2022 10:35 PM in response to Garrett Bryant

Problems began when you tried to set up and use the friend's MacBook Air.

This process is supposed to be done ~ before you got the Mac from a friend.


• What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac - Apple Support

//support.apple.com/en-us/HT201065


..Seven steps into above process, gets you to #8..

• Erase your Mac and reinstall macOS •


Follow the steps to erase your Mac and reinstall macOS.

"..After macOS installation is complete, your Mac restarts to a Setup

Assistant. To leave the Mac in an 'out-of-box' state, press Command-Q

to shut down, instead of continuing setup.."


[Note: The above steps apply to Intel-based Macs; and do not apply to Mac computers with Apple silicon.

If you're using a Mac with Apple silicon, follow the steps to erase a Mac with Apple silicon.]


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User profile for user: K Shaffer
K Shaffer
User level: Level 8
36,028 points

Feb 23, 2022 2:33 AM in response to Garrett Bryant



..Garrett Bryant:

The most basic article on how to reinstall macOS covers most of the older ones;

and had seen revision, to include preamble instructions for Apple silicon M1, too.


Newer info here, supersedes most.. (who had partial Intel-based bits) are in reference.

What 'recovery' does in Apple silicon, uses similar yet different means to get done.


• Intro to macOS Recovery - Apple Support

//support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/intro-to-macos-recovery-mchl46d531d6/mac


• Use macOS Recovery on a Mac with Apple silicon - Apple Support

//support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/macos-recovery-a-mac-apple-silicon-mchl82829c17/12.0/mac/12.0


Part that may be useful, in article section "Repair your internal storage device."

And safe mode is also revisited in most; there is a different path to use it.


However a suggestion still remains: To contact an AASP (authorized service)

and have them go through the MacBook Air 13-inch M1, for you. Find what

is incorrect .. maybe 'the issue' could be something initially done out of step.


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Setting up used Macbook Air A2337, stuck at creating user.

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