How to Run Mac Setup Assistant Again

When you first first using a brand-new Mac or performed a make clean install of OS X, you are presented with Setup Banana, allowing you lot to create the outset user account and specify some initial information, such every bit keyboard layout and locale.

Under certain circumstances, it can be advantageous to re-run the Setup Assistant. Using some command-line trickery, we can do just this without having to erase and reinstall OS Ten.

What Setup Assistant Does

Setup Assistant is designed to run on the first kicking of a fresh install of OS X, which is why you'll just run across it when booting upwardly a a brand-new Mac or ane that has been erased and had OS X reinstalled.

As well options for keyboard layout, time zone and asking if you lot'd like to register, Setup Assistant too lets you create a new user account. As Setup Assistant assumes the business relationship it is creating to be the outset, it is e'er given administrator privileges.

Why Bother?

There may come a time when y'all need to gear up up a 2d user account on a Mac while attempting to resolve a user business relationship issue. If a Mac has only one user account and information technology seems to be unable to log in correctly (getting stuck at the login window, for example), having a 2nd business relationship volition allow y'all to access OS X and proceed troubleshooting.

By re-running Setup Banana, we tin use the process to create a user account that volition automatically take ambassador privileges, without having to practise so via System Preferences, which we might not be able to access.

There are other reasons why re-running it tin be advantageous, though in my experience, the in a higher place has e'er been the nearly common reason to do and then. Sure, yous can create user accounts using a number of commands, but Setup Assistant is just far easier.

.AppleSetupDone

Every time OS X boots, it checks for the existence of a file known every bit .AppleSetupDone. This empty file is created after the completion of Setup Banana. It doesn't be on a brand-new, out-of-the-box Mac, nor on one that has had a clean installation of OS X.

By removing this file, OS Ten will assume that Setup Assistant has never been run and will launch it as shortly as Bone Ten boots.

Setup Assistant is also run with root privileges, which is why it can create a new user business relationship with administrator privileges without the need for any dominance.

Removing .AppleSetupDone

To remove this file, we demand to boot the Mac into Single-User Fashion. This provides a method of interacting with OS X via the command-line, with full root privileges.

First upward the Mac whilst property down ⌘-S. After a few moments, you lot'll meet the Mac boot to the control line.

Earlier continuing, the filesystem must be checked and mounted, so files are't immediately accessible to interact with. To do this, enter the two commands that are displayed within the prompt, 1 at a time.

The following command will check the filesystem to ensure there are no problems. Enter:

          /sbin/fsck -fy                  

The side by side command volition then mount the filesystem for it to be accessible:

          /sbin/mount -uw /                  

With the filesystem mounted and accessible, it's time to remove the file so Bone Ten will re-run Setup Assistant:

          rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone                  

After that, merely enter reboot and your Mac will restart and boot normally. Only this time, Setup Assistant will launch.

Security Concerns

By now, you're probably wondering why should this be even possible, since someone may utilize this to proceeds access to a Mac. Indeed, re-running Setup Assistant would certainly let for an unauthorised person to create a new account with authoritative privileges and proceeds admission to the Mac forth with your data.

In terms of security, physical access trumps almost every method of preventing unauthorised access not involving encryption. While a picayune more than complicated with the SSD technology Apple uses in their product lines, admission to your data can hands exist done just by removing the Mac's storage device and connecting it to some other.

This is where encryption methods such equally Firmware Countersign and FileVault 2 are useful. With a Firmware Password set up, it must be entered if the Mac is being booted either into Unmarried-User Style or to some other boot volume. FileVault ii takes this one step further by performing full disk encryption, preventing any form of admission to your data unless authorised past inbound your user account countersign - fifty-fifty if the drive is removed and attached to another Mac.

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Source: http://www.theinstructional.com/guides/how-to-re-run-the-os-x-setup-assistant

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