Is there a way to bypass account setup?

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Level 1

6 points

Is there a way to bypass account setup?

Hi!

I am wondering if there's a way to bypass account setup on OS X. I would like to be able to go into new machines and help set them up for customers by installing programs and running OS X updates, but then reseal the machine so when they get the unit it will still prompt them to set up an account and register the machine. Is there a good way to do this? I know you can do Apple-Q to quit, but then the machine just shuts down and you cannot do anything with it. I was thinking Target firewire disk mode would work except I don't know how to run OS X updates for the target drive that way.

Thanks.

all models Mac OS X (10.4.3)

Posted on Jun 22, 2006 7:25 AM

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Answer 1

macjack

Level 10

111,242 points

Jun 22, 2006 8:10 AM in response to Jill Beckman

Hi Jill, see "III. Restoring from defaults" in this support article. EDIT: But do not restart as in #5.

-mj
macjack@gmail.com

iMac G4 17 FP 800 MHz 768MB Mac OS X (10.4.6) 2 X LaCie d2's APC-UPS / iMac 333MHz 256MB 10.3.9

Message was edited by: macjack

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Answer 2

baltwo

Level 9

62,386 points

Jun 23, 2006 12:55 AM in response to Niel

Since the OP has to create an admin account to install the other software, doesn't he also have to either change or delete the current netinfo database, as described in http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107210? Using either

mv /var/db/netinfo/local.nidb /var/db/netinfo/local.nidb.bad or

mv /var/db/netinfo/local.nidb

Additionally, what happens to the original users account? Is it eliminated when a new netinfo database is created and the .applesetupdone file is removed? I haven't had the pleasure of going through the drill, but I'm curious about these seemingly finer points. Anyone?

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Answer 3

Ric Latham

Level 4

2,266 points

Jun 22, 2006 7:31 AM in response to Jill Beckman

Hi there,

is this something that you think your customers want ?

Personally if I buy a new Mac I specifically look for a sealed box !

If it looked like it had been opened I wouldn't accept it.

9 times out of 10 the first thing I would do is wipe the drive anyway and do a fresh install of the OS...

regards

Ric

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Answer 4

Jill Beckman Author

Level 1

6 points

Jun 22, 2006 7:38 AM in response to Jill Beckman

You are right in that if it were me, I would agree. I wouldn't want anyone else doing anything to my machine! 🙂

However it definitely is something they want -- we already open up the machines and install RAM for people, at their request. It would only be for people who requested the service, and we already get many people asking us to install Office or other things for them. I just thought it would be nice if they could set up their own account.

Mostly (obviously) it's for people who don't know that much about computers and want everything done for them so they can just start using the computer right away. Also I would NEVER open a machine or even slightly crack the seal unless it was something someone asked me to do. 🙂

Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Mac OS X (10.4.6)

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Answer 5

Jun 22, 2006 9:16 AM in response to macjack

That's the really long way... there's another way, albeit one that leaves the account you created active. If that's not an issue to them (just name it admin or something, and unless they're turning on fast user switching, they'll probably have on autologin and will never see it), here's the deal:

Restart the computer in Mac OS X single user mode by holding Command-S
at startup.
Mount the computer's drive for read/write access. To do so, type the
following command at the command prompt, and then press Enter:

mount -uw /

Remove the file that identifies that the initial run of the "Mac OS X
Setup Assistant" has been completed, with this command at the command
prompt, followed by Enter:

rm /var/db/.applesetupdone

Restart the computer by entering this command, followed by Enter.

reboot

The Mac OS X Setup Assistant screen should appear after the reboot,
just as it does when you start up a brand new computer or upgrade to a
new version of Mac OS X.

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Answer 6

Niel

Level 10

741,659 points

Jun 22, 2006 10:11 PM in response to Matthew Kaake

If you want to start the computer up later and have the Setup Assistant appear, use:

shutdown -h now

instead of reboot. Restarting causes the Setup Assistant to reappear almost immediately, which isn't of much use if you want to send the computer back before an account is created.

(13457)

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Answer 7

Jun 23, 2006 5:50 PM in response to baltwo

When you delete the applesetupdone file, the netinfo database is left untouched - when it starts the assistant back up, it creates a new admin account, and uses the next user ID available.

So, for example, if you had two people set up before (accounts 501 and 502), they would still be there - after the setup is re-done, the new admin / owner of the computer is user 503. You can then go and delete the old accounts once you're logged in and set up.

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Answer 8

baltwo

Level 9

62,386 points

Jun 23, 2006 8:45 PM in response to Matthew Kaake

Thanks. BTW, my second command should read:

rm /var/db/netinfo/local.nidb

vice what I posted.

Based on your response, the OP should include instructions to the buyers on how to delete the admin account he created to install the 3rd party software and delete the local.nidb.bak file if it still exists.

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