Q: I cannot seem to get rid of Angry Birds...never downloaded it.

It sounds as if the previous owner didn't properly prepare the computer for resale. If you can't find "Angry Birds" in your Applications folder, download the free "EasyFind" from the Mac App Store and search your hard drive for "angry birds" (or even just "angry"!). Once you find the app (or the remnants) select the files and use EasyFind to delete them. You shouldn't be annoyed by the 'update' any longer.

Clinton

I've no idea, then, how to help you out! I just always assumed that an app had to reside on a computer in order for the Mac App Store to offer an 'update'... and it's not even tied to your Apple ID!!??

Contact the MAS support folks -> http://www.apple.com/support/mac/app-store/ - and see if they have any nuggets of wisdom...

Good luck,

Clinton

lorrdel wrote:

 

Hey Clinton,

 

I downloaded EasyFind and still cannot get rid of this annoying app. I deleted the files that my search brought up, I deleted them in EasyFind, but it is still asking for updates on this app. If I say to go ahead and install the update, It says my AppleID did'nt work. Well of course not, because I never installed it. But I have tryed several things, including your suggestion, and still have angry birds! Pretty soon this computer is going to have angry person—me to deal with. Just kidding. Thank you for your help, I appreciate you taking the time to help me.

 

Lorraine

Erase the computer and reinstall the original operating system (which is what the seller should have done for you), then restore your data from backups and setup your own accounts.

First thing you need to do is completely Wipe the internal drive of that Mac and reinstall the original Shippiing version of OS X that came on it when it was new.

That is the ONLY WAY to completely Remove all traces of the previous owner info and data.

How you do that depends on the Model year of that Mac and what version of OS X originally came on it. So post the model year. you find that under the Apple Logo in the menu bar, select About This Mac and then click the More Info button. you will get a screen like this.

There are a lot of hits here: Uninstall angry birds

The first thing to do with a second-hand computer is to erase the internal drive and install a clean copy of OS X. You — not the previous owner — must do that. How you do it depends on the model, and on whether you already own another Mac. If you're not sure of the model, enter the serial number on this page. Then find the model on this page to see what OS version was originally installed.

1. You don't own another Mac.

If the machine shipped with OS X 10.4 or 10.5, you need a boxed and shrink-wrapped retail Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) installation disc from the Apple Store or a reputable reseller — not from eBay or anything of the kind. If the machine has less than 1 GB of memory, you'll need to add more in order to install 10.6. Preferably, install as much memory as it can take, according to the technical specifications.

If the machine shipped with OS X 10.6, you need the installation media that came with it: gray installation discs, or a USB flash drive for some MacBook Air models. For early MBA models, you may need a USB optical drive or Remote Disc. You should have received the media from the previous owner, but if you didn't, order replacements from Apple. A retail disc, or the gray discs from another model, will not work.

To boot from an optical disc or a flash drive, insert it, then reboot and hold down the C key at the startup chime. Release the key when you see the gray Apple logo on the screen.

If the machine shipped with OS X 10.7 or later, you don't need media. It should boot into Internet Recovery mode when you hold down the key combination option-command-R at the startup chime. Release the keys when you see a spinning globe.

2. You do own another Mac.

If you already own another Mac that was upgraded in the App Store to the version of OS X that you want to install, and if the new Mac is compatible with it, then you can install it. Use Recovery Disk Assistant to create a bootable USB device and boot the new Mac from it by holding down the C key at the startup chime. Alternatively, if you have a Time Machine backup of OS X 10.7.3 or later on an external hard drive (not a Time Capsule or other network device), you can boot from that by holding down the option key and selecting it from the row of icons that appears. Note that if your other Mac was never upgraded in the App Store, you can't use this method.

Once booted in Recovery, launch Disk Utility and select the icon of the internal drive — not any of the volume icons nested beneath it. In the Partition tab, select the default options: a GUID partition table with one data volume in Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. This operation will permanently remove all existing data on the drive.

After partitioning, quit Disk Utility and run the OS X Installer. You will need the Apple ID and password that you used to upgrade. When the installation is done, the system will automatically reboot into the Setup Assistant, which will prompt you to transfer the data from another Mac, its backups, or from a Windows computer. If you have any data to transfer, this is usually the best time to do it.

Then run Software Update and install all available system updates from Apple. To upgrade to a major version of OS X newer than 10.6, get it from the Mac App Store. Note that you can't keep an upgraded version that was installed by the previous owner. He or she can't legally transfer it to you, and without the Apple ID you won't be able to update it in Software Update or reinstall, if that becomes necessary. The same goes for any App Store products that the previous owner installed — you have to repurchase them.

3. Other issues

If you see a lock screen when trying to boot from installation media or in Recovery mode, then a firmware password was set by the previous owner, or the machine was remotely locked via iCloud. You'll either have to contact the owner or take the machine to an Apple Store or another authorized service provider to be unlocked. You may be asked for proof of ownership.

If the previous owner "accepted" the bundled iLife applications (iPhoto, iMovie, and Garage Band) in the App Store so that he or she could update them, then they're linked to that Apple ID and you won't be able to download them without buying them. Reportedly, Mac App Store Customer Service has sometimes issued redemption codes for these apps to second owners who asked.

If the previous owner didn't deauthorize the computer in the iTunes Store under his Apple ID, you wont be able to  authorize it immediately under your ID. In that case, you'll either have to wait up to 90 days or contact iTunes Support.

When trying to create a new iCloud account, you might get a failure message: "Account limit reached." Apple imposes a limit of three iCloud account setups per device. Erasing the device does not reset the limit. You can still use an account that was created on another device, but you won't be able to create a new one. Contact iCloud Support for more information.

Linc Davis wrote:

 

The first thing to do with a second-hand computer is to erase the internal drive and install a clean copy of OS X. You — not the previous owner — must do that.

Especially one that may have pirated Apps: Mac App Store receipt hack allows Angry Birds piracy

This is a sign that the machine has an app installed that is using the Angry Birds receipt to make some other app look like Angry Birds (as far as the OS is concerned). This is likely to be due to software piracy... likely, some app on that machine was stolen, and is using data stolen from a copy of the Angry Birds app to make a more expensive app run as if it had been purchased legally. However, I have also seen malware using this technique. As an example, a copy of a piece of malware called CoinThief was seen, and at least one variant of that malware includes a receipt from the Twitter app.

So, since your machine has stolen software at a minimum, and may actually have malware installed, you should immediately follow Linc's advice. Do not try to take shortcuts and continue using the compromised system.