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Paul McMahon says an email to Apple CEO Tim Cook led to Apple removing Activation Lock from his M2 MacBook Air after ordinary support requests failed. The laptop was not reported to have suffered hardware damage: “bricked” was shorthand for a Mac he could not use because it was locked to an unfamiliar Apple Account. McMahon’s account describes an unusual escalation, not a guaranteed way to get a Mac unlocked.
How McMahon’s MacBook became unusable
In his first-person account, TokyoDev founder Paul McMahon says he mistakenly picked up someone else’s laptop at airport security, while his own MacBook Air went missing. He eventually got his computer back from the person who had taken it by mistake. When he started it, however, the Mac displayed Activation Lock for an Apple Account he did not recognize.
McMahon says he had bought the M2 MacBook Air from Apple and submitted purchase documentation when he asked for help. His initial request was denied. He later said Apple explained that after the laptop was lost, it had been erased and reported as lost from a newly created iCloud account. His account does not establish who enabled the lock or why.
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What happened after he emailed Tim Cook
McMahon says an executive assistant replied four business days after he emailed Cook. They exchanged emails and phone calls over about two weeks. Apple ultimately determined that McMahon’s documentation showed he owned the MacBook and removed the lock. He had already bought a replacement laptop by then.
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Cook is not reported to have personally handled the case. McMahon also said he did not know whether attention from his earlier post—which reached the top of Hacker News—affected how Apple handled it. He cautioned, “I don’t know how repeatable this process is, but here’s what happened.”
Why “bricked” does not mean hardware failure here
Activation Lock is a security feature, not evidence that a Mac’s logic board or other hardware has failed. Apple says it is designed to prevent others from using a Mac if it is lost or stolen. On supported Macs, Find My enables the lock; Apple says the associated Apple Account password or device passcode is needed to turn off Find My, erase the Mac, or reactivate it. See Apple’s Activation Lock for Mac.
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- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
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McMahon suspected a repair shop may have reset the laptop and set up the unfamiliar account. The person who returned the Mac reportedly said they had taken it to a shop for help unlocking it, but McMahon could not establish the shop’s motive. Extortion or deliberate sabotage is not established by his account.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhat to do if a Mac you own is Activation Locked
Apple’s current guidance offers different routes depending on whether you can access the account or passcode associated with the Mac, whether the device is offline, and whether you can document your purchase. Apple’s instructions for removing Activation Lock describe these options:
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- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
- If you know the associated Apple Account credentials or device passcode: enter them on the Activation Lock screen to continue, following the prompts shown on the Mac.
- If the Mac is offline and you can access the account: sign in to iCloud Find, select the Mac, and remove it from the account, as Apple’s instructions describe. The Mac must be associated with the account you use for this step.
- If you cannot remove the lock through account access: submit Apple’s Activation Lock support request with proof of purchase. Keep a copy of the purchase documentation and the support case details.
If the Mac was returned to you after being lost, explain that history when contacting Apple and provide documentation tying the device to your purchase. McMahon’s experience shows that Apple may review ownership evidence and remove a lock; it does not promise that every request will be approved or that contacting an executive will speed up a case.
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- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
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