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factory reset new macbook air

B

bevo

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 19, 2002
240
12
Hey

First time setting up a new mac for a child. Dragged away in the middle and then dealing with screaming kids (i.e. distracted).

Forgot the admin password I set earlier in the night to setup. Then could not get her icloud account setup because she forgot her password and could not reset the password.

So I am stuck on what I can do. I tried to do a factory reset/reinstall in the boot menu but it asked for her admin password during the install process.. for which I didn't know.

Any ideas?
 
Sounds like it's activation locked. You're pretty much out of luck unless you can get the Apple Account password reset, or contact Apple with proof of purchase and they can remove it for you. There's no other way around it.

Activation Lock - Support

al-support.apple.com al-support.apple.com
 
bevo said:
Hey

First time setting up a new mac for a child. Dragged away in the middle and then dealing with screaming kids (i.e. distracted).

Forgot the admin password I set earlier in the night to setup. Then could not get her icloud account setup because she forgot her password and could not reset the password.

So I am stuck on what I can do. I tried to do a factory reset/reinstall in the boot menu but it asked for her admin password during the install process.. for which I didn't know.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Take a pic of the screen where it gets stuck please.
 
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Reactions: MacBH928
If it's the Mac password, you should be able to erase the Mac without knowing that.

If it's the Apple Account password, that's likely Activation Lock and you'll need to know it (or reset it).

Post a picture of the screen, and the exact model/year & I'm sure we can provide more specific advice.
 
If you can't reseet it yourself, time for an appt. at the nearest Apple Store genius bar.
But... you'd better have some kind of receipt -- or they may not be willing to help you.

And next time... have paper and pencil nearby, and WRITE DOWN those usernames/passwords BEFORE you enter them on the Mac...
 
Fishrrman said:
If you can't reseet it yourself, time for an appt. at the nearest Apple Store genius bar.
But... you'd better have some kind of receipt -- or they may not be willing to help you.

And next time... have paper and pencil nearby, and WRITE DOWN those usernames/passwords BEFORE you enter them on the Mac...
Click to expand...

you can't factory reset a mac if you forgot the password?
this is a joke
 
This is the official Apple Support document for your case.

If you forgot your Mac login password - Apple Support

If you can’t log in to your Mac user account, try these solutions.
support.apple.com support.apple.com

If you haven't entered your daughter's AppleAccount PW yet, the Mac is not (yet) locked to that account and can easily be factory reset.
If you follow the steps in this document, you can also factory reset the Mac without knowing the Admin PW. (You will lose all data on that Mac, but since it's new that should not be a problem?)

No need for AppleStore or Genius Bar.
 
MacBH cried out:
"you can't factory reset a mac if you forgot the password?
this is a joke"

No joke.
If I'm not mistaken, one cannot invoke the "erase all content and settings" function without an administrative password.

It sounds to me like the OP got "far enough through" the original setup process so that the "hello, choose your language" setup assistant won't run anymore.

So... an administrative account has been established, but it isn't accessible because the password to it is forgotten.

To "wipe it clean" (again, using "erase all content and settings")... no password... doesn't work.

Looks to me like the only way to deal with this is to take it to an Apple Store and have them reset it.
BUT... they won't do this without proof of purchase, so the OP is going to need that.

I'm wondering if this Mac could be revived using Apple Configurator while connected to another Mac?

I welcome correction from others.

(no word from OP after a week, she appears to have posted and never come back)
 
MacBH928 said:
you can't factory reset a mac if you forgot the password?
this is a joke
Click to expand...

Yes, you can factory reset a Mac if you've forgotten the password. If Activation Lock is on, you can still wipe the machine from recovery, but you can't activate it after it restarts to reinstall macOS.

If FileVault is enabled, you can still wipe the machine from recovery (without needing a password to unlock the volume).

If the machine is locked via MDM, you can't do anything to the machine at all because as soon as you turn it on, it needs a 6-digit code to unlock it.
 
raythompsontn said:
That prevents someone from stealing the Mac, and then resetting the machine and using for their own. It is a security feature. Apple can reset the account with proof of ownership.
Click to expand...

this is not a security feature, this is an annoyance feature. If the device is stolen, then its stolen you cant do anything about it. but if they device is with me, they won't allow me to reset it.
 
MacBH928 said:
this is not a security feature, this is an annoyance feature.
Click to expand...
The desire to steal something, that becomes useless, is much less than stealing a device that can be reset and used. It is certainly true you will most likely not get the device back, but the cretin that stole the device. Apple's Find Me might help recover the device. If the device is reset, then that feature is no longer valid.

Apple will allow the device to be reset. A person goes to an Apple Store, with proof of purchase, and a valid identification, and the the device can be reset by Apple. If the device was purchased at Apple, then Apple has the proof of purchase and the buyer's name.
 
OP:

Still reading?
If so, what was your resolution?

If you haven't done anything yet... again... if you bought this new, and if you have a receipt (if you bought it directly from Apple, there ought to be some kind of printable receipt from online) -- and if you have an Apple Store nearby -- take it to them, they'll get it working again. That's what the warrranty is for...
 
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