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How to Factory Reset a MacBook Pro/Air, Erase an Encrypted Drive & Fix the Blinking Question Mark Without a Password or Apple ID?

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How to Factory Reset a MacBook Pro/Air, Erase an Encrypted Drive & Fix the Blinking Question Mark Without a Password or Apple ID?
Photo by Austin Poon / Unsplash

So, I picked up a used MacBook Pro A1708 for $80 with a broken screen, thinking it’d be a fun project—but ran into a few roadblocks. 

If you’re dealing with the same issues, here’s what I learned:

  • How to remove the previous owner’s account
  • How to remove the encrypted hard drive without a password
  • How to fix the blinking question mark “?”
  • How to factory reset a MacBook Pro 

Let me save you the headache—here’s the step-by-step fix!

Things to Check Before Buying a Used MacBook from a Third-Party Seller

Before you hand over your money, ask the seller to do these things:

  1. Remove the device from iCloud – If they don’t, the MacBook will be stuck in Activation Lock, making it useless to you.

Ask them to log in to iCloud, go to the devices section, and remove the MacBook from their account.

Apple Guide: How to remove a device from iCloud

Here’s the message I send to sellers:

“Hey, could you please remove this MacBook from your iCloud account? It’s super easy: 1. Log in to iCloud. 2. Click on Devices. 3. Remove the MacBook from iCloud.”
  1. Check if the hard drive is encrypted –If FileVault is on, the hard drive is locked and requires the original owner's password to access or erase.
Since asking for the password isn’t ideal, it’s best to handle this step with the seller.

Apple Community Discussion: Enter a password to unlock the disk

How I Fixed the Encrypted Hard Drive Issue

After replacing the broken screen (Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to replace it Awesome Guide), I tried restoring the MacBook to factory settings. 

But then—boom—I got stuck. 

The hard drive was encrypted, and it asked for a password to erase it.

I freaked out and messaged the seller, asking to meet again and/or provide the password. 

While waiting for a response, I started Googling like crazy. 

That’s when I found out there was a way to restore it without needing the password. 

I wish Apple didn’t hide this during the recovery process but anyways here is what I did:

  1. Restart the MacBook and enter macOS Recovery Mode by holding Option + Command + R.
  2. You'll see the previous owner's username and a password prompt—don’t panic, it's normal. I just wish Apple provided both options here: 1) Recover using the account login or 2) Erase Mac.
  1. Click the “Erase Mac…” option, and it will wipe the MacBook without needing the old password.

Apple Guide: How to restore your Mac before selling it

Apple Community Discussion: Removing encrypted drive/password required

Apple Community Discussion: How to delete encrypted HD off MacBook Pro

YouTube Guide: Solution to removing encrypted drive

Instead of trying to login and erase the drive manually, look for Recovery Assistant > Erase Mac… (this is kinda hidden, but it’s there).

How to Fix the Blinking Question Mark “?”

After restoring the MacBook, I ran into another problem—the blinking question mark “?”. 

That was terrifying. I thought I had completely broken it.

Turns out, it just means the system can’t find a bootable drive. 

Here’s how I fixed it:

  1. Restart the MacBook and go back into macOS Recovery Mode (Option + Command + R).
  2. Select Install macOS from the menu.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions, and you’re good to go.
Final Warning: If the seller didn’t remove the device from iCloud, you might get a login prompt or be asked for the passcode. To avoid this, have the seller remove it from iCloud before buying. In my case, the seller provided the passcode, but I figured out how to erase the Mac without it—that’s why I made this guide, so others can do it easily too.

Final Thoughts

This whole experience taught me one thing: don’t give up when fixing tech issues. 

I know It’s frustrating, but if you keep troubleshooting, you’ll figure it out.

In the end, I spent $80 on the MacBook and $113 on the replacement screen, so for $193, I got a fully working MacBook Pro. 

It took me about three hours to replace the screen and two hours to restore the software.

Here is the video step-by-step guide:

If you’re buying a used MacBook, check for iCloud lock before you buy and know how to solve the encryption, and question mark issues. 

It’ll save you a ton of time and stress. 

Happy fixing!