Setting up my mail account on my Macbook

Question

Setting up my mail account on my Macbook

I am a new Mac user and purchased a used MacBook with OSX El Capitan version 10.11.6 and I changed the Computer name and setup my mail and it worked fine, then I added another account and it would not work then I restarted it and now my mail account has disappeared and when I try to add a new account I enter my e-mail and password and the next screen asks what apps I want to use with this account the options are Mail and Notes I checked both and clicked on Done and it does not continue, Please tell me what to do!!

MacBook, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on Sep 15, 2016 7:46 PM

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Answer 1

sberman

Level 10

273,366 points

Sep 15, 2016 10:00 PM in response to irvenfrommeeker

Did the previous owner complete these steps?

What to do before selling or giving away your Mac - Apple Support

Be certain you have at least performed step 5. if you have any doubts. That way you can guarantee you are staring with a "like new" Mac - at least software-wise.

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Answer 2

Sep 16, 2016 7:39 AM in response to sberman

Thank you for your reply,

I do not think that the person that I purchased it from did this as he left the Microsoft office program on it for me to use

Like I said I am new to Mac and want to change from Microsoft, I want to learn as much as I can to operate it correctly and I appreciate any help you can give me, the other problem I have is when I changed the name of the computer and tried to lock the changes after restart the lock would not lock

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Answer 3

sberman

Level 10

273,366 points

Sep 16, 2016 1:05 PM in response to irvenfrommeeker

Many of us, including myself, have migrated to the Apple world from Windows.

I strongly recommend a book: "Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual [El Capitan Edition, or, if and when it becomes available, Sierra Edition] by David Pogue. As you convert to the Mac, you can change completely; e.g., give up Microsoft Office for Apple's iWork applications (Pages, Numbers, Keynote).

Again, regarding your computer name issue, be certain you do at least step 5 in the article I attached above.

(I have no financial interest in David Pogue's book. I used it myself when I made the switch and highly recommend it.)

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Answer 4

Sep 16, 2016 2:03 PM in response to sberman

Thank you for the info but when I try to restore the operating system at startup I hold the Option - Command - R until the apple logo appears then I release them and it loads to the sign in screen and I do not get to the OS X Utility screen, What am I doing wrong??

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Answer 5

sberman

Level 10

273,366 points

Sep 16, 2016 2:19 PM in response to irvenfrommeeker

Try OS X Recovery as described here:

About OS X Recovery - Apple Support

This is somewhat different from OS X Internet Recovery.

Get there by holding Command-R (no "Option" key) when starting.

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Answer 6

Sep 16, 2016 2:37 PM in response to sberman

I get the same result, it opens up the log in screen, I tried it 4 times and cannot connect to the OS X utility screen

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