I want to sell a used Macbook Pro and I am not original user

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I want to sell a used Macbook Pro and I am not original user

I pick up computers regularly from a few different clients when they want to put out the old and bring in the new :)

Here's the process after picking them up: I prepare each MacBook Pro for sale by using an external drive with an OS on it (normally High Sierra); I erase the internal drive and use Super Duper to install the OS onto the internal drive. I test everything out and then sell the laptop.

After the sale, I've had more than one person send a photo of the laptop - and it turns out, the laptop was under MDM by the original user - my client. Therefore, my client forgot to take certain steps before they asked me to pick up their equipment.

What steps can I take to find out before I sell the laptop that it is under or not under MDM?

Note - I'm not asking how to get it unlocked - my clients have been very helpful to do that when I knew about the MDM lock.

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Apr 19, 2022 9:13 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

BobTheFisherman

Level 10

81,727 points

Apr 19, 2022 10:12 AM in response to NeedAppleRefurbisherHelp

There are several MDM configurations:

Choose an MDM solution - Apple Support

What’s new in Apple platform deployment - Apple Support

Intro to mobile device management - Apple Support

I would assume it is under MDM control and ensure the organization/entity does this before you take possesion of any computer:

What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 2

John Galt

Level 10

146,504 points

Apr 19, 2022 1:05 PM in response to NeedAppleRefurbisherHelp

The only certain way to be sure is to erase the Mac according to What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac - Apple Support, step 7 specifically, which has to be done anyway. I understand it doesn't get done sometimes.

Depending on the MDM configuration, you may not be able to erase the Mac. That's a show-stopper, and renders the Mac effectively useless to you or anyone else — anyone other than the organization that controlled it of course.

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Answer 3

HWTech

Level 9

60,626 points

Apr 20, 2022 6:42 PM in response to NeedAppleRefurbisherHelp

Usually if you perform a clean install of macOS and the Mac is connected to the Internet, you will see a notice appear regarding an MDM configuration (this may depend on how the company configures their managed Macs too) during the initial macOS setup.

If the PRAM has been reset and the install is performed offline (off network), then there will be no MDM notice during initial setup. However, after the Mac is connected to the Internet, macOS will sooner or later pop up a notification about being managed, but unfortunately sometimes I may not see this notification appear for days or weeks later.

I'm not sure how you have these Macs preconfigured with your image, but if Setup Assistant is allowed to run while the Mac is connected to a network with Internet access, then you may see a notice about being managed. You can trick macOS into running Setup Assistant again even with a completely setup Mac by deleting the "/var/db/.AppleSetupDone" file (path only applies when booted to that drive). If you are accessing the internal drive from an external boot drive, then you will need to locate the correct mount point and folder location which can be a little difficult if macOS 10.15+ is being used on the internal drive.

Restarting Setup Assistant to create Admi… - Apple Community

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Answer 4

Apr 19, 2022 12:07 PM in response to BobTheFisherman

We do ask them to always perform these tasks in the last link you sent. But they have so many people involved, it just doesn't get done sometimes. I would like to know how to know for sure if it did or didn't get done. It seems hard to detect.

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I want to sell a used Macbook Pro and I am not original user

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