User profile for user: DavidThorp
DavidThorp Author
User level: Level 1
10 points

Unable to delete user account

I just had the same, well not quite the same but very similar problem to this:


Unable to delete user account


... on my 2017 12" MacBook.


I'm currently unable to delete an user account on High Sierra.

The minus button is greyed out in the User and Groups panel.

Trying to remove from the terminal gives me this permission error:


sudo /usr/bin/dscl . -delete "/Users/tmp"

<main> delete status: eDSPermissionError

<dscl_cmd> DS Error: -14120 (eDSPermissionError)

Any idea ?


My issue differed in this way:


Logged in as root user, the minus button was greyed out. But...


Logged in as my main admin account the minus button is not greyed out, but pressing pops down a sheet asking me for the password of the user I'm trying to delete. Entering the correct password made it shake as if it's the wrong password.


I tried resetting the password (using the Reset Password button in the panel for that user I'm trying to delete) and then tried to delete again (using the new password of course), but it still failed.

MacBook (Retina,12-inch,2017), macOS High Sierra (10.13.6), base model m3, 8/256

Posted on Sep 8, 2018 2:46 PM

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User profile for user: DavidThorp
DavidThorp Author
User level: Level 1
10 points

Posted on Sep 8, 2018 2:52 PM

I called Apple Support. We tried a few things. The thing that worked is:


  • Boot into the recovery partition.
  • Choose Terminal from the Utilities menu --> Terminal should appear.
  • Enter: resetpassword at the prompt and hit return --> a new window/app should appear behind the Terminal window called "Reset Password"
  • Go through the steps to reset the password for the account you're trying to delete.
  • Restart the Mac and log back in as your main admin account.
  • Go to Users & Groups System Preferences pane, select the account you're trying to delete and hit the minus button.


That then worked for me.


A bit of googling before I called Apple Support told me that this problem is not uncommon in High Sierra. So, I hope this helps someone else!

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User profile for user: DavidThorp
DavidThorp Author
User level: Level 1
10 points

Sep 8, 2018 2:52 PM in response to DavidThorp

I called Apple Support. We tried a few things. The thing that worked is:


  • Boot into the recovery partition.
  • Choose Terminal from the Utilities menu --> Terminal should appear.
  • Enter: resetpassword at the prompt and hit return --> a new window/app should appear behind the Terminal window called "Reset Password"
  • Go through the steps to reset the password for the account you're trying to delete.
  • Restart the Mac and log back in as your main admin account.
  • Go to Users & Groups System Preferences pane, select the account you're trying to delete and hit the minus button.


That then worked for me.


A bit of googling before I called Apple Support told me that this problem is not uncommon in High Sierra. So, I hope this helps someone else!

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Unable to delete user account

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