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Please help I sold my macbook new owners say password not working

patricem

patricem

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 18, 2005
492
202
I had a 17in 2.16 ghz macbook pro that was running, I think Tiger. I bought it and the former owner changed the password right there. I updated the software, then I upgraded to Snow Leopard, then I downloaded rosetta. Thats all I did on it, using the password the previous owner gave me. Now the new owners say that password is not correct. They are getting very frustrated. Any ideas or tips what may have happened, or what I may do??

Thanks
 
I didn't have any original discs that went with that computer.
 
They shouldn't be hard to find, eBay, Craigslist... Should be around $29

Make sure they buy the generic version.

How did you manage to update it to SL without the disks?
 
I update to SL with the discs. I mean when I sold the computer I didn't reset everything like back to Tiger or whatever was originally running. The new owners are very upset and frustrated and want to know what they can do right now tonight. Should they remove rosetta and snow leopard and then the original password will work? Why isn't it working anyway?
 
You need to give them the Snow Leopard disks and probably reinstall(from scratch) the operating system. Unless you've done a format and reinstall, you're going to run into problems like this.
 
But why ? The admin password worked for me. Does SL change that or what?
 
You guys come on it's not stolen. I bought it from it's original owner, and now I just sold it. I don't understand why when I updated it the password worked fine, and now suddenly after it's running SL it's not working. The people just bought it yesterday so I doubt they put in a new password overnight and now have forgotten what it was. Apparently it can be reset with the SL disc, is what I am gathering from the responses here, so I guess I'll tell them sorry but thats what they need to do. Personally I feel bad selling something to someone and it doesn't work as they hoped.....I thought someone here might know how they could figure it out right away. So whatever
 
patricem said:
You guys come on it's not stolen. I bought it from it's original owner, and now I just sold it. I don't understand why when I updated it the password worked fine, and now suddenly after it's running SL it's not working. The people just bought it yesterday so I doubt they put in a new password overnight and now have forgotten what it was. Apparently it can be reset with the SL disc, is what I am gathering from the responses here, so I guess I'll tell them sorry but thats what they need to do. Personally I feel bad selling something to someone and it doesn't work as they hoped.....I thought someone here might know how they could figure it out right away. So whatever
Click to expand...

Basically what we're telling you is that if indeed the system has a password on it no one knows, only way you're going to make use of the computer is to boot it to an OS install and wipe and re-install.

I think what a lot of people find odd is that you didn't do that before you sold it so as to make sure there was no chance of any of your data on it. The SL upgrade wouldn't have reset the password.
 
patricem said:
You guys come on it's not stolen. I bought it from it's original owner, and now I just sold it. I don't understand why when I updated it the password worked fine, and now suddenly after it's running SL it's not working. The people just bought it yesterday so I doubt they put in a new password overnight and now have forgotten what it was. Apparently it can be reset with the SL disc, is what I am gathering from the responses here, so I guess I'll tell them sorry but thats what they need to do. Personally I feel bad selling something to someone and it doesn't work as they hoped.....I thought someone here might know how they could figure it out right away. So whatever
Click to expand...
Just give then the CDS ,Thats it!!
 
I thought the only way to do a clean OS to delete all my info was to do it with the original discs that went with that laptop. I didn't realize I could do it with the SL discs. I thought about that but then a lot of the programs on there wouldn't work, although I could have then reloaded Rosetta. I had it for a very short time and barely used it, like maybe 5 times, so I didn't have much private info on it....no bank accounts, no bookmarks, almost nothing. So I wasn't too worried about any pertinent data being passed. Perhaps I changed the password when I upgraded to SL and don't remember? I don't know. I thought I did know the password. If I reload SL for them then I can reset the password, or they can? This is what I am reading. Thx
 
How many times does it need to be said? there is only one solution here. Do what has been suggested countless times, or you're SOL. It's as if you refuse to accept the answer everyone has given you.
 
Did you by chance "make the sale" with programs already on there? As in your ad stated it came with Office etc..... And that is why you didn't do a clean install? If so and your want to be proper about it, offer them a partial refund.
 
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