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What is apple doing to prevent erasure after a legitimate transfer? Happened to me, I lost countless hours getting access back and rebuilding / restoring.

While it can happen on any devices, my happened on a MacBook pro. The end user sold it in the aftermarket, I bought it through the middleman. While the unit had been "wiped" (not completely -- I discovered the first owner's contact data through file reconstruction), a remote wipe ended up happening from the original users active iCloud account (first user denies initiating the remote wipe).

MacBook Pro

Posted on Sep 23, 2013 9:17 AM

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19 replies

Sep 23, 2013 10:33 AM in response to _pk

It's really the original owner's responsibility to prepare the Mac properly. If the Mac came with Snow Leopard or earlier originally installed the disks that came with the Mac should have been included with the machine. Then the new owner can run the installation disks to wipe the HD and install a new system.


With a machine that came with Lion or Mt. Lion preinstalled it's important to verify that the disk had been prepared according to one of the links below so that you know you're getting a pristine system.


This Apple documen:; What to do before selling or giving away your Mac


3rd party sites:


Selling your old Mac? Prepare it first | MacFixIt - CNET Reviews


Preparing an old Mac for sale | Macworld


How to Prepare a Used Mac for Sale — Tech News and Analysis


OT

Sep 23, 2013 12:11 PM in response to _pk

From a purley practical point of view, how could Apple possible monitor private party sales and know which ones are legitimate transfers of ownership and which are not? In your case, a computer changed hands, but how is Apple supposed to even know such an event took place?


Once Apple sells it the first time, it is not really their responsibility afterwards. Private party sales are just that, business between two private parties and quite frankly, none of anyone else's business nor anyone else's responsibility. Add to that the fact, as I say, how on earth could a company be held responsible for monitoring or tracking such events?

Sep 23, 2013 12:21 PM in response to Michael Black

Perhaps they can't, but then how is the buyer supposed to know when a random wipe event from an owner they don't know is initiated via Apple's servers? This is a service problem, and saying "Apple shouldn't have to care, they can wipe at will" probably only comes from people who arent exposed to the downside, and are only concerned with the upside or the engineering challenges.


Apple *needs* to care because they charge a premium for their products, and screwing the aftermarket means potentially less primary sales, because the resell values will plummet. Why should I buy a used product if I'm subject to a random data-destruction event? Perhaps I'll buy something from Samsung instead.

Sep 23, 2013 12:29 PM in response to _pk

It just seems an unreasonable expectation. Apple cannot possible monitor private sales, so at some point the onus falls on the seller and buyer. Or would you prefer Apple offer no security features to its customers at all?


I do not want companies playing big brother and watching our every moves, every transaction, every keystroke we make with every device. In order to have personal privacy and freedom, I accept that at some point, at least some responsibility must fall on me. It just seems to me your are taking things to a wholly impractical extreme. How can Apple possible know when you and someone else, anywhere on the planet, decide to exchange goods?

Sep 23, 2013 12:33 PM in response to Michael Black

???? It's unreasonable not to expect my data won't be randomly destroyed without notice?


HTF is that impracticable?


The fact that my data was destroyed was *because* apple had some sort of beacon monitoring my activity that I DIDN"T REQUEST, I didn't know about, I had no way of knowing about.


I fail to see how this is me failing to be resonable.

Sep 23, 2013 12:42 PM in response to Csound1

Blame the victim seems to be your model. Why should I HAVE TO RESTORE? Why should I have to go to the apple store to get my Logic board unlocked, only to be denied, and have to figure out how to get the think unlocked by myself, when I bought a legitimate resale?


You answers are anti-helpful. I've heard your opinion. Either answer the quesitons I'm asking or keep your rude comments to yourself.

Sep 23, 2013 12:44 PM in response to _pk

_pk wrote:


???? It's unreasonable not to expect my data won't be randomly destroyed without notice?


HTF is that impracticable?


The fact that my data was destroyed was *because* apple had some sort of beacon monitoring my activity that I DIDN"T REQUEST, I didn't know about, I had no way of knowing about.


I fail to see how this is me failing to be resonable.


I never said it was your fault, or at least not just you. Clearly the original owner did not do what they really should have done in preparing the device for sale. But again, how could Apple possible even know that? They sold a machine to person X, at some point in time, and that is ALLthey know. Person X decides to sell it privately to person Y at some later timepoint. How is Apple expected to have any knowledge of that AT ALL? How could they possible look up and say "oh, mister X just sold his computer and forgot to wipe it clear of all his personal information, we should call the new owner (whoever that might be) and let them know.".

What is apple doing to prevent erasure after a legitimate transfer? Happened to me, I lost countless hours getting access back and rebuilding / restoring.

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