Was this clean install? Worry about potential baddies.

[Tendrend]

I had issue with update and in the end, had to send my Mac to technician who installed entire operation system back.
When it came back, it was like first time - assign location in world, pick password, enter username etc.

Does this mean it was clean install? Problem is, friend of mine managed to give me fear about someone else tinkering with my Mac and inserting trojans. While I know the likelyhood of technician ever doing this is near zero, the tiniest chance still makes me nervous.

So according to this description, was my Mac clean installed and so it was impossible to insert anything bad in there before I brought it home and put new password and personal details in?

 

[Floris]

Since it's a fresh install that you yourself didn't do. You can decide to not trust anybody and do another one yourself. And restore your data from a backup. That way you know with a bit more certainty that you have a system they didn't install a rootkit on.

 

[Tendrend]

Since it's a fresh install that you yourself didn't do. You can decide to not trust anybody and do another one yourself. And restore your data from a backup. That way you know with a bit more certainty that you have a system they didn't install a rootkit on.

The problem is that I will never dare to do clean install again myself. I tried last time and managed to make matters even worse than they were...

 

[Floris]

Then just trust that the company you got this done for you isn't in the business of screwing customers over by installing malicious stuff. And that the admin account you create is indeed in control of the system.

It seems like you are just fine.

A clean install really shouldn't be a pain in the behind though. Insert usb stick, disk, or over the network install .. and a few reboots later you're at the same screen as you are now.

 

[Tendrend]

Then just trust that the company you got this done for you isn't in the business of screwing customers over by installing malicious stuff. And that the admin account you create is indeed in control of the system.

It seems like you are just fine.

So overall the description I gave, opening Mac, it asks for language, new password, region - that looks like so beginning that installing **** in there beforehand would be rather hard?

A clean install really shouldn't be a pain in the behind though. Insert usb stick, disk, or over the network install .. and a few reboots later you're at the same screen as you are now.

Maybe I have bad luck with tech, Windows computers also keep dying in my hands.
You have to erase the old HD first, right? I tried to start with that, sounded so simple on paper. But suddenly there was no screen, everything black and technician said OP system itself had disappeared somewhere... I have no idea what happened and that gave me fear to never try again.

 

[Weaselboy]

So overall the description I gave, opening Mac, it asks for language, new password, region - that looks like so beginning that installing **** in there beforehand would be rather hard?

One could install the OS, then make an account and monkey around and do bad things, then follow this process to make the new system setup process run at restart like you described. So yes, it is possible. I guess you have to decide if you distrust the technician so much you want to do the clean install all over yourself.