Used Macbook Pro settings question

Bought a used Macbook Pro. How do I remove the old user, and all of his settings, or change his settings to mine? I really dont want to delete all and reinstall the operating system because he left alot of nice programs on it, without the disk, and I dont want to lose them. I am new from windows, and dont have any ideas, since I want to keep the applications. Thank you

The seller should have included the original installation/ restore discs that shipped with the MacBook Pro, as well as the original discs for all the the "nice programs" included on the Mac. (Possession of the discs confers the license to you, the new owner, and if he kept them he is violating the terms of use.)
If you have those discs, you should probably do a complete erase and install of the OS, wiping the hard drive (you never know what not-so-nice programs may have been left behind) and reinstalling the system and the applications afterward. You would do this by starting up from Disc 1 of the two Mac restore discs.
If the seller did not include the discs, contact him and ask for them, as 1) you protect yourself legally and 2) you may need those discs at some point in the future if you should ever need to restore your system or perform any kind of HD repair using Apple's Disk Utility. The discs also have the Apple Hardware Test which can diagnose various hardware issues you may experience. Apple will send you replacements of those discs (for a small fee) if you call AppleCare and tell them your Mac's serial number.

Similar Messages

HT201376 just got a used macbook pro and want to restore to facory settings how do i do is

I just got a used macbook pro and want to restore to factory settings....how do i do this safely?

Click here and follow the instructions. If the computer originally shipped with Mac OS X 10.6.8 or earlier, when you reach step 5, insert its original disk, restart with the C or Option key held down, use the Disk Utility to erase the internal drive, and install a fresh OS.
(118569)

I bought a used MacBook Pro, I plan on restoring to factory settings, do I need original purchaser apple id?

So, I bought a used MacBook Pro (April 2010) today and I plan on restoring it to factory settings. I saw on a video of a factory restore that it will prompt for an apple id of the original purchaser. Now, I did find a buried thread on the subject and the answer was that I will need to purchase OSX. Not sure if this is true or there are more details than that. If this answer is correct, would the computer automatically recognize that my apple id has a purchased copy? Also, on another video I saw that discs such as the OSX and iLife are required. So in a nutshell I have no idea on how to go about this factory restore deal. This will be my first mac purchase so bear with me. If I havent been detailed enough let me know, ill try to explain better. Thanks!!

Do you have the original installation discs that came with the computer? If so you only need to boot from the disc, erase the hard drive, then install Snow Leopard.
Upgrade Paths to Snow Leopard, Lion, and/or Mountain Lion
You can upgrade to Mountain Lion from Lion or directly from Snow Leopard. Mountain Lion can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $19.99. To access the App Store you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.6 or later installed.
Upgrading to Snow Leopard
You must purchase Snow Leopard through the Apple Store: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Apple Store (U.S.). The price is $19.99 plus tax. You will be sent physical media by mail after placing your order.
After you install Snow Leopard you will have to download and install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 to update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 and give you access to the App Store. Access to the App Store enables you to download Mountain Lion if your computer meets the requirements.
     Snow Leopard General Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel processor
       2. 1GB of memory
       3. 5GB of available disk space
       4. DVD drive for installation
       5. Some features require a compatible Internet service provider;
           fees may apply.
       6. Some features require Apple’s MobileMe service; fees and
           terms apply.
Upgrading to Lion
If your computer does not meet the requirements to install Mountain Lion, it may still meet the requirements to install Lion.
You can purchase Lion by contacting Customer Service: Contacting Apple for support and service - this includes international calling numbers. The cost is $19.99 (as it was before) plus tax. It's a download. You will get an email containing a redemption code that you then use at the Mac App Store to download Lion. Save a copy of that installer to your Downloads folder because the installer deletes itself at the end of the installation.
     Lion System Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7,
           or Xeon processor
       2. 2GB of memory
       3. OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
       4. 7GB of available space
       5. Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
Upgrading to Mountain Lion
To upgrade to Mountain Lion you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion installed. Purchase and download Mountain Lion from the App Store. Sign in using your Apple ID. Mountain Lion is $19.99 plus tax. The file is quite large, over 4 GBs, so allow some time to download. It would be preferable to use Ethernet because it is nearly four times faster than wireless.
     OS X Mountain Lion - System Requirements
       Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion
         1. iMac (Mid 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 7,1 or later
         2. MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 5,1 or later
         3. MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         4. MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 2,1 or later
         5. Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         6. Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         7. Xserve (Early 2009) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
To find the model identifier open System Profiler in the Utilities folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right.
     Are my applications compatible?
         See App Compatibility Table - RoaringApps.
     For a complete How-To introduction from Apple see Upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion.

I purchased a used macbook pro and want to set it back to original factory settings

I purchased a used macbook pro and want to set it back to original setting

What to do before selling or giving away your Mac
Clean Install of Snow Leopard
     1. Boot the computer using the Snow Leopard Installer Disc or the Disc 1 that came
         with your computer. Insert the disc into the optical drive and restart the computer.
         After the chime press and hold down the "C" key. Release the key when you see
         a small spinning gear appear below the dark gray Apple logo.
     2. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue
         button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
         After DU loads select the hard drive entry from the left side list (mfgr.'s ID and drive
         size.) Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window. Set the number of
         partitions to one (1) from the Partitions drop down menu, click on Options button
         and select GUID, click on OK, then set the format type to MacOS Extended
         (Journaled, if supported), then click on the Apply button.
     3. When the formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed
         with the OS X installation and follow the directions included with the installer.
     4. When the installation has completed your computer will Restart into the Setup
         Assistant. Be sure you configure your initial admin account with the exact same
         username and password that you used on your old drive. After you finish Setup
         Assistant will complete the installation after which you will be running a fresh
         install of OS X. You can now begin the update process by opening Software
         Update and installing all recommended updates to bring your installation current.
Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.

How to mirror to tv monitor using macbook pro 2012

how to mirror to tv monitor using macbook pro 2012. The airplay is not displayed anywhere except I Tunes which only plays what is on I Tunes.

Howdy there nell a-7,
It sounds like you are not seeing the Airplay icon in the menu bar on your Mac but you do see it in iTunes. I would use these steps from the following article to help troubleshoot the issue:
iOS: Troubleshooting AirPlay and AirPlay Mirroring
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4215
Try these steps first
Verify that your iOS device's software is up to date.
Verify your Apple TV's software is up to date.
Verify that your iOS device has Wi-Fi turned on. Enable Wi-Fi on your iOS device by going to Settings > Wi-Fi.
All AirPlay-enabled devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Some Wi-Fi network configurations offer a Guest Network. On your Apple TV, go to Settings > General >Network and ensure that you're connecting to the same Wi-Fi network on your iOS device. On your iOS device, tap Setting > Wi-Fi and confirm that this matches your Apple TV.
If the AirPlay icon doesn't appear
Ensure that you have followed the steps in using AirPlay and AirPlay Mirroring.If you are still unable to see the AirPlay icon , try one of the following steps:
If trying to AirPlay, or AirPlay mirror, to your Apple TV, ensure that AirPlay is enabled on your Apple TV as well. You can enable or disable AirPlay on Apple TV in the AirPlay menu: Settings > AirPlay.
Check Internet or network connectivity on all affected devices.
Some content requires an Internet connection to authorize content playback. AirPlay capabilities may be limited if your network is not connected to the Internet.
If attempting to use AirPlay from a third-party app or a website from your Safari app on your iOS device, confirm that the app or website is AirPlay compatible (refer to the developers of the app or website for additional information).
Here is some additional information about Airplay for Mac:
About AirPlay Mirroring in OS X
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5404
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
All the best,
Sterling

Buying a Used MacBook Pro

Hey All!
I had my MacBook Pro stolen a few days ago. I am looking to buy a used MBP from a trusted friend. He, however, has not purchased an AppleCare plan for his computer. He purchased his computer 8 months ago.
My question: If I purchase a used MacBook Pro, am I still able to buy an AppleCare plan within the first year of the original purchase of the machine?
Thanks for your help!

Yes.

Used macbook pro won't forget original apple id

Help! this is so frustrating. I bought a used Macbook Pro from Best Buy. Unfortunately, every once in a while when I need to update an app or program, it'll suggest the previous owners apple ID and it won't let me overwrite it. I took it back to Best Buy, and after an hour of searching, they still were unable to help me or figure it out. I just dealt with it for about a year or so. However, now with the Yosemite upgrade it won't let me even access iPhoto or Aperture. This is a problem b/c I use my laptop as a photography backup and now i can't even use it at all. How can i get rid of this old apple id for good?

Hi there. I just tried this so I think if will work. Open Itune and go to the top menu under store . drop down to authorize this computer and sign in with your apple id. Itunes is linked to your apple account. As far as the other problems. I need to ask maybe a stupid question. Did you create your own admin account and did you delete the old users account? By doing it in system preferences/sharing and /accounts?

Hi, I am using macbook pro 2009 model.In that, there is wifi hardware is not installed. I am not able to use wireless networks. Anybody can help me out.

Hello,
I am using Macbook pro 2009 model. In that, when I tried to connect wireless network and wifi. I am not able to do. I have done R & D regarding this issue. Some them advice to do some below steps.
Restart your Mac.
upon start-up, hold down the Opt key until you see your drives.
click on the recovery drive (note: this will not affect or delete any files you currently have).
login if needed.
in the top right hand corner you will see the Wi-Fi icon (hopefully). Click the icon and then click "turn wifi Off" and then again click "turn wifi ON"
restart your Mac again and start it up normally.
recover from your near-heart attack.
I've followed your 1 to 4 steps & then after clicking on the wifi icon, I found Wi-Fi: No hardware installed just beneath the icon. That means no Wifi hardware is installed in this machine. Do you have any suggestion about installing it? I mean how can I get that hardware? Is it available on internet? Thanks a lot again.

Apparently you have tried everything except - take the monitor in question to the Apple Store along with your computer. If it works there, the mystery continues.

Seeking advice on used Macbook Pro

Hi. Have a pretty simple question that some of the experts here might have an opinion on. I'm looking for a used Macbook Pro 17-inch for portable video/photo editing (Final Cut Studio, After Effects, Photoshop, etc.). I have my eye on two MBPs at the moment. One is a mid-2010 with a core i5 processor and 8GB RAM for $1000, and the other is a 2011 with a quad-core i7 processor and 4GB RAM plus Thunderbolt port for $1400. Both come with all the original accessories and discs. Basically, I'm wondering if the performace upgrade to the 2011 model is worth the extra $400. Thanks in advance.

I have both a 2010 17" MBP and a late 2011 17" MBP. Both have i7 CPUs.
One advantage that the 2010 MBP has that, theoretically, the battery run time is longer than that of the 2011 MBP. I have never tried to measure it.
Advantages of the 2011 MBP are the Thunderbolt port and the capacity to have up to 16 GB RAM installed.
As far as the CPUs are concerned, a quad core will perform more efficiently IF the application is designed to take advantage of all cores. Other wise it becomes a question of CPU speed. That I have tested.
Given the choice, I personally would opt for the 2011 MBP, but it is your money, not mine that is at stake.
Ciao.

Hi i;m using macbook pro . magic mouse pointer not moving, but do all the rest of things

hi i;m using macbook pro . magic mouse pointer not moving, but do all the rest of things

thank you, i have tried you suggestion but it is still just prompting me to restart rather than allowing me to install the os from the os boot disk. the problem began when the macbook was just showing me a folder icon with a question mark on it rather than starting normally. reading through forums lead me to replace the hard drive and hard drive data cable to try and resolve the issue. however, even after having done this the folder with the question mark is still appearing. i cannot get the os istall disk to boot properly. it recognises that the disk is in the drive but continually prompts me to restart and wont allow me to boot from the disk. sorry if my previouse discription wasnt accurate. does this soun familliar and can you help with this more detailed discription of the problem? thank you.

HT201250 How do you back up on a Used macbook pro ?

I recently purchased a used macbook pro, and want to back things up. The previous user used time machine, but I can seem to find a way to use this because the previous user already had their own time machine. IS there any way to back up using time machine or to delete the old users time machine?

While you can go to the Time Machine system preferences and remove the backup disks listed there and add new ones, I highly recommend you perform a full format and reinstall of OS X on any used system. You can easily do this by rebooting while holding Command-R to load the recovery tools. One of these is Disk Utility, which you can use to format the hard drive and clear off any current OS installation and settings from the previous owner, and then use the Install OS X tool to download the install files from Apple and reinstall OS X from scratch.
This will give you a "clean slate" to work from, instead of having to manage any previous users' settings and data, and potentially any changes that could lead to instability or other odd problems.

I'm trying to reinstall Mavericks on used Macbook Pro. When I log in to my Apple ID, it says it was not the same ID used to purchase Mountain Lion. I need to change user/admin as a lot of the folders and apps are in Chinese!

I'm trying to reinstall Mavericks on used Macbook Pro. When I log in to my Apple ID, it says it was not the same ID used to purchase Mountain Lion. I need to change user/admin as a lot of the folders and apps are in Chinese!

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. Look it up on this page to see what version was originally installed.
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.
Once booted from the disc or in 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, buy 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 toauthorize it under your ID. In that case, contact iTunes Support.

Bought Used macbook pro, don't have administrator password and don't have the OS disc. Is there a way I can reset or delete the password?

I recently bought a used macbook pro. I can pretty much do everything I need on it until I want to change setting and such things. Then it asks me for an administrator password which I do not know or have. On top of that I do not have the OS disc either. Is there a way I can SAFELY reset or delete the password so I can set my own without the possibility of screwing thing up. LIke I said I can do most anything. I figured this out when attempting to tether it to my smartphone for internet access (I do all the time from my desktop but my desktop is a PC so things are a little different) I am a very new mac user, I have always been a devoted PC user until now. I have to say I am really loving my macbook pro I may just stick with mac from now on (if I can get this problem figured out without too much stress.
I am looking for the safest and best way to fix this issue where nothing I do would mess up the laptop. I can use it now and I do not want that to change, I just want to be able to change my setting and set a password of my own. PLEASE HELP, THANX!

Hi
There actually is a slightly easier way in OS X 10.5 or greater.
1. Start up in single-user mode (hold Command-S as the computer starts up).
2. Type: mount -uw /
3. Press Return.
4. Type this:
passwd (user's short name)
Replace "(user's short name)" with the short name of the user account whose password you wish to reset. If you are not sure what the account name is, you can get a list of user names by typing: ls /Users
5. Press Return.
6. Enter a new user password.
7. Press Return.
8. Type: reboot
9. Press Return.

I,m using macbook pro retina, I have changed the language to Arabic but still I find that password and downloading are coming in arabia

I,m using macbook pro retina, I have changed the language from arabic to Endlish through system preference, but still I find that password and downloading are coming in arabia, when I start my computer it show password request in Arabic.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4102

How can i copy files from one external hard disk to another using macbook pro with retina display

How can i copy files from one external hard drive to another using macbook pro with retina display?

That's odd - if you open Disk Utility (Applications->Utilities) and select the disk(s), how are they formatted? If you're only going to be used with your Mac, they should be formatted as "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)".
Clinton

Used Macbook Pro settings question

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for