Previous owner's user name just won't die!

[KBoy]

Hi guys:
Bought a macbook Pro from a friend, went into system preferences and deleted her user profile and added mine as admin. Just checked the hard drive today and her name is still associated with the main user profile. Tried to change the folder name but not allowed. Clicked on "info" and when the info ribbon popped up, was not allowed to delete her name and replace it with mine. Is there a way to do this?

 

[chscag]

Yes, there is a way. Erase the drive and install your own copy of OS X and applications. And set up your own Apple ID on it. Since you've given us no other info about the MacBook Pro or what version of OS X it's running that's the best advice for now.

 

[pm-r]

Or just like was posed earlier today:

Check out this article - ideally the previous owner would have done this for you, but you can go ahead and reset the Mac yourself:

http://www.imore.com/how-reset-your-mac-prepare-it-sale

http://www.mac-forums.com/apple-notebooks/333698-reset-macbookpro-factory-settings.html

 

[KBoy]

chscag:
Thanks for the suggestion and I did consider wiping the drive, except I was hoping there was a way to do it without reformatting the drive.
Apropos the machine, its a 2011 vintage 15" Macbook Pro running OS X El Capitan version 10.11.2.
Kboy

 

[pm-r]

Re-reading the original post, I can't see why and have never encountered any problems setting up a new admin user and then deleting the old username accounts completely.

And I don't think things changed in Yosemite or later either…

Maybe something missing in the description and the problem…???




- Patrick
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[yogi]

Patrick, you are right. Essentially the steps would be

1. Create a new user with admin privileges
2. Remove the admin privileges of the user you want to delete
3. Remove the user completely from System Preferences

This should take care of it. I suppose the OP didn't assume the original Admin user could be removed.

 

[chscag]

The problem with setting up a new account does not eliminate the problems he's going to have with the Apple ID associated with that machine. Nor is it going to legalize any registered software that was purchased by the previous owner and remains on the machine. Which is why our advice is to do a clean install when purchasing a used Mac or for that matter a PC.

 

[pm-r]

Hmmm… Not too much trouble with old user Apple IDs being associated with the Mac as it already works well for multi-use users on the same and multiple Macs.

But I will admit that there's a lot to third party stuff as well as some of Apple's stuff that can get in the way or if one needs a pristine Mac.

Apple gives some good suggestions, with some extras that should be attended to like; deselect the Find My Mac, Sign out of iCloud, iTunes de-authorization stuff probably, etc. :
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT201065

Also, it seems there's something amiss with the OP's permissions and especially if they can't be changed as an admin user.