Used Mac with profile installed!!?

[Gix1k]

Disk utility wipe and OS reinstall does not remove it. Am I screwed?

 

[DeltaMac]

Can you describe more about what you mean by "profile", and what effect that has for you?
If it is part of a firmware lock, that would prevent booting to another partition, and would effectively prevent you from erasing and installing macOS (because you would be prevented from booting to any other drive)
Are you doing that "Disk Utility wipe and OS reinstall" while booted from an external drive, or a USB flash drive?

 

[Gix1k]

Can you describe more about what you mean by "profile", and what effect that has for you?
If it is part of a firmware lock, that would prevent booting to another partition, and would effectively prevent you from erasing and installing macOS (because you would be prevented from booting to any other drive)
Are you doing that "Disk Utility wipe and OS reinstall" while booted from an external drive, or a USB flash drive?

When I do the reinstall of Mojave, it comes up and says it can be remote managed by &&&& company. I go into preferences and there’s a MDM profile I cannot remove.

 

[chscag]

The machine is locked to a company or business profile. You need to contact the previous owners (company or business) and ask them to remove the profile. It acts the same way as a firmware lock.

 

[Gix1k]

The machine is locked to a company or business profile. You need to contact the previous owners (company or business) and ask them to remove the profile. It acts the same way as a firmware lock.

So I’m screwed then basically. DAMMIT!!!

 

[greenmeanie]

Possibly stolen it is worth the call.

 

[Audit13]

The unit may not be stolen at all. I have read stories where companies will purchase corporate computers at the end of the equipment lease and resell them. It's possible that the reseller forgot to remove the MDM software.

 

[hallux]

The unit may not be stolen at all. I have read stories where companies will purchase corporate computers at the end of the equipment lease and resell them. It's possible that the reseller forgot to remove the MDM software.

Actually, it's on the original owner to remove the serial number from Apple's DEP registration for them. It's a check through the network just as can be done with iOS devices, similar to the iCloud Activation Lock except that it can be pre-enrolled so the profile installs at the first boot up.

 

[TriBruin]

If you are getting the Remote Management screen, then the device is still enrolled both in the customer DEP account with Apple and assigned a profile in their MDM server. As far as Apple is concerned, this is still the legal property of the company that purchased it originally.

Either (a) the company did not properly remove the device from their DEP portal when they disposed of it or (b) the device has been stolen from the company. I would suggest you discuss this with whomever you purchased it from or the police.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"So I’m screwed then basically. DAMMIT!!!"

Well, if you can't get the previous owner (or company) to remove whatever "protection" has been previously installed on the MBP... then you are. Might as well put it into the closet and forget about it.

One reason why I won't buy a "used" Mac from anyone... (except Apple refurbished)