Used MacBook Pro

[palmerpinckney2]

Can I still restore a MacBook Pro without an admin account?
i just picked up a 2015 MacBook Pro. The owner was not computer wise. The laptop has 5 old user accounts on it and the seller was not an Admin on the machine. He also only knows his password. Laptop is in great condition. I have no restore disks.

 

[honestone]

Need to know some more information:

1. First, what device are you using to make posts here? If it is a Mac, need to know the exact model.

2. Need to know the exact model the 2015 MacBook Pro is.

Once you give is that exact information, and assuming both machines have the necessary ports, you will need to purchase an appropriate adapter and/or cable, and with that setup, you ill boot the 2015 MacBook Pro in Target Disk Mode,

 

[palmerpinckney2]

No. Perhaps you are reading too much inbetween the lines of my post. Or perhaps it’s poorly written. Regardless thanks for the reply. I figured it out. Restart > Hold Down Option Key > Format HD > Reinstall OS.
My used MAC POWERBOOK IS AS GOOD AS NEW!

 

[honestone]

Cool! Glad you got it resolved. I assumed you could not get the machine started at all. My bad! In any event, you got it to work.

Going forward, it is important for you to perform the following tasks on a "frequent" basis:

1. Disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs, form a software perspective. You can actually do a lot of disk cleanup on your own, and there are some excellent programs available (both free and commercial) that can help you with that. The two I use are Onyx (free) and Tech Tool Pro (commercial). I use them on both of my Macs, and I would not be without them.

2. Make backups to an external device. This one is so, so critical! On so many occasions, folks come here for help, but they have no backup. That is definitely asking for trouble. You can use the (free) program Time Machine, which comes with the Mac OS. But I prefer SuperDuper!, as it makes a bootable backup/clone of my system. I also use it on both of my Macs, and it has come to the rescue for me many times. It is just like having another Mac! It is also the preferred way to go whenever I "upgrade" to a new version of the Mac OS. (I have not upgraded to High Sierra, OS 10.13, yet, as 1) not all of my third party software is compatible with High Sierra, and 2) there are some issues with it).

3. Keep your software up to date.

By the way, what Mac OS are you running?

 

[palmerpinckney2]

Turns out it’s an ‘09 machine. OS is El Capitan 10. Will not a.low update to newest OS.
No complaints here. Laptop is blimmish free and only cost me $125. There’s nothing wrong with it. It was bogged down by excessive personal files and blotware. All gone now. It’s blazing just like a Mac should run. I’ll install Adobe Creative Suite later. And that’ll do it. I save all my files using Google and iCloud drives. I never use local storage. Don’t trust it.

 

[honestone]

Turns out it’s an ‘09 machine. OS is El Capitan 10. Will not a.low update to newest OS.
No complaints here. Laptop is blimmish free and only cost me $125. There’s nothing wrong with it. It was bogged down by excessive personal files and blotware. All gone now. It’s blazing just like a Mac should run. I’ll install Adobe Creative Suite later. And that’ll do it. I save all my files using Google and iCloud drives. I never use local storage. Don’t trust it.

Local storage is much better and safer than using Google and iCloud. You have much more control over it, and even if you lose your internet connection, you still have your stuff backed up locally. Plus, by using SuperDuper!, I avoid the long process of any kind of restore process, especially using Time Machine.