Pre-owned MBP questions.

sgip

Well-known member
Soylent Yellow is off to school in August and needs a MBP - or at least something that's an iFruit. Have always bought second hand electronics off of Craigslist because I'm cheap (and not afraid to admit it) Never had an issue with any of those purchases. I'm only looking at units that have Applecare into 2016 or later.

Curious what kind of experience with Applecare anyone has had with their laptops. Some MBP's are jammed full with previously installed software - mostly video editing stuff. Should the unit be wiped, or just keep the software on it?

Suggestions....?
 
When you buy a computer secondhand (even if it is a Mac), you should always get it wiped - by yourself or friend. You never know what kind of malware people install on there. Ex. Key loggers, webcam hacks.

 
Do you have the Apple Store wipe it, or are there services that can do this with some degree of confidence that it's legit?
 
It wouldn't hurt to ask the Apple Store if they can at least guide you through it if you have never done it before.
 
Not sure what year MBP you are buying but when I had a Macbook Air, it came with a USB key that resets it to factory.

When I sold it, the buyer made sure I included it (although I had already reset it with the key because I didn't want them to get into any of my information).

It was very easy to do.
 
Actually sold my old macbook air but came across this posting:

4. Other issues
a. If the original owner "accepted" the bundled iLife applications (iPhoto, iMovie, and Garage Band) in the App Store so that he or she could update them, then they're irrevocably linked to that Apple ID and you won't be able to download them without buying them. Reportedly, Mac App Store Customer Service has sometimes issued redemption codes for these apps to second owners who asked.
b. If the previous owner didn't deauthorize the computer in the iTunes Store under his Apple ID, you wont be able to  authorize it immediately under your ID. In that case, you'll either have to wait up to 90 days or contact iTunes Support.
c. When trying to create a new iCloud account, you might get a failure message: "Account limit reached." Apple imposes a lifetime limit of three iCloud account setups per device. Erasing the device does not reset the limit. You can still use an iCloud account that was created on another device, but you won't be able to create a new one. Contact iCloud Support for more information. The setup limit doesn't apply to Apple ID accounts used for other services, such as the iTunes and Mac App Stores, or iMessage. You can create as many of those accounts as you like.
 
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