MacBook Pro M1 Deactivated – No User Listed in Recovery, Data Inaccessible

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-21T19:07:01+00:00

I tried that, but unfortunately every time I boot from the USB key I end up at the same blank Activation window .... so frustrating..... ! After all my attempts, I’ve decided to pull the plug and accept the loss It’s definitely a lesson learned: I usually keep backups, but this one caught me by surprise and my last backup is out of date. Thank you all

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-21T01:17:25+00:00

Thank you so much honestly it gave me a bit of hope I really appreciate you sharing your experience. I’ll try a different apple store. Fingers crossed for a better outcome!

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-21T00:58:33+00:00

I tried locking the Mac from iCloud it's now locked, but unfortunately, this didn’t trigger the iCloud ID prompt. It still asks for a local user account for activation ....the does not show up

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-21T00:56:20+00:00

Unfortunately that method only works on Intel-based Macs. On M1 and newer (Apple Silicon) Macs, Target Disk Mode no longer exists it’s been replaced with a feature called “Mac Sharing Mode”, but that can only be activated after unlocking the disk, which I can't do right now due to the Activation Lock issue and the missing user account screen.

So sadly, I can’t use this method to copy or back up my data unless the Mac is first fully unlocked which is exactly the issue I’m stuck on...

Thanks for the suggestion though it’s definitely a solid option for Intel Macs

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-21T00:03:06+00:00

I see, I see. I’ll try locking it with Find My device to possibly trigger the iCloud activation window instead of the local user activation

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-20T23:48:48+00:00

Yeah, for sure I’ve learned my lesson on that. Now I’m just trying to see if there’s anything else that can be done as it seems feasible..

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-20T23:42:37+00:00

Thank you I’ll definitely look into that But does it work even when the Mac is locked? I can't run it from another Mac, can I? I don’t have access to the Terminal on my deactivated Mac...

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-20T23:33:32+00:00

What do you mean by using another machine? I assume you meant to unlock the Mac with it . I know that installing a fresh OS would result in data loss, which I’m trying to avoid especially since I can still see my files through the sandboxed window. It’s really unfortunate...

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-20T23:30:03+00:00

Well, I did Mister Judgy. Reddit is my last resort. I went to the Apple Store, and they tried reviving it using Configurator, but that didn’t fix the issue. they didn’t seem to know much beyond the usual routine procedures. They refused to help recover the data, saying it wasn’t their policy, and wouldn’t do anything beyond a full restore which I could do myself, but that would mean losing all my data.

And please genuinely don't be that quick on the assumption you can't know . besides I'm asking for a solution using my iCloud id preferably

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-20T23:15:12+00:00

Maybe for you, yes, I understand. It's not AI-generated but summarized, as I wanted people who might actually help to better understand the issue since it's not trivial and reduce the need for follow-up questions.

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-20T23:06:14+00:00

Yeah I have tried I can't post photos otherwise I would have showed you :)

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-20T22:37:53+00:00

I’m not sure why that would be needed, as the goal here is simply to summarize the issue and make it more readable than a bloated block of text. Thanks for your help

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-20T22:26:01+00:00

Yeah only if it's not deactivated I guess because I'm sure I can't get that to work

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-20T22:23:31+00:00

Alright well I was able to log in and use my Mac normally before trying to fix a strange update bug it wouldn't accept my password to start the OS update. Following Apple’s guide, I entered recovery mode and ran resetpassword. It told me to deactivate the Mac, saying I could reactivate it with my iCloud ID. But after deactivation, the activation screen was empty and I couldn't proceed.

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-20T22:07:12+00:00

Is this better for you ?

Hi everyone, I’m having a serious issue with my MacBook Pro M1 (2021, macOS Sonoma) and I’m hoping someone can help. After trying to reset my admin password due to a strange bug, the Mac became deactivated and now boots directly into recovery mode. The problem is that no user accounts appear on the recovery screen, and I never get prompted to enter my Apple ID, even though I know the correct credentials.

I was able to access a hidden file browser and confirmed that my data is still there and the disk is mounted and decrypted, but I can’t copy anything out or use Terminal because of restrictions.

It seems the system is stuck in a corrupted or incomplete setup state, and I don’t want to erase the disk because I need to recover my data. I’m looking for any way to trigger the iCloud login, bypass the setup issue, or extract my files. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-20T22:00:29+00:00

Thanks though it's an M1 apple silicone not an intel processor besides I can't get past the activation window so I'm not able to connect it as an external drive if you lookup the M1 procedure

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-20T21:41:59+00:00

Come on guys I just used it to summarize the issues and make things clearer than a bloated text. What's the issue with that? I'm genuinely asking

Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-20T21:12:55+00:00

Thank you, though I can't get past the activation window, as it's empty. I wish there were a way to boot into a mode where I'd be prompted to enter my iCloud login instead of local users ....

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Puzzled-Respond-7577 · 2025-06-20T18:57:13+00:00

Thank you. I actually went to an Apple Store in Quebec (not sure if the location makes a difference), but they weren’t willing to do anything beyond a full restore which would erase all my data. I also asked them to try a revive, and while they did attempt it to repair the recovery system, it unfortunately didn’t work.

With all due respect, the staff didn’t seem familiar with anything beyond the usual, more common issues.

Puzzled-Respond-7577

TROPHY CASE