Bought a Computer with FileVault ON. Help!

So I bought a 2017 12" Macbook 256GB. I erased the HD, recovered it and reinstalled the operating system and even named the new computer but near the end of the process up pops "Enter Old Password" "Enter the password you previously used to unlock this MacBook". It even mentioned the name of the old computer "Alice's MacBook."


Luckily I asked the previous owner for the password and it finished setting up but will Alice's Macbook embedded somewhere ih my computer now? Do I have to erase it again or is "Alice" now removed from my machine? Thanks!

MacBook (2017)

Posted on Oct 17, 2023 8:16 AM

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Posted on Oct 17, 2023 8:19 AM

Ask Alice to comply with these instructions: What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support.


They are not optional and both of you are likely to encounter annoyances of varying descriptions until she does.

5 replies

Oct 17, 2023 8:45 AM in response to Urbaneness

She and you ought to be able to collaborate over the phone to ensure she followed those instructions and comply with any she may have missed. Stick with her on the phone until you mutually reach the end of What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support. The Mac must start up to a "Hello" language selection screen and no longer prompt you for any passwords you do not know.


Encountering a FileVault password request (even if you know what hers was) is a sign the Mac was not properly prepared for sale. FileVault is not strictly related to preparing a Mac for sale since the startup volume must be erased, thereby erasing the FV password.

Oct 17, 2023 8:33 AM in response to John Galt

Ha She signed out of everything except FileVault. I turned her FileVault off with the password she gave me. I still have this password! Not sure how I'm going to have ongoing problems since this has all been set up new and I turned off FileVault. But I do look forward to another answer and hey, maybe you're right. I need to fly to another state to visit Alice and have her do all those things over again and give me her FileVault password again, (which I have).

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Bought a Computer with FileVault ON. Help!

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