[ipad] Cannot reset iPad - locked to previous users iTunes account....

[Koldov]

Hi All,

 

One of our teachers has recently left and I am just going through her IT provision, resetting and deleting profiles, in order to pass onto the next member of staff etc.

 

However, I have come to her iPad and tried to 'erase all content and settings' and it has prompted for the users iTunes account and password.

 

I have tried various things (entering the passcode incorrectly 10 times, plugging it into our mac server and trying to reset with AC, using Meraki to erase), but it finally has come down to activation lock and will not proceed.

 

I'm presuming this is something that cannot be bypassed and without the old users ID and password for iTunes, I have a brick on my hands?

 

Unfortunately, I believe they left under a bit of a cloud and cannot be contacted, it also appears this is a personal iTunes account so I'm not sure we would get their password any other way.

 

If you'd prefer to contact me via PM, please feel free....

[synaesthesia]

There's only one way around that, contact Apple. It will be long and hard fought as is everything relating to that company, but if you have the original purchase documentation the process itself should be easy enough.

[Bedders]

When we had this, I had our HR manager contact the teacher and sent along instructions of how to sign in to Apple's iCloud website, what to click on (with screenshots) in order to remove the device from their account.

 

Once this was done I connected it to iTunes and it automatically detected that it wasn't attached to their account any more and allowed me to wipe it.

 

This way no contact was made by myself, and I believe that our HR manager might have mentioned about them 'preventing the use of school equipment for anyone else, presumably so they could keep it, or with malicious intent' and scared them with some legal fluff.

[Geek95]

If you purchased the iPad directly from Apple and it is in DEP, Apple should be able to reset the Activation Lock status fairly painlessly. Here in the US, calling their education support number is usually the quickest way of getting started.

[Koldov]

Hi, yeah I wish it was that simple!

 

Unfortunately, the iPads were purchased from resellers and not directly from Apple, also they were never enrolled in any MDM or DEP as they were purchased a very long time ago before we had anything like that.

 

Plus trying to get them out of any of the SLT's hands is like getting blood from a stone...

 

They were always veiwed as more of a personal device unfortunately (hence the personal iTunes account being used).

[Simcfc73]

I managed to get Apple to sort it after sending off receipts and jumping through hoops but they eventually did.

[Koldov]

We have gone the route @Bedders suggested.

 

The iPad is with the Head and apparently, they are coming in sometime next week to sort it out....

[localzuk]

We did this with 20 iPads 2 days ago - we found the invoices, and contacted Apple, who removed the lock. The hardest part was finding the right invoices!

[Bedders]

We have gone the route @Bedders suggested.

 

The iPad is with the Head and apparently, they are coming in sometime next week to sort it out....

 

Good luck getting it sorted @Koldov, hopefully it goes as smoothly as mine did. Although that was back on iOS 10...

[jb2201]

Was it enrolled in meraki and supervised? If so you should be able to get an activation lock bypass code out of meraki which you can enter to remove the restriction.

 

See here:

 

https://documentation.meraki.com/SM/Monitoring_and_Reporting/Activation_Lock_Bypass_for_iOS_Devices

Edited April 19, 2018 by jb2201

[Koldov]

Thanks, unfortunately it didn't meet some of the prerequisites - specifically:

 

The device must be supervised, using Apple Configurator or Apple's DEP.

 

Also it would appear that due to me getting most of the way through wiping it using 'erase device' and reinstalling the OS somehow using AC2 it removed the Cisco Meraki management....

 

Anyway, we have been told that the individual in question has removed the device from their iCloud account as per @Bedders suggestion, but I'm still getting this...

 

Edited April 20, 2018 by Koldov

[HTCPCP]

Koldov - great news! Had one at work soon after I had started (worst thing was, it was purchased by a former member of staff and re-imbursed as that is how our centres used to operate...). But after a load of calls and emails, they were able to remove activation lock.

 

You just need to find someone who actually knows what they are doing.

 

"I "[CUSTOMER NAME]" representing [bUSINESS/INSTITUTION NAME] authorise Apple, Inc. to unlock the devices listed.

 

WAS THE DEVICE USED BY AN EMPLOYEE / STUDENT?:

WHY IS THE BUSINESS / INSTITUTION UNABLE TO REMOVE FIND MY IPHONE ACTIVATION LOCK?:

 

PRODUCT SERIAL NUMBER:

PRODUCT IMEI/MEID: (Cellular devices only)

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

 

BUSINESS/INSTITUTION NAME:

REQUESTOR NAME:

PHONE NUMBER:

STREET ADDRESS:

CITY/STATE:

POSTAL CODE:

EMAIL ADDRESS:

 

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

 

 

2. PROOF OF PURCHASE

 

You must attach your Proof of Purchase to the email.

 

Please note, to be considered valid, the proof of purchase must include this information:

 

1. Reseller’s name, address, and phone number or website URL

2. Date of purchase when the product was originally sold

3. Itemised product information, including price and product serial number

4. Total price paid

 

In case the serial / IMEI number is not mentioned on the proof of purchase you got from the provider or reseller, please add it manually. "

 

Once approved, it took 1 or 2 days to be cleared. It did take about 2 weeks with daily calls though...

[JATSO]

Hi All,

 

One of our teachers has recently left and I am just going through her IT provision, resetting and deleting profiles, in order to pass onto the next member of staff etc.

 

However, I have come to her iPad and tried to 'erase all content and settings' and it has prompted for the users iTunes account and password.

 

I have tried various things (entering the passcode incorrectly 10 times, plugging it into our mac server and trying to reset with AC, using Meraki to erase), but it finally has come down to activation lock and will not proceed.

 

I'm presuming this is something that cannot be bypassed and without the old users ID and password for iTunes, I have a brick on my hands?

 

Unfortunately, I believe they left under a bit of a cloud and cannot be contacted, it also appears this is a personal iTunes account so I'm not sure we would get their password any other way.

 

If you'd prefer to contact me via PM, please feel free....

I feel your pain, had 20 of these that had the same issue, contact Apple, you will need your invoice for the devices as they will not help without it, they send you a form to fill in and you return that with a copy of the invoice and then they rest the device.

[markwilfan]

If you use apple school manager and you bought them from a reseller that is able to add them to the device enrollment program ask them to add them to your school manager account. You then don't need proof of purchase as the reseller has essentially done this for you. You then need to contact enterprise support and they will remove the account.

[markwilfan]

If you use apple school manager and you bought them from a reseller that is able to add them to the device enrollment program ask them to add them to your school manager account. You then don't need proof of purchase as the reseller has essentially done this for you. You then need to contact enterprise support and they will remove the account.

Should have read the whole thread. Doh

[Simcfc73]

I tried for weeks to get some older iPads added which I bought through Apple to the ASM with no luck. Thankfully I only have 20 of them.

[JATSO]

We did this with 20 iPads 2 days ago - we found the invoices, and contacted Apple, who removed the lock. The hardest part was finding the right invoices!

 

I agree that is the hardest part but also whats annoying is that Apple will also require you to hand write the serial numbers on the copies of invoices if not shown, have you ever tried reading those numbers on the back of an ipad.

 

Your going to need one of these:

[Garacesh]

We instruct staff to create their iTunes accounts with their works email, that way if they leave we can just impersonate them, do a password reset, then log in and remove the account.

Is that something you could do, or have they used their personal iTunes/email?