monterey - rules for using password security in new install

Hi mopepom,

If your Mac is asking you for a password in order to reinstall macOS, please see below:

• If you're seeing an Activation Lock screen, the Mac belongs to a previous owner. You will need to contact them and ask them to remove the Mac from their iCloud account using these steps: How to remove Activation Lock - Apple Support
  • If you can't reach the previous owner, ask Apple for help: https://al-support.apple.com/#/kbase

• If you're seeing a different screen, it's likely that you didn't erase your Mac correctly. Follow the below steps to be sure:

1. Start up from macOS Recovery.
2. If you're prompted for an administrator password, enter it to continue. If you don't know the password, go to the top of the screen and select Recovery Assistant -> Erase Mac. Follow the onscreen instructions, then skip these steps.
3. When the list of utilities appears, select Disk Utility and click Continue.
4. In Disk Utility, select View -> Show All Devices.
5. Select the top level of the internal drive, then click Erase. Choose these options, then click Erase:
   1. Name: Macintosh HD
   2. Format: APFS
   3. Scheme: GUID Partition Table/Map
6. When the erase is complete, quit Disk Utility.

You can now try reinstalling macOS again.