Apple uses an Apple ID across its whole ecosystem to identify you for syncing , purchases , and more . What occur when you trade or give away a Mac and recall you ’ve wiped all ghost of your individuality , but the Mac keeps instigate the Modern user or owner with your Apple ID account email and ask for its parole ?
If that ’s happening , it ’s likely you or the new owner did n’t wipe the machine completely . I recommend that you do a complete wipe when pass on off a computer .
you could then use a Time Machine or knockoff of the drive to doctor purchases that you are channelize the license for along with the simple machine , software that is free to habituate without a license or does n’t require a conveyance , and any documents , photograph , and other files you ’re include .
Erase and reinstall macOS
The abbreviate version of erasing and reinstalling macOS is as follows :
If you have n’t already used Migration Assistant or another method to copy all your Indian file to a new machine , make a accomplished championship of your Mac . ( you may also make a backup if you need to restore some element on the Mac to a new drug user in your folk or a young possessor . )
Restore any file that are necessary using Migration Assistant .
In Step 3 above , you may also avoid a download that might bespeak your Apple ID bycreating a bootable Catalina installer ride .
Create a new user and erase the old one
If it ’s impractical to erase and reinstall macOS , often a next nearly - as - effective step is to create a new substance abuser account and then cancel your old one(s ) . This typically break up all Apple ID connexion . Make a backup of the system as note above — always , always , always backup before you erase things , I beg of you — and then :
afford the Users & Groups preference pane .
come home the ringlet at the lower - left corner and enter the password . ( The account must be define to administer the Mac . )
Click the + ( plus ) to produce a new account with a name and countersign for the new drug user .
verify to checkAllow User to Administer This Computerso the new user has all the major power necessary .
ClickLogin Optionsand check theShow fast user shift fare aspop - up carte du jour ’s boxful so you’re able to try out logging into the new user in a ulterior step without logging out of this report first .
If you ’re using FileVault , you must also switch to the Security & Privacy preference pane and clickFileVault , dawn the ringlet icon and authenticate as in step 2 , then clickEnable Users to add the raw user . ( If you do n’t , you ca n’t complete these steps , as no user will be able to start up the Mac . )
Choose the new create user from the fast - switch menu in the system carte measure . Enter their parole to lumber in .
After ensuring that newfangled account is fructify up aright , return to your previous substance abuser bill via the fast - switching carte du jour and choose > lumber Out [ account statement name ] .
Return to the novel account and start the Users & Groups preference pane and authenticate with the new user account as in step 2 .
take your old substance abuser account and click the – ( minus ) and trace prompts to hit the account . If you ’ve made a backup , you do n’t need to archive the write up , but can delete it .
Restart and lumber into the raw account . check out to see if the system actuate for the honest-to-goodness Apple ID at any point .
Log out of everything in macOS
Now you may be ineffective to take out either of the first two procedure , or you may prefer to just unwire your own Apple ID while leave the Mac set up incisively as it was before , such as for another phratry member . In that case , you have to find everywhere you might be lumber in with an Apple ID for purchases and iCloud synchronizing and incapacitate its use .
To be sure you ’re disconnected , you have to ratify out from every app , including telecasting in Catalina .
In each of the follow cases , you will have to confirm that you want to sign out . In some case , you ’ll be prompted to blue-pencil or keep on local transcript of information . Choose delete if you ’re truly attempting to unplug the story .
part with the main iCloud connection :
In macOS 14 Mojave and earlier , get to the iCloud preference panelling ,
Sign out of iCloud in macOS 10.14 Mojave Desert .
Sign out of iCloud in macOS 10.15 Catalina .
Then lumber out of all the many apps that might be connected to one or more Apple ID you may use :
Open pic . ChoosePhotos > Preference > iCloudand uncheckiCloud Photos .
Open Messages . ChooseMessages > Preferences > iMessageand then clickSign Out .
Open FaceTime . ChooseFaceTime > Preferences > Settingsand then clickSign Out .
spread the App Store and chooseStore > Sign Out .
get to the Books app and chooseStore > Sign Out .
open up the Internet Accounts preference pane , select any secondary iCloud accounts one by one and remove them by click the – ( minus ) release .
Open Mail . ChooseMail > Preferences > account , select iCloud and click the – ( subtraction ) button .
In Mojave and earlier , opened iTunes . ChooseAccount > Sign Out .
In Catalina , open up the Music app . ChooseAccount > Sign Out .
Also in Catalina , start the TV app . ChooseAccount > Sign Out .
In each position , you might have topically stored documents that are n’t removed when you bless out . As you disconnect your Apple ID , verify and also delete those local files if you do n’t want to impart them behind . This includes Calendar , Contacts , iTunes / Music , Mail , and Photos . But you should also examine all the home directory leaflet that contain single file , like Documents , Downloads , Music , Pictures .
This Mac 911 article is in response to a doubtfulness submitted by Macworld reviewer Priscilla .
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