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Deleting an account from Mac is essential if you are about to sell or donate your device. It saves you from the risk of exposing sensitive information, protects your personal data and helps you avoid any inconvenience related to your personal documents. However, sometimes, there are cases where you may not have access to the password. If you’ve forgotten the account password, or the previous owner didn’t give you the password, the task may seem daunting. Fortunately, there are several methods to delete an account on Mac even if you don’t have the password. In this article, we will guide you through the process step by step.
Video Tutorial:
What’s Needed
Before jumping into the methods, you need to make sure you have some essentials at hand. You will need another administrator account, a macOS bootable USB drive and a few basic tools, which are likely to be available on your Mac, such as Disk Utility and Terminal.
What Requires Your Focus?
Deleting an account on Mac may lead to the permanent loss of data. Therefore, before performing any of the methods, make sure you have a backup of your personal documents and files. Also, keep in mind that some data might not be recoverable after deletion.
Methods to Delete Account on Mac without Password
In this section, we will provide you with three methods that can help you delete an account on Mac without a password.
Method 1: Reset Password using Another Administrator account
Pros:
– No data loss.
– Swift method.
– Easy to follow steps.
Cons:
– This method requires permission from another administrator account.
Step 1: Log in to your Mac with another administrator account.
Step 2: Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups.
Step 3: Select the account you want to delete from the left panel.
Step 4: Click the "Reset Password" button.
Step 5: Enter the new password and confirm.
Step 6: Click "Reset Password".
Step 7: Log out of the other administrator account and log in to the account you want to delete.
Step 8: Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups.
Step 9: Click the lock icon in the left corner and enter the password you just set.
Step 10: Select the account you want to delete and click the "Delete" button.
Pros: No data loss. Swift method. Easy to follow steps.
Cons: This method requires permission from another administrator account.
Method 2: Use macOS Installation Disk Utility
Pros:
– Can delete the account quickly and efficiently.
– Can be done with a bootable USB drive.
Cons:
– This method requires the creation of a macOS Bootable USB drive.
Step 1: Create a macOS bootable USB drive using another Mac.
Step 2: Turn off your Mac and insert the bootable USB drive.
Step 3: Press and hold the Option key while your Mac is turning on.
Step 4: Select the bootable USB drive and wait for macOS Utilities to load.
Step 5: Select "Disk Utility" and click "Continue".
Step 6: Select your hard drive and click "Erase".
Step 7: Enter a new name for your hard drive and click "Erase" again.
Step 8: Close Disk Utility and go back to macOS Utilities.
Step 9: Select "Reinstall macOS" and click "Continue".
Step 10: Follow the on-screen instructions and create a new administrator account.
Step 11: Once completed, log in to the new administrator account.
Step 12: Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups.
Step 13: Select the account you want to delete and click the "Delete" button.
Pros: Can delete the account quickly and efficiently. Can be done with a bootable USB drive.
Cons: This method requires the creation of a macOS Bootable USB drive.
Method 3: Use Terminal to Delete Account
Pros:
– Can be done without Bootable USB drive.
– Does not require permission from another administrator account.
Cons:
– This method involves the use of Terminal commands.
Step 1: Turn off your Mac and restart it in Recovery mode.
Step 2: Once in Recovery mode, select Terminal from the Utilities menu.
Step 3: Type "resetpassword" without the quotes and hit Enter.
Step 4: Follow the on-screen instructions to create a new password for the account.
Step 5: Once completed, close the Terminal and go back to the main menu.
Step 6: Select "Disk Utility" and click "Continue".
Step 7: Select your hard drive and click "Erase".
Step 8: Enter a new name for your hard drive and click "Erase" again.
Step 9: Close Disk Utility and go back to the main menu.
Step 10: Select "Reinstall macOS" and click "Continue".
Step 11: Follow the on-screen instructions and create a new administrator account.
Step 12: Once completed, log in to the new administrator account.
Step 13: Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups.
Step 14: Select the account you want to delete and click the "Delete" button.
Pros: Can be done without Bootable USB drive. Does not require permission from another administrator account.
Cons: This method involves the use of Terminal commands.
Why Can’t I Delete Account on Mac Without Password?
There may be several reasons why you can’t delete an account on Mac without a password. Here are some of the most common ones:
1. The account is the only administrator account on the Mac – In this case, you will have to create another administrator account first to have the permission to delete the account.
2. The account has FileVault enabled – FileVault is a feature that encrypts the data on your Mac, and if it is turned on, you will need the password to decrypt the data and delete the account.
3. You forgot the password – In the event where you forgot the password, you will have to reset it using an administrator account or through other methods.
Implications and Recommendations
Deleting an account on Mac without a password is a process that can lead to permanent data loss, so make sure you have a backup of all the personal files and documents before attempting so. Also, it is a good practice to always have multiple administrator accounts. This will not only give you the permission to delete an account but will also reduce the risk of data loss in case you forget the password.
FAQs
Q: What happens to the files in the deleted account?
A: The files in the deleted account will be permanently deleted along with the account.
Q: Can I delete the account without creating another administrator account?
A: No, you need another administrator account to delete an account on Mac.
Q: Is it possible to recover data after deleting an account?
A: It depends on various factors such as the recovery software used and the amount of time passed after deletion.
Q: Why should I create multiple administrator accounts?
A: Multiple administrator accounts reduce the risk of data loss and provide a backup option if one account is unavailable.
Q: What is FileVault, and why do I need to disable it?
A: FileVault is a feature that encrypts your Mac’s data to protect it from unauthorized access. You need to disable it to delete an account because it requires the password to decrypt the data.
In Conclusion
Deleting an account on Mac without a password may seem scary, but with the right tools and methods at hand, it is quite easy. We hope that the methods we have discussed here have been helpful and informative. Remember to always keep a backup of your personal files and documents and create multiple administrator accounts to avoid any inconvenience.