the password for this mac can no longer be used to remove activation lock

Which user(s) can activate erased Mac with their device password after Mark As Lost?

apple.stackexchange.com › questions › 439247 › which-users-can-activate-erased-mac-with-their-device-password-after-mark-as-l

From Apple Platform Security, it looks like only the userC (non-admin, its own AppleID connected, FindMy enabled) can unlock the Mac, assuming that his device password is a replacement for iCloud credentials:

If the device is Activation Locked, recoveryOS prompts the user for iCloud credentials of the user that enabled Activation Lock at this time.

BUT it is not said explicitly, so I may be wrong--so I welcome input from you guys.

One more thought: it looks like Macs report user's (encrypted) device password to Apple servers for accounts connected to AppleID. One of such examples is when you are asked on one device to provide that user's local password on other device, as a extra mile to ensure that AppleID is used by the same person across devices.

This gives one more reason to think that the password should work only for accounts having AppleID associated with them. And together with "recoveryOS prompts the user for iCloud credentials of the user that enabled Activation Lock at this time", it suggests that only the account with activated FindMy should be able to activate with device password.

Still, it's very indirect evidence.

Answer from yurkennis on Stack Exchange

Apple Support

support.apple.com › en-us › 102541

Activation Lock for Mac - Apple Support

Activation Lock helps keep your Mac secure, even if your Mac is lost or stolen, and can improve your chances of recovering it. With Activation Lock, your Apple Account password or device passcode is required before anyone can turn off Find My, erase your Mac, or reactivate and use your Mac.

reddit.com › r/mac › mac activation lock

r/mac on Reddit: Mac Activation Lock

October 13, 2023 -

Hi All,

I bought a MacBook pro 2019 in 2021 off of eBay. I signed in when I got it and activated 'Find My'.

I have now come to sell it as I have upgraded to the M2 Pro version.

I signed out of my iCloud and Find My a week ago in preparation to erase and rest the mac for sale ready for listing on eBay. Today, a week later. After I went to settings, general, reset, erase all content and settings and followed the instructions I was shocked to see that the Mac was activation locked to an apple account I had not seen before '[email protected]'.

I tried typing in the password that I had just used to login before the reset via 'Used Device Password' and got 'The operation couldn't be completed. Activation Lock could not be removed because the activation server cannot be reached. Try again in a few minutes. If this problem persists, contact Apple Support at apple.com/uk/support.' So I waited for a few minutes then typed in the password again. Then I got this message, 'The operation couldn't be completed. The password for this Mac can no longer be used to remove Activation Lock. The password was entered incorrectly too many times.' At no point was I warned that this could happen.

Then I got this code after a restart, 'support.apple.com/mac/startup -2003F'

I then contacted apple to find a solution. They said that the original owner of the laptop's iCloud was locked to the device. But I don't know how this would be possible as I had just been logged in with my apple ID and my Find My one a week ago. And I had no problem setting up my apple id and find my in 2021.

On the call with the apple rep they said I should go to the top of the screen then 'erase mac' which I did, then select Command R and re-install mac os. They then ended the call when it went to 'internet recovery mode' 10 minutes, as they didn't want to wait around. After which there was no option to re-install mac os. I am now stuck in a loop. Every time I login it asks me to connect to Wi-Fi with a spinning globe with no other options. After connecting to wifi, it brings me to the 'activation lock' screen. With that unknown apple ID.

My mac, in this state is currently worthless. I don't know what to do. Please can anybody help?

Thank you in advance for any replies.

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tokyodev.com › articles › not-setting-up-find-my-bricked-my-macbook

Not setting up Find My bricked my MacBook | TokyoDev

October 13, 2023 - If those attempts are exhausted, access to the disk should be unrecoverable, but it should be possible to wipe the MacBook by starting it in recovery mode. I tried doing this, but when doing so, I’m prompted to disable the Activation Lock. This is the expected behavior if Find My had been activated, but not if it wasn’t. The stranger could have tried to brute force my password.

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FileVault enabled during initial MacOS setup; encryption key not associated with any AppleID. Password reset using AppleID is disabled for all users. ... Activation Lock Issue on Apple Silicon Device After MDM Profile Removal Hello Mac Community, I hope you're all doing well.

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developer.apple.com › forums › thread › 704331

Which user(s) can activate erased Mac with their device ...

From Apple Platform Security, it looks like only the userC (non-admin, its own AppleID connected, FindMy enabled) can unlock the Mac, assuming that his device password is a replacement for iCloud credentials: If the device is Activation Locked, recoveryOS prompts the user for iCloud credentials of the user that enabled Activation Lock at this time.

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reddit.com › r/sysadmin › apple id even after erasing mac

r/sysadmin on Reddit: Apple ID even after Erasing Mac

March 13, 2023 -

So i’m working as IT support and in this new company i’ve never had experience to troubleshoot Mac, fuck, i’ve never seen in my country that someone using Mac.

So, its not that hard to be Mac administrator but here is a problem that i saw first time today. I had to wipe one laptop and to install a new MacOS and for some reason even after wiping and cleaning HD they are still asking me to put Apple ID which is weird because i don’t have it ( guy left company ) and even after erasing Mac it’s still asking me to put apple ID.

My HR department sent him e-mail but i doubt he will tell us his password so my question is what should i do next ? If i try to reinstall MacOS from USB stick, will i still have same problem ?

Top answer

1 of 5

137

This is not weird, this is a security feature. Wiping a mac that is logged into icloud will always immediately prompt for that password. Two ways around it: have the user remove the device from their account or contact Apple - you will need to provide proof of ownership/purchase and they will unlock for you.

2 of 5

The previous user needs to remove the Mac from his AppleID. No idea why anyone was using a private appleID on a company Mac.

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support.apple.com › en-us › 108934

How to remove Activation Lock - Apple Support

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boingboing.net › home › terrifying tale of an airport mix-up that turned a macbook into a paperweight

Terrifying tale of an airport mix-up that turned a MacBook into a paperweight - Boing Boing

October 13, 2023 - But when Paul got it back, there ... responded with, "The operation couldn't be completed. The password for this Mac can no longer be used to remove Activation Lock....

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April 24, 2023 - When trying to bypass the activation lock using the bypass code given in the Hexnode UEM portal, the error “The operation couldn’t be completed. Your Apple ID or password is incorrect” arises. In such cases, the activation code can be bypassed without the bypass code, but the device will have to be removed from iCloud: Go to www.iCloud.com/find and sign in. Click All Devices and select the device that has to be removed from iCloud. Click Erase iPhone/Erase Mac.

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February 24, 2025 - Once you’ve chosen to erase a ... To complete removing Activation Lock, return to a Find My app or iCloud.com and remove the device from your Apple ID-associated hardware:...