Hi old friends, it's been a few years since I've been here. It's crazy to think that the original Dealmac forums are over 20 years old now. I see a lot of familiar names, it looks like none of you have found anything better to do than hang around here.

I have a quick question about moving a user account. My Macbook Air (2011? running 11.6) was replaced during the pandemic with a MBP, and has been sitting around largely unused. I have Admin privileges on it, so I set up another user on it, for my kids to have a spare Spotify/Zoom/etc computer. Told my IT dept and they were fine with this - they have been donating all their old Mac laptops anyway so he said I could keep and use as I needed.

Fast forward another year, and IT has asked me to wipe the computer so none of their connected software would be on it it anymore. I believe this includes their Creative Cloud license, some MDM software, a license for their antivirus/malware, VPN software, etc.

I'm happy to do this and update it to whatever and just have a clean install, but I'd also like to preserve the account that I have set up for my kids. What's the easiest way to do that?

Is the top answer here: [apple.stackexchange.com]
the best way to do this?


Thanks in advance!

Check out Migration Assistant:

[support.apple.com]

Quote
DRR
...
Fast forward another year, and IT has asked me to wipe the computer so none of their connected software would be on it it anymore. I believe this includes their Creative Cloud license, some MDM software, a license for their antivirus/malware, VPN software, etc.

I'm happy to do this and update it to whatever and just have a clean install, but I'd also like to preserve the account that I have set up for my kids. What's the easiest way to do that?
Thanks in advance!

I think doing just that is all you need. I would also delete apps the company paid for or were for company use. I use "AppCleaner" which gets most of the hidden stuff and its free (I do donate). I would then also use Easy Find (free) to look for anything left behind by AppCleaner.

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Ed (modelamac)

I think I will just put an OUT OF ORDER
sticker on my head and call it a day.

Welcome back!

If you want to move that user account to the other computer, I highly recommend Migration Assistant.

In fact, one could use it to move the account, then proceed to wipe and clean-install a new OS, then migrate the account BACK.

That might get a little ugly, but, it could be done.

Another idea is clone the whole drive to an external, wipe it, reinstall the OS, then use Migration Assistant to move the account back. However, recent OS's have made making a bootable clone problematic... make sure it works before wiping the original.

Hope you stick around a while! C(-)ris is making pork roasts...

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
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Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
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Eureka, CA

I just ended up using Migration Assistant to move the user to a spare mac, then wiped the MBA, and moved the user back (again using Migration Assistant). A couple of minor items didn't get moved over, it forgot some passwords, (I guess those passwords were not in the keychain?) but nothing major. All in all, simple enough.

Thanks old friends!