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How can I delete an user if I can't do it on System Preference/Users and Groups

I want to remove a couple of users from my old MacBook Pro.

I tried using the standard procedure (System Preferences/Users and Groups ==> unlock ==> select the user to be deleted ==> press minus button), but it doesn't work. The "minus" button changes it's color to grey from white, but then nothing else happens...

The users I want to delete are not in use when I try to delete.

One user had got administrator privileges, the other one didn't.

The Mac Book is currently running Mac OS High Sierra (V. 10.13.6).

Can anybody help me, please?

Thanks.

Riccardo


Posted on Dec 28, 2020 3:39 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 30, 2020 3:52 AM

This is very confusing, it should really be simple.


Have you tried booting your mac up in Safe Mode,

How to use safe mode on your Mac – Apple Support Safe Mode takes a while to boot up so be patient.

Safe Mode carries out disk repairs and flushes out caches

which may help with your problem.

You can try deleting users in Safe Mode or

when you boot back normally.


If Safe Mode has made no difference, click once on the Desktop

click on Go in the menubar and select Go To Folder enter this text


~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist


press Go


A new Finder window will open with the file highlighted, move the file to the Desktop.


Restart your mac, the file will be replaced.

When the mac has started up try deleting Users now.

12 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 30, 2020 3:52 AM in response to Rikybrain

This is very confusing, it should really be simple.


Have you tried booting your mac up in Safe Mode,

How to use safe mode on your Mac – Apple Support Safe Mode takes a while to boot up so be patient.

Safe Mode carries out disk repairs and flushes out caches

which may help with your problem.

You can try deleting users in Safe Mode or

when you boot back normally.


If Safe Mode has made no difference, click once on the Desktop

click on Go in the menubar and select Go To Folder enter this text


~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist


press Go


A new Finder window will open with the file highlighted, move the file to the Desktop.


Restart your mac, the file will be replaced.

When the mac has started up try deleting Users now.

Dec 28, 2020 2:49 PM in response to Eau Rouge

Thanks for your reply, Eau Rouge...

Yes, sure... I did log in as an Administrator, but it didn't work.

I also tried restarting the machine, logging in with another Admin account, but the outcome is always the same... I can't delete the accounts.

It's not like a task which starts and run forever, it's as if it doesn't start at all...

Dec 30, 2020 3:37 AM in response to Eau Rouge

I suspected the same...

The first one was "Riccardo Cervellin" and I tried to delete it from "Lucia ".

So, since it didn't work, I tried to delete the user "Tommaso Cervellin" who hadn't Admin powers. I tried to delete it both from my account (Riccardo) and from my wife's (Lucia), but the outcome was always the same.

Then I gave Admin power to Tommaso and tried to delete my or my wife's account but, again, it was not possible...

I've also reinstalled Sierra on my Mac Book... The machine is now much faster than before, but user deletion is not possible yet.

How can I delete an user if I can't do it on System Preference/Users and Groups

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