Used g5, erased hard drive still has the previous owner user account

I bought a used g5 and also got the original install disks. I used disk utility and erased the empty space. However when I inserted the install disk it says it will restart but it first wants the password. The previous owner cannot remember his password in the user accounts. When I try to re-install the OS it asks for the password first. How can I write over the user account or completely initialize the disk or do you have to have the password for that?

The previous owner has apparently implemented an Open Firmware Password without which you cannot boot the computer nor start it up from a CD/DVD installer. The previous owner needs to provide you that password. The OF Password is not the same as the user account password. Surely the previous owner could not forget the OF Password or he/she could never use the computer.
How were you able to "use Disk Utility" if you could not boot the computer?

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I would like to know if you have to back up a macbook hard drive, can I use a external hard drive that has been previously used to back up several pc 's, or is it best to have a separate external drive for the Mac?

I would like to know if you have to back up a macbook hard drive, can I use a external hard drive that has been previously used to back up several pc 's, or is it best to have a separate external drive for the Mac?

In the Mac side of things, backups usually come in two flavors: clones or incrementals.
A bootable clone is a bit-for-bit copy of all essential files in the startup volume. If using the Lions, clones can be made using CarbonCopyCloner or just plain old Disk Utility. These backups represent the safest protection of your info, but take the longest to do. Recovery is an inverse process: you copy the clone back into the internal drive.
Incremental backups start with a complete backup of the startup volume and only copy whatever changed from the previous run. OS X includes the fully integrated Time Machine backup utility to do this. It is extremely easy to do and takes the least amount of time. Recovery is another matter altogether since you have to start with a freshly installed instance of the OS and have to apply all intervening backups to bring the result to the latest saved version.
As for where the backup takes place, the recommended media is an external dedicated drive or drives connected via the fastest interface available on your Mac: Thunderbolt, USB3, Firewire, or USB2. Network-based backups, wired or wireless, are attractive but may not offer the same performance and hence take longer. Also important to note that the entire drive need not be completely dedicated to a single backup. The Mac's EFI firmware infrastructure allows for an unlimited number of partitions on a hard drive and each can be used for either type of backups.
Holler if you need specifics on how to do each. This was just an executive summary.

HT201441 i bought an iphone4 with the previous owners apple account id and no way to contact them

i want to reset this phone to factory settings but it has the previous owners apple account id
password that of course i dont know and i have no way to contact them i bought this phone at a flea market the past weekend .Can i do this myself or do i take it to a apple store?

I'm afraid that if the previous owner has locked the phone, only he can unlock it, either by giving you the ID and password or by removing it from his list of devices (which he should have done before selling it on).
As you cannot contact him, you will be unable to use the phone. There is no way round this - taking to Apple won't help. Your only option is to take it back to where you bought it and try to get them to refund your money, as they have sold you a useless device.

TS1338 I have 4 Trojan Horse viruses on my external drive I use for Time Machine. My MacBook Pro hard drive is clean. I have eased the external drive 3 times using Disk Utility and it still has the 4 Trojan Horse viruses. How do I get rid of them. Wayne

I have 4 Trojan Horse viruses on my external drive I use for Time Machine. My MacBook Pro hard drive is clean. I have eased the external drive 3 times using Disk Utility and it still has the 4 Trojan Horse viruses. How do I get rid of them. I am using 10.8.3 Wayne

ksu62 wrote:
The infection names are: classload.jar-719ef6a5.zip
                                          classload.jar-5db452le31.zip
                                          ar3.jar-6ce3b2f-45l483f.zip
                                          classload.jar-lef99412-63bsd3fl.zip
Those look alot like file names and not infection names. I don't find any reference to anything like that on Norton or VirusTotal. Since you said these were Trojans, I would expect to see "Trojan" as part of the infection name.
".jar" files are executable Java applets. The random alpha-numerics would seem to indicate a cache file, likely from a browser with Java enabled. And we all know what ".zip" means.
Worst case is that you had Java enabled in a browser and were infected by one of the late variants of the Flashback Trojan over a year ago or one of a couple of other attacks using the same vulnerability but targetted against a small number of political sympathizers. Much more probable is that thes were Windows only Trojans. Hopefully you have a fully up-to-date OS X, including Java, and have disabled Java in all your browsers by now.

I just ordered a macbook air today and need to know if the 128gb SSD is enough space. I presently have a macbook pro and am using only 30gb hard drive space so, the apple rep said 128 is enough as I do not load much pictures or gaming etc. Also is i5 ok.

I just ordered a macbook air today and need to know if the 128gb SSD is enough space. I presently have a macbook pro and am using only 30gb hard drive space so, the apple rep said 128 is enough as I do not load much pictures or gaming etc. Also is i5 ok.

Id choose the I5 yes, depends on what your usage is going to be,
....your question about "128 gig being enough" begs the question for IDEALIZED USE of your macbook AIr
In the case of a Macbook Air with ‘limited’ storage on the SSD, this distinction becomes more important in that in an ever rapidly increasing file-size world, you keep vital large media files, pics, video, PDF collections, music off your SSD and archived on external storage, for sake of the necessary room for your system to have free space to operate, store future applications and general workspace. You should never be put in the position of considering “deleting things” on your macbook SSD in order to ‘make space’.
*Generally, unless you NEED the data at least once every few weeks or once a month,...it really does'nt NEED to be on the SSD of your Macbook Air.
Professionals who create and import very large amounts of data have almost no change in the available space on their computers internal HD because they are constantly archiving data to arrays of external or networked HD.
Or in the case of the consumer this means you keep folders for large imported or created data and you ritually offload and archive this data for safekeeping, not only to safeguard the data in case your macbook has a HD crash, or gets stolen, but importantly in keeping the ‘breathing room’ open for your computer to operate, expand, create files, add applications, for your APPS to create temp files, and for general operation.
Ive got more APPS than any human should have on my 128gig AIR,..(50 or so),....and 10gig of working data, important files etc etc.
Still have 82gig available....... the entire point is that someone shouldnt consider the Air a "storage device" for tons of pics, music, vids, etc.
*Never consider any computer a data storage device at any time under any circumstance, rather a data creation, sending, and manipulation device. Anyone who thinks data is safe on any computer, even copied upon multiple partitions is making a mistake that will, without fail, strike.
For needs of packing around a LOT of "big data" with your Air in its case..., get a nice 1TB HD for $70, or even a 2TB drive not much bigger.
Perfect 2TB HD, very slim, the "little giant" made by Toshiba (have several of these) $119
http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Canvio-Connect-Portable-HDTC720XK3C1/dp/B00CGUMS48 /ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1379182740&sr=1-4&keywords=2tb+toshiba
*This one is the BEST external HD available that money can buy:
$75
HGST Touro Mobile 1TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive
http://www.amazon.com/HGST-Touro-Mobile-External-HTOLMX3NA10001ABB/dp/B0062FZ2WS /ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1379185002&sr=1-1&keywords=hitachi+extern a l+hard+drive

HT201250 Time machine back up using a external hard drive connected to the Airport extreme

How can I setup a time machine back up using a external hard drive connected to the Airport extreme? Even better for time managment purposes I want to use the Eithernet Thunderbolt connection for the first back up and then through the wifi there after for daily routine Time Machine back ups.

You can attach a hard drive, but Time Machine backups to a drive at the USB port at the AirPort Extreme are not supported by Apple, so it's not possible to say what your actual results might be.
If you decide to try this, it would be wise to have a secondary backup plan in place as well.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.6/en/15139.html

Just bought a used Oct '13 MacBook Pro and I can't sign into the App Store as it still displays the old owners user ID in the login box (in fixed grey text). Any ideas of how I what I could do? Thanks.

Just bought a used Oct '13 MacBook Pro and I can't sign into the App Store as it still displays the old owners user ID in the login box (in fixed grey text). Any ideas of how I what I could do? Thanks.

The first thing you should do with a second-hand computer is to erase the internal drive and install a clean copy of OS X. How you do that depends on the model, and on whether you already own another Mac. If you're not sure of the model, enter the serial number on this page. Then find the model on this page to see what OS version was originally installed.
1. You don't own another Mac.
If the machine shipped with OS X 10.4 or 10.5, you need a boxed and shrink-wrapped retail Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) installation disc, which you can get from the Apple Store or a reputable reseller — not from eBay or anything of the kind. If the machine has less than 1 GB of memory, you'll need to add more in order to install 10.6. I suggest you install as much memory as it can take, according to the technical specifications.
If the machine shipped with OS X 10.6, you need the installation media that came with it: gray installation discs, or a USB flash drive for some MacBook Air models. If you don't have the media, order replacements from Apple. A retail disc, or the gray discs from another model, will not work.
To boot from an optical disc or a flash drive, insert it, then reboot and hold down the C key at the startup chime. Release the key when you see the gray Apple logo on the screen.
If the machine shipped with OS X 10.7 or later, you don't need media. It should boot into Internet Recovery mode when you hold down the key combination option-command-R at the startup chime. Release the keys when you see a spinning globe.
2. You do own another Mac.
If you already own another Mac that was upgraded in the App Store to the version of OS X that you want to install, and if the new Mac is compatible with it, then you can install it. Use Recovery Disk Assistant to create a bootable USB device and boot the new Mac from it by holding down the C key at the startup chime. You will need the Apple ID and password that you used to upgrade. Note that if your other Mac was never upgraded in the App Store, you can't use this method.
Once booted from the disc, the USB device, or Internet Recovery, launch Disk Utility and select the icon of the internal drive — not any of the volume icons nested beneath it. In the Partition tab, select the default options: a GUID partition table with one data volume in Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. This operation will permanently remove all existing data on the drive, which is what you should do.
After partitioning, quit Disk Utility and run the OS X Installer. When the installation is done, the system will automatically reboot into the Setup Assistant, which will prompt you to transfer the data from another Mac, its backups, or from a Windows computer. If you have any data to transfer, this is usually the best time to do it.
You should then run Software Update and install all available system updates from Apple. If you want to upgrade to a major version of OS X newer than 10.6, get it from the Mac App Store. Note that you can't keep an upgraded version that was installed by the previous owner. He or she can't legally transfer it to you, and without the Apple ID you won't be able to update it in Software Update or reinstall, if that becomes necessary. The same goes for any App Store products that the previous owner installed — you have to repurchase them.
If the previous owner "accepted" the bundled iLife applications (iPhoto, iMovie, and Garage Band) in the App Store so that he or she could update them, then they're linked to that Apple ID and you won't be able to download them without buying them. Reportedly, Apple customer service has sometimes issued redemption codes for these apps to second owners who asked.
If the previous owner didn't deauthorize the computer in the iTunes Store under his Apple ID, you wont be able to authorize it under your ID. In that case, contact iTunes Support.

HT3819 How do I change the Apple id that is listed as my home share on my apple tv? I bought a used one and it has the previous owners apple id loaded in the home share.

How do I change the Apple id that is listed as my home share on my apple tv? I bought a used one and it has the previous owners apple id loaded in the home share.

Welcome to the Apple community.
Settings > computers.

I recently bought a used iPod touch generation 5 and reset it (erased everything from it because the previous owner left a passcode on it) and I had to enter my language,wi-fi stuff, and then it said "Activate iPod" I don't know the owners info! Help?

I recently bought a used iPod touch generation 5 and reset it (erased everything from it because the previous owner left a passcode on it) and I had to enter my language,wi-fi stuff, and then it said "Activate iPod" This iPod is currently linked to an Apple ID (c*****@k*****.net). Sign in with the Apple ID that was used to set up this iPod. The man who sold it to me said he bought it from another guy and sold it to me..So, I don't know what to do! I searched it up and it said you could go to iCloud and iTunes, but It's not working for me. Please help!!

A little more information:
You are running against the Activation Lock
iCloud: Find My iPhone Activation Lock in iOS 7
If you can't get this done
Find My iPhone Activation Lock: Removing a device from a previous owner’s account
you have a thin brick. I suspect your iPod was stolen or lost. I would turn it into the police since it is worthless to you if you can't get the previous owner to remove from their account

HT1918 My ipad has the previous owners Apple id . I need to put my email and password in how can ido this

Lookin to know how to enter new appl id on my ipad the previous owners id requesting password keeps coming up. I cannot contact him

You can log out of the previous owner's account by tapping on the id in Settings > iTunes & App Stores (Settings > Store on iOS 5 or below) and you can then log in with your account. But if there is any content from the previous owner still on it then that will remain tied to their account (so only their account will be able to download updates to those apps) - you will be better off resetting back to factory defaults (Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content And Settings) and starting 'as new' with it.

How do i uninstall iphoto? it was preinstalled on my macbook pro when I bought it used and I can only update with the previous owners password.

how do i uninstall iphoto? it was preinstalled on my macbook pro when I bought it used and I can only update with the previous owners password.

Do you have the current MacOS X version 10.10.2?
Then you can simply move iPhoto from the Applications folder to the Trash,
sign into the App Store with your own AppleID
reload the "Featured" main page of the AppStore with ⌘R,
then download iPhoto with your own AppleID.
Make a backup of your iPhoto Library, before your launch the new iPhoto the first time,
If your current system is not Yosemite, you can only buy a boxed iLife 11 version of iPhoto to install it independent of the previous owner.

Still linked to the previous owner's account

i purchase and iPhone second hand still linked to the previous owner’s account and i cant get in contact with it. can you help my ?

Nope. It's a brick. If the owner of the account can't or won't remove it, and you can't return it for your money back, then turn it over to the police. It very well may be stolen.
There is no way to bypass activation lock.

I bought an iphone after restoring but i can't activate it because i don't have the previous owner iCloud account and i don't know where and how to contact him what should i do to have my phone activating

i bought and iphone but i can't activate it because i don't have the previous owner icloud account and don't know either how and where to contact him so what sould i do

Find a way to contact whoever you bought it from. If you can't do that, turn it over to the police. The phone is probably stolen. There is NO WAY past the activation lock without the credentials for the Apple ID that was used to lock it.

Help please i brought an iphone 4 from my local cash converters but it is locked to the previous owner"s account how do i log in to mine ???

i brought an iphone 4 from my local cash converters but it is locked to the previous owner"s account how do i log in to mine ???

Return it and get your money back. There is no way past the activation lock. There is a very high probability that the device is stolen.
If they won't give you your money back, turn it over to the police.

I bought over a Mac Book Pro from a friend. I can't update iPhoto and other apps as it seems like these are tagged to the previous owner's account. Pls advise.

I bought over a Mac Book Pro from a friend. I can't update iPhoto and other apps as it seems like these are tagged to the previous owner's account. It basically requires me to sign in to my fren's account which is absurb! Because iphoto comes with mac isn't it?

Contact your "friend." Have him set up the MBP for your with your own account, settings and passwords. You are not running IOS 5.1. That is for iPhone and iPad users. What OS are you running? Did he give you the OS installer disks?

Used g5, erased hard drive still has the previous owner user account

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