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Can't reinstall Yosemite without signing-in with Apple ID?

Trying to reinstall Yosemite on an old iMac my mother once used. The drive has been erased, and I'm using the startup utility. When it asks for an Apple ID, I enter my own Apple ID, but it returns an error. It seems to be locked to my mother's Apple ID, but we do not know what her Apple ID password is.


Is there any way to bypass this restriction? I thought erasing the hard drive would do it, but apparently not. Simply trying to reinstall a fresh OS so the machine can be sold.


Appreciate the help if anyone knows what to do!

Posted on Apr 2, 2022 10:51 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Apr 2, 2022 7:25 PM

What is the exact model of the iMac and what OS was installed on it before you erased it? You can get the exact model by entering the serial number here (the serial number is on the bottom of the iMac stand):

Check Your Service and Support Coverage - Apple Support


Try booting with Command + Option + R to see if it bypasses the AppleID authentication. Earlier versions of macOS had to be purchased through the App Store and were tied to the original AppleID. In theory using the key combination I listed should allow macOS to be reinstalled without reference to an AppleID. The Apple documentation is lacking details so I'm not certain if this will work.


If you have access to another Mac which is able to run an OS your Mother's old iMac can run, then you can create a bootable macOS USB installer using the instructions in this Apple article:

How to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support


Here is an article which lists which Apple hardware is compatible with which versions of macOS:

https://eshop.macsales.com/guides/Mac_OS_X_Compatibility


Depending on the OS last installed and the OS you are installing, you may have to prepare the drive differently. Having these details I can provide you with a little bit more details on how to proceed if you have problems.



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1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Apr 2, 2022 7:25 PM in response to tdominey

What is the exact model of the iMac and what OS was installed on it before you erased it? You can get the exact model by entering the serial number here (the serial number is on the bottom of the iMac stand):

Check Your Service and Support Coverage - Apple Support


Try booting with Command + Option + R to see if it bypasses the AppleID authentication. Earlier versions of macOS had to be purchased through the App Store and were tied to the original AppleID. In theory using the key combination I listed should allow macOS to be reinstalled without reference to an AppleID. The Apple documentation is lacking details so I'm not certain if this will work.


If you have access to another Mac which is able to run an OS your Mother's old iMac can run, then you can create a bootable macOS USB installer using the instructions in this Apple article:

How to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support


Here is an article which lists which Apple hardware is compatible with which versions of macOS:

https://eshop.macsales.com/guides/Mac_OS_X_Compatibility


Depending on the OS last installed and the OS you are installing, you may have to prepare the drive differently. Having these details I can provide you with a little bit more details on how to proceed if you have problems.



Can't reinstall Yosemite without signing-in with Apple ID?

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