How can new owner change Admin to his own name?

Question

Level 1

81 points

How can new owner change Admin to his own name?

I'm putting my late-2007 black 13" MacBook running 10.7.5 on Craigslist. Last night I wiped the machine using Disk Utility and reinstalled 10.7.5. Everything went just fine. I knew a new owner would want to know if the laptop worked, so I turned it on and could not get past a screen asking for a name. I entered Admin (short name became admin) and a password of Admin1.

That is as far as I went. Is there a way for the new owner to get rid of the "Admin" account/home folder and establish himself as the owner of the MacBook? I'm likely to be doing this for the person, so any help would be appreciated.

Out of curiosity, if I had not entered the Admin name, would the MacBook have started with the "select language," etc. when the new owner turned it on?

Thanks in advance for your help.

MacBook (13-inch Late 2007), Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Aug 27, 2015 9:17 AM

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Answer 1

Limnos

Level 10

411,217 points

Aug 27, 2015 9:24 AM in response to tmbrowng

Apple: What to do before selling or giving away your Mac - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5189 or http://support.apple.com/kb/HT201065

How to Prepare your Mac for sale - http://www.thesafemac.com/how-to-prepare-your-mac-for-sale/

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5655535

I don't know if you have to do it this way with newer computers but with older ones to create a different name you had to set up a new account with the new name (with admin status) and delete the old one.

Running Mac OS X Setup Assistant again - http://superpixel.ch/articles/running-setup-assistant-again/

How to Re-Run the OS X Setup Assistant - Feb. 2014 http://www.theinstructional.com/guides/how-to-re-run-the-os-x-setup-assistant

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Answer 2

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Aug 27, 2015 9:27 AM in response to tmbrowng

You should not have created an account at all, quit the setup at that point and the new owner can add his own account. It is not a simple process to change the name, easier to get rid of the account and create a new one (before is easier than after an account is created)

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Answer 3

tmbrowng Author

Level 1

81 points

Aug 27, 2015 10:16 AM in response to Limnos

Limnos, the link to the superpixel file does not work, get a 404 error.

The guide for re-running Setup Assistant was promising...until it told me there was no file named .AppleSetupDone

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Answer 4

tmbrowng Author

Level 1

81 points

Aug 27, 2015 10:18 AM in response to Csound1

Csound1, are you saying that the new owner should set up a new account, which will trigger the setup for him?

Or are you saying I should wipe the HD again, reinstall the 10.7.5 OS and then shut down before I am asked any questions?

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Answer 5

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Aug 27, 2015 12:29 PM in response to tmbrowng

If you are selling a 2007 Macbook, erase the HDD and have the owner install the original OSX, Leopard, using the original installation disks. Then the new owner will have his own ID associated with the Macbook.

Ciao.

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Answer 6

tmbrowng Author

Level 1

81 points

Aug 28, 2015 12:30 PM in response to Limnos

Miracle of miracles! Evidently Terminal was telling me that the .AppleSetupDone file did not exist because it had been successfully removed!!! The MacBook was off all night and when I turned it on this afternoon VOILA!!! It asked me for my Country!!!

Thanks, everyone, for your help! 🙂

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