To reinstall the macOS of the locked Mac, you must first confirm whether the lock type is an iCloud lock or a local account password lock. 1. Confirm the lock type: The iCloud lock will require the Apple ID and password to be entered during the boot setting, while the local password lock requires the user password in the login interface. 2. If it is an iCloud lock and does not have an Apple ID, it cannot be officially released. You must contact the original owner to cancel it through iCloud or the second-hand buyer asks the seller to provide account information. It is not trustworthy to crack the online method. 3. If it is a local password lock, you can use the terminal to run the resetpassword command to reset the password through recovery mode, but this method does not apply to activate the lock. 4. If the Apple ID reset password function is enabled, you can click "Forgot Password?" in the login interface and reset the password with the bound Apple ID. In short, after solving the locking problem, then reinstalling macOS. Different types of processing methods are different. Be sure to confirm clearly before operation.

If you have a locked Mac on hand and want to reinstall macOS but don't know where to start, this article can help you clarify your thoughts. The key is that you have to first figure out the specific type of locked this Mac - whether it is an iCloud lock (that is, the "Find My Mac" activation lock), or a system account password lock. Different types, different solutions.

1. Confirm the lock type: iCloud lock or password lock?

The first thing to figure out is what the way the Mac is locked is. There are two common situations:

• iCloud Lock (Activation Lock) : When entering settings after powering on, you need to enter the Apple ID and password to continue.
• Account password lock : It has entered the system, but the login interface requires a password, you don’t know.

If it is an iCloud lock, it will be more troublesome because this is the security mechanism Apple uses to prevent the device from being stolen. Only when the original owner uninstalls "Find My Mac" through Apple ID can the system be reinstalled normally.

And if it is a simple user account password lock, there is still a chance to bypass or reset it.

2. Cannot unactivate the activation lock without Apple ID

If you are facing an activation lock and don't have the corresponding Apple ID and password, that's basically the end. Apple will not offer any official way to let you skip this step. In this case:

• It is recommended to contact the original owner and let them remove the device on iCloud.
• If you are a second-hand buyer, you can try to have the seller provide Apple ID login information to complete the unlocking.
• Don't believe the claims online that can "crack" activation locks are mostly scams.

Apple has very strict protection of activation locks, which is why you must confirm whether “Find My Mac” has been lifted when buying a second-hand Mac.

3. Methods to bypass local account password (for permissioned users)

If you just forgot your local account's password, but you know the credentials for your administrator account, or you can access recovery mode, try the following:

Reset password using recovery mode:

1. After shutting down, press and hold the power key until the "Loading boot options" interface appears.
2. Select "Options" to enter recovery mode.
3. In the menu bar, select Utility > Terminal.
4. Enter resetpassword and press Enter.
5. Select the user account in the pop-up window and set a new password.

Note: This method cannot bypass the activation lock and can only be used to reset the local account password.

4. Reset password using Apple ID (if this feature is enabled)

If you checked "Allow Apple ID to reset password" when setting up your account, you can click "Forgot Password?" directly on the login interface, and then log in with your Apple ID to reset your password.

The prerequisite for this step is that you must remember your Apple ID and that the device has bound it.

In general, locking issues must be resolved before installing macOS. If it is an iCloud lock, there is no chance if you don’t have an account; if it is a local password problem, there is still a way to deal with it. It is best to confirm the lock type before operation, and don’t do it in vain.

Basically all this is it, there are quite a lot of things that are not complicated but are easy to ignore details.

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