iCloud password on MacBook Air 13 M1 2020

[mapomme1108]

Hello,

I bought a 2020 MacBook Air 13 inch M1 and it has an iCloud password
(I don't know it and the previous owner didn't tell me)
It prevent me from reinstalling macOS

Do you know if there is a way to remove the password?

On 2014 MacBook Airs, this could be done by dumping the firmware, erasing the password in the dump and rewriting the internal program on the MacBook: is this possible on a 2020 MacBook Air 13" M1?

Thanks for your help

 

[pm-r]

I bought a 2020 MacBook Air 13 inch M1 and it has an iCloud password
(I don't know it and the previous owner didn't tell me)
It prevent me from reinstalling macOS

Do you also mean that you do not have your own admin username and login password to login and use it as if you owned it???

Cuz right now it seems like you are using something close to a borrowed doorstop computer.

Do you have an authorized Mac service store and a proper sales receipt for the computer you could take it to???

They could probably help you out if you do.




- Patrick
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[Jimmysb]

Is it asking for YOUR iCloud (Apple) password.

 

[mapomme1108]

Hello,

Thank you for your answers.

Can I use MY iCloud login and password ?
I thought I have to use the login and password of the original owner

I have the original purchase invoice, can I use it with Apple?

 

[IWT]

I’m afraid that if the previous owner has not disassociated the Mac from THEIR Apple ID, then your are stuck. It’s a security issue to deny access to the Mac or any Apple Device that has been stolen or lost.

I am NOT implying that your new Mac was stolen, only explaining why you need the owner’s Apple ID which they are most unlikely to give you, so the proper procedure is for the OWNER to sign out of their Apple ID on that Mac. That is remove the Mac from their ownership.

If the owner won’t or can’t remove this Mac from their Apple ID, you might, just might be able to convince Apple that you now own it and if lucky, they can disassociate the Mac from the original owner.

Sorry about this.

Ian

 

[Rod]

Given how easy it is to find what to do before selling/giving away a used Mac, see ; What to do before you sell, give away or trade in your Mac
and considering it's in the previous owners interest to protect their own security to follow those instructions, I can only think they were either stupid or didn't care.

If they didn't care then I would suspect the device was stolen. I assume you can access the device, does that mean you have the Admin (login password)?

 

[pm-r]

I’m afraid that if the previous owner has not disassociated the Mac from THEIR Apple ID, then your are stuck. It’s a security issue to deny access to the Mac or any Apple Device that has been stolen or lost.

To be honest here, I don't think it is clear to any members here or the OP no what the actual Users or admin status is on that Mac as regard to login passwords and Apple ID.

I also asked similar questions for the OP to answer back in my #2 post, but never saw a reply to confirm the actual situation.

I think there's may still be some misunderstanding happening and probably the best thing to do would be an to get some help from some good Apple Authorized service center tech to get things sorted out, or a call to Apple Customer Support maybe.

Sorry if I am misunderstanding the situation and problems, but it seems there are still several questions to be answered here in order to overcome the problem.




- Patrick
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[Rod]

Yes there sure are a few questions to ask. If mapomme1108 can login and if the previous owner did not log out of iMessage, FaceTime, iTunes Store, iCloud ect then mapomme1108 will have access to the previous owner's contacts, emails and Music library which seems unlikely but who knows?

So mapomme1108, when you login is there a Home Folder under another name?
What do you see when you open the Mail app?
If you open System Preferences>Users & Groups, is there an Admin user with a name that matches the person who sold you the device?

 

[mapomme1108]

Hello,
Thank you for your interest.

When the MacBook boots, it boots to the recovery mode and ask me to "Activate the Mac" in order to use it.
It shows a part of a GMail email adress and ask me to enter it fully then to enter the password.
I don't know what to do because I don't know this email adress.

I have started the MacBook on a macOS (Ventura and Big Sur) install usb key and it is the same. It does not boot the usb key, it boots to recovery mode.

If I use my Apple ID email adress, it tells me this is not the email adress it is asking for

What will happen if I erase completly the ssd? Will it still ask me to activate the MacBook?

 

[IWT]

It shows a part of a GMail email adress and ask me to enter it fully then to enter the password.
I don't know what to do because I don't know this email adress.

I'm guessing that may be the previous owner's email and password which is being asked for.

If I use my Apple ID email adress, it tells me this is not the email adress it is asking for

Same scenario, I'm thinking. The previous owner presumably had the Mac identified under his/her name, Apple ID and accompanying PW.

What will happen if I erase completly the ssd? Will it still ask me to activate the MacBook?

Difficult to say for certain; but my guess is that you won't be able to proceed any further than you can at the moment.

Although this is a very stressful & frustrating time for you; Apple takes security very seriously and if you had lost a Device or had one stolen, you'd be grateful for these measures. I kind of said all this in post #5.

Have you the means to contact the seller? He/she would only have to log in to their Apple ID online from any Device and disassociate that Mac from their Apple ID.

Ian

 

[Rod]

Okay, so you cannot login because you cannot "Activate the Mac". I think Ian has summed it up very well, these are protective measures built in to Macs and Apple products in general to prevent theft or misuse.
I can imagine circumstances where this might happen innocently, such as in case of someone selling the possessions of a deceased family member but really I would expect some reply from them, assuming they know the credentials of the original user. My son and wife have all my details in the event that something should happen to me.

Like Ian, I don't believe that changing the SSD will solve your problem, your only hope is to get the original owner's Apple ID and/or Admin Password (unlikely), get the owner or their agent to disassociate that Mac from their Apple ID remotely or ask for help from Apple.
At the very least try to get a refund.

 

[pm-r]

Like Ian, I don't believe that changing the SSD will solve your problem, your only hope is to get the original owner's Apple ID and/or Admin Password (unlikely), get the owner or their agent to disassociate that Mac from their Apple ID remotely or ask for help from Apple.

I wonder if the op is going through any of the procedures Apple recommends:

If you can't reset your Mac login password - Apple Support (CA)

If the standard steps to reset the password of your Mac user account don't succeed, try these additional steps.

support.apple.com

- Patrick
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[Rod]

Patrick, I'm not sure if the OP can get into the device without "Activating" it first.

 

[pm-r]

Patrick, I'm not sure if the OP can get into the device without "Activating" it first.

You are quite correct Rod, I guess I was having a bit of a brain fart and not thinking logically.
And I guess those extra Apple steps won't help either... ;-)




- Patrick
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