Migration Assist unlocking system error

Speak to the IT Department and / or the Administrator of the MDM ( Mobile Digital Management Service ) this computer is Enrolled into.

They Manage the Computer and Control What can be done on this computer, regardless of you having an Admin Account on the Actual Computer

teachuchem wrote:

I have a work-owned M2 powerbook. My user status is Admin, but i'm unable to update the OS or other software or use Time Machine or Migration Assist. How can I update software and use these tools to add my work files/work programs to this new computer?

That is no doubt due to this being an externally managed device, managed by the owner/employer. You might gain some insight by looking for a Profiles pane inside System Preferences. But the device might have been configured differently anyway. My employer manages and configures computers (PCs and Macs) used by its employees and there are some functions I cannot access or change even though I am an administrator-privileged user. I can only update the MacOS when the central system pushes out an "ok" for me to do that. I cannot remove certain tools that are installed for employer remote access and management. I can use Time Machine and Migration Assistant. But the employer could easily prevent those if it wanted to.

Have you tried one of the "cloning" tools (e.g. CCC, SuperDuper, TechTool Pro ...) available from third parties to make backups? Those are not versioned backups in the same way that Time Machine is, but they do make copies on external drives.

To get around the other restrictions, the only option you have is to contact your employer. Finding workarounds on your own is pretty rare, even if you are clever. Most companies hire professionals to set these things up and they do not allow for back doors or workarounds if they do it properly.

Keep in mind that a work-owned computer is owned by someone else other than you.