How can I fully erase my Mac mini and reinstall macOS without Apple ID access?

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Level 1

25 points

How can I fully erase my Mac mini and reinstall macOS without Apple ID access?

Mac mini 2018 w T2 security, sequoia 15.6.1. Intel

I think I may have an app conflict on this machine, one of my home networked computers. I want to completely erase the hard drive and install sequoia 15.6.1—or whatever the latest OS is. I have backed up, or copied the dmg's for those programs I wish to continue to use. I do not need any more of a backup than that. This is NOT my main computer, I could lose the entire disk contents and continue to be fine.

I have been going through Erase Assistant, and having to rediscover all the passwords for various functions, functions that haven't been used since I set up this computer years ago. I am getting as far as entering the password for Find My Mac, and coming to an abrupt stop. None of my passwords work. The email used for this has been defunct for years.

AI tells me to go into terminal to resetpassword, but d@mn! How many more of these roadblocks lie ahead? And I REALLY don't want to jeopardize the rest of the network, which works fine.

Can I just go into disk utility, or terminal, reformat the hard drive (to what), turn the machine off, then on and follow whatever prompts appear? or access apple (how?) and install the OS?

To be clear, I want an empty hard drive, formatted, that is ready to accept an OS. That's it.

Very frustrating...any help appreciated and TIA!

John

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: I want to wipe my hard drive and reinstall OS...problems

Posted on Aug 27, 2025 07:25 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 28, 2025 12:23 PM in response to JayElDee2

Swapping around among and forgetting different Apple Accounts is difficult to distinguish from equipment that has been lost or stolen, and yes, you’re going to have a bad day.

You’ll need to recover access to the Apple Account, or provide proof of purchase sufficient to convince Apple of your ownership such as an original purchase receipt either from Apple or an authorized reseller, or the Mac will remain locked up.

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Answer 2

Aug 27, 2025 11:50 PM in response to JayElDee2

It’s because that security lock must be disabled before you can wipe the drive

Remove the device from Find My remotely

Sign in to iCloud.com, go to Find My, locate the Mac, issue a remote Erase, then select Remove from Account once it’s wiped

That clears Activation Lock without needing the old password.

Then perform a clean erase and reinstall

Restart into Recovery Mode (⌘+R), open Disk Utility, erase the Macintosh HD volume group (format as APFS), quit, then choose Reinstall macOS Sequoia from the Recovery window.

Use this sequence and you’ll end up with a completely blank drive ready for fresh installation, no Find My roadblocks, no leftover system clutter.

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Answer 3

Owl-53

Level 10

100,315 points

Aug 28, 2025 01:15 AM in response to JayElDee2

You may follow the previous advise and should work

There is yet another method that is somewhat technical

It will require making a Bootable Installer of Sequoia if that matters

It will also, possible, require adjusting the Startup Security Utility BEFORE proceeding

Read carefully Before proceeding

If not for you, ignore

Scorched Earth Method

This method will WIPE ALL Data and there is No DATA Recovery - Period.

>> Only works on Intel Based Apple Computer <<

To perform this action will require booting from a Bootable Installer.

This will have to be performed from a Qualifying Computer to run the version of macOS to be made on the Bootable Installer.

Example : Bootable Installer of Sequoia would have to be done on a computer that Qualifies to run Sequoia.

The 2018 Mac Mini is reported to have the T2 Secure Enclave built into the machine

Mac computers with the Apple T2 Security Chip - Apple Support.

About Startup Security Utility and Must Enable from Recovery Mode the ability to boot from External Drive Before Attempting

Shutdown computer and disconnect all external drive Except the newly created Bootable Installer.

Restart and immediately hold the OPTION key until the Startup Manager appears and choose the USB Drive.

It will present options >> Disk Utilities >> View >> View ALL attached Drives.

Choose the Upper Most Drive ( not the volumes indented and list below ).

The drive normally is called Apple Media or Apple SSD - that is the drive to Erase and format as APFS with the GUID Partition Map.

Once that is done >> backup out of Disk Utilities and choose install macOS.

Follow the prompts and it may automatically reboot several time.

Upon a final reboot - Setup Assist will present with the newer version of macOS.

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Answer 4

KiltedTim

Level 10

220,638 points

Aug 28, 2025 12:18 PM in response to JayElDee2

If you don't have the credentials for the Apple account it's locked to, you're going to have to provide Apple with the original receipt from Apple or an authorized retailer to remove the activation lock.

I hope for your sake that's not the case...

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Answer 5

JayElDee2 Author

Level 1

25 points

Aug 28, 2025 12:36 PM in response to iamshivam

Thanks for the quick response. Problems.

The remote machine I am using is the source computer for the home network, 27"5k retina 2017 running ventura 13.7.8.

When I sign into icloud webpage, the screen tells me I"You Turned Off iCloud Data Web Access"

But when I go into system settings, "access icloud data on the web" is turned on. On the icloud webpage i see no option for "find my."

Under "icloud" devices in system settings, I see the mac mini—the one I want to wipe— and there is an option there to "remove from account," but that only seems to remove it as a trusted device.

If I choose "find devices" on the "Good Afternoon" icloud.com webpage screen, I can see the mac mini and "erase" is an option. If I choose Erase another window appears called "Erase Mac , John's Mac Mini (2)" the only option being NEXT;

choosing NEXT brings up a window showing the email accounts that are used on my 2? apple accounts, but the passwords don't work, they "fail to verify my identity."

Any ideas appreciated.

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Answer 6

Owl-53

Level 10

100,315 points

Aug 28, 2025 01:35 PM in response to JayElDee2

JayElDee2 wrote:

Thanks, Owl-53, but I want to try the simpler way first, though I am having problems with it.

Firstly, I must thank the other two contributors for putting this right

I do not know where I head was at that time, but is certainly was not on my shoulders

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Answer 7

JayElDee2 Author

Level 1

25 points

Aug 28, 2025 08:18 PM in response to KiltedTim

@KiltedTim

Yeah, me too!

I can get into my apple account, but when I am using erase assistant it pulls up more than one apple id in succession, and one it finds probably is back from 2007 or 2008? and I've tried various passwords unsuccessfully for it.

I understand why i's have to be dotted, but this is pretty ridiculous. So, a call to apple could be in my future and them telling me I am out of warranty and they can't help me, ugh.

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Answer 8

JayElDee2 Author

Level 1

25 points

Aug 28, 2025 08:38 PM in response to MrHoffman

@Mr Hoffman

Thanks. had to laugh at "going to have a bad day."

Actually the machine is still functional and I am doing this to troubleshoot a problem. When I updated my souce machine (27"5k retina) on my home network to Ventura 13.7.5 one of my satellite machines, my mac mini intel T2 2018, running sequoia, started having issues with file sharing. Prior to that all was fine. With each new version of ventura, the problem persisted, though it sometimes mutated. First it would no longer search over the network an external drive, then after that, it did something, can't remember, now any video I watch over the network with any player I use (VLC, Movist, IINA) will play for a few minutes then it stops, and the scroll at the bottom of the video goes to the end. IOW it will play normally for 5 or so minutes, maybe, then it pauses and the slider goes to the end of the scroll.

I checked all connections, reinstalled sequoia, reinstalled ventura, tried connecting over wifi, tried a direct wired ethernet connection, always the same behavior.

If I copy the video to the sequoia satellite machine,the mac mini, it plays fine, just acting up playing over the network no matter how I connect. The video plays fine on the source machine.

So I thought there may be a conflict on my mac mini, and that is why I wanted to erase my hard drive and reinstall sequoia, to eliminate a software conflict causing the problem, though if there was a conflict I would think it would show up when playing the video when copied to the mini.

Frustrating. Sure was simpler in the old Windows days when you could just reformat and reinstall.

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