Reset my wife's MBA M2 using the "Find My" feature...but now it asks for user name and password I don't have.

[mdhaus72]

Long story short, my wife completely forgot what her log-in password was for her machine. And the "hint" that she wrote for herself isn't helping at all. So after trying a bunch of different things, I ended up doing a remote reset/erase via the "Find My" app on her phone. It worked well...but now it boots to a screen where it's asking for a name and password - And we don't have one to enter!

I tried going into the Terminal in recovery mode to do the "resetpassword" function...but when I do that, it says that there are users on the machine to reset!

So what am I missing? When you start the MacBook, it boots to a wallpaper background and asks for a "Name" and "Password" along the bottom, but I have nothing to enter...and the terminal thinks there are no users on the machine. Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[roadkill401]

the only solution is to take it to an apple store and get them to re-flash the T3 chip inside. this is a security function of the MBA. I went through the same thing with a Mac Mini when the internal drive became dis-assocated with the T3 chip so it wouldn't let you re-install the OS. Sucks but if you bought it from Apple, then they can fix it in about 45 minutes

 

[mdhaus72]

That's the only solution? There isn't a way to completely wipe it and have it start over from scratch with a completely new start-up like when we first bought it?

I bought it at Best Buy on December 17th and ironically, all of this happened because we were going into her machine to purchase Apple Care.

 

[kitKAC]

Shut down the machine, wait 10 secs then press and hold the Touch ID button until it says Loading Options on the screen. When Options appears, use that to boot into macOS Recovery. You should be able to wipe the machine there and start again.

 

[Iwavvns]

Shut down the machine, wait 10 secs then press and hold the Touch ID button until it says Loading Options on the screen. When Options appears, use that to boot into macOS Recovery. You should be able to wipe the machine there and start again.

Isn’t that still going to ask for the password of the user account on the system? If not then it is a very easy way to steal someone’s laptop, boot into recovery mode, wipe it and set it up as your own. I wasn’t able to wipe and reinstall the OS on a Macbook Air M1 without the user account password.

 

[IngoX]

...but now it boots to a screen where it's asking for a name and password - And we don't have one to enter!

Isn’t it asking for her Apple ID and password? Since Find My was active it is the Activation Lock. You probably could have reset the user password with her Apple ID to begin with.

If you forgot your Mac login password - Apple Support

If you can’t log in to your Mac user account, try these solutions.

support.apple.com

If you can't reset your Mac login password - Apple Support

If the standard steps to reset the password of your Mac user account don't succeed, try these additional steps.

support.apple.com

Activation Lock for Mac - Apple Support

Activation Lock helps protect your Mac if it's lost or stolen.

support.apple.com

 

[laptech]

The MBA is now asking for your wife's Apple ID and password. Without it you will not be able to proceed with the reset. If your wife cannot remember her Apple ID and password your only hope is to take it to an Apple store with the Best Buy receipt because unless you can prove you/your wife purchased the machine (Apple requires the receipt as proof of purchase), they will not help you because the MBA is in activation lock and it is extremely difficult to get out of it without Apple's help.

 

[kitKAC]

When you start the MacBook, it boots to a wallpaper background and asks for a "Name" and "Password" along the bottom

From what the OP says, the machine is at the standard login screen. The prompt to remove Activation lock has no background wallpaper (because the machine is in Recovery) and it's in the middle of the screen.

 

[halledise]

Long story short, my wife completely forgot what her log-in password was for her machine. And the "hint" that she wrote for herself isn't helping at all. So after trying a bunch of different things, I ended up doing a remote reset/erase via the "Find My" app on her phone. It worked well...but now it boots to a screen where it's asking for a name and password - And we don't have one to enter!

I tried going into the Terminal in recovery mode to do the "resetpassword" function...but when I do that, it says that there are users on the machine to reset!

So what am I missing? When you start the MacBook, it boots to a wallpaper background and asks for a "Name" and "Password" along the bottom, but I have nothing to enter...and the terminal thinks there are no users on the machine. Any ideas? Thanks!

i’m possibly incorrect in saying this … but if your wife removes the actual device from her list of devices in iCloud (using her iphone to do so) that may circumvent the problem you have, since it may appear as a new mac to a new user who’s purchased it. (i stress the word may)
however, if device is still linked thru the tv.app or music.app that’ll possibly negate what i’ve just said.
anything’s worth a try …
ps. my wife has ‘none’ as a p’word for her mac as she kept forgetting it also