Reinstall MacBook OS X Maverick without original Apple ID

Received an old MacBook from a friend and we have the reinstall disks but the system won’t recognize our new Apple ID (noted from a previous post that it works with the original user’s Apple ID). I don’t have access to that ID. When I enter mine (adding the verification code at the end of the password), I get a “This item is temporarily unavailable. Try again later”. Is there anyway to get around this or remove the original owner’s info from the MacBook so we can start from scratch?

Posted on Nov 20, 2022 7:01 AM

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1 reply

destiny241

Community Specialist

Nov 22, 2022 11:06 AM in response to katherine202

Hello katherine202,

It sounds like this computer may not have been reformatted prior to your purchase. Did the previous owners take these steps: What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac - Apple Support

Have you tried these steps using another Wi-Fi network? That would tell us if the issue is the network or possibly the account.

Let us know, take care.

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Reinstall MacBook OS X Maverick without original Apple ID

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