well it works if you are the first iCloud user
Okay, the trick works if you are the first iCloud user. But if you are the second one to set up an iCloud account, this won't work. For instance, I have a macbook that a friend bought second hand. For three weeks, it worked perfectly. Then she set up an iCloud account and upon reboot, it locked. When I mount the HD using TransMac on my PC, I can see her iCloud account name and her 123456789.lock (not real numbers). Opening up her contact @me file in the same directory verifies that this is her lock key, not the original owners.
But I've tried every permutation and can't get it to unlock. Upon using a brute force (punching in about 3000 combinations), I got it to unlock. Two reboots later, it's locked again.
Clearly the original owner is locking this with Where's my mac. And my friend bought a stolen laptop.
And I'm washing my hands of it.
Good luck all.
Okay, the trick works if you are the first iCloud user. But if you are the second one to set up an iCloud account, this won't work. For instance, I have a macbook that a friend bought second hand. For three weeks, it worked perfectly. Then she set up an iCloud account and upon reboot, it locked. When I mount the HD using TransMac on my PC, I can see her iCloud account name and her 123456789.lock (not real numbers). Opening up her contact @me file in the same directory verifies that this is her lock key, not the original owners.
But I've tried every permutation and can't get it to unlock. Upon using a brute force (punching in about 3000 combinations), I got it to unlock. Two reboots later, it's locked again.
Clearly the original owner is locking this with Where's my mac. And my friend bought a stolen laptop.
And I'm washing my hands of it.
Good luck all.