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Why won't valid Apple ID work when reinstalling OSX?

Lately, I feel like too many Microsoft employees have infiltrated Apple. I have erased and reinstalled 30-40 Macs so I am VERY familiar with this process. Yet I am now one week into trying to wipe two Macs and reinstall the OS for new owners.


Mac 1 (2012 Macbook Pro)

Wiped no problem. Booting in recovery mode, it wouldn't let me install OSX using a valid Apple ID of the new owner (my girlfriend). Hours on the phone with Apple tech support without a resolution. So I try my Apple ID and it works. Now this computer (my girlfriend's) is registered to my Apple ID, not hers, which, of course, is problematic.


Mac 2 (2009 Macbook pro)

Being wiped for her daughter. Daughter has a valid Apple ID (it was a nightmare creating it, something I have also done many times before with no problem), tested and working fine in the iTunes store. Booted in recovery mode, OSX won't reinstall with her Apple ID. Put in her mother's Apple ID and it works, the very same Apple ID that wouldn't work on Mac 1 above. I only tried her mother's Apple ID to see if it would work. This computer, the daughter's, can't be registered to her mother's Apple ID so I had to abort the install using her mother's Apple ID. Tried the daughter's again for the 10th time and it doesn't work.


See my point about Microsoft? I expect this kind of shoddy user experience from it. I don't expect it from Apple. Why does an Apple ID fail on one computer and work on another? Why is the install process irrationally selective about which Apple IDs it will accept and which ones it won't? How do I get the install process, which should take 90 minutes at the most and has now taken 7 days, to work with a valid Apple ID? Final note, it is not because either the user name or password were typed in incorrectly. I have done this over and over again in the past week with both Apple IDs, taking great care to make sure they are correct.

Posted on Mar 16, 2015 9:14 PM

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1 reply

Mar 16, 2015 9:55 PM in response to Ian Chamandy1

I've had much the same problems, but much stronger feelings. 😟


For 9 months I could login everywhere but the Mac App Store, all others were fine & iTunes>App Store even showed my Mac Ap Store purchases & downloads, but Mac App Store would send me in circles re-asking for good ID & PW, Apple could not help, solution so far was to create a new admin user & log into that, Mac App Store worked with same Apple ID there!? 😟


And… we used to laugh at Windows® users needing to Reinstall & requiring huge MB downloads for updates, add to that the server problems Apple has, my .mac addy for life disappearing for a decade or so, MobileMe being a bust, iWeb… well, tough luck, now trust iCloud??? No way Jose. 😟

Why won't valid Apple ID work when reinstalling OSX?

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