Families and workplaces can end up with multiple accounts on a shared Mac. You may also have additional accounts set up for testing or special purposes. Whatever the reason, if you want to simplify and remove accounts that are no longer needed, the steps are not obvious. Fortunately, it’s easy if it’s hidden.
You could simply delete an account. However, Apple understands that users might want to keep the files stored in an account when they delete it, and has long offered an archive option that will almost certainly meet your needs. Here’s how to do it:
- Go > System Settings and select Users and Groups.
- Click on the information icon (i) to the right of the account name.
- Enter an administrator password.
- Click Delete user.
- By default, Apple selects “Save home folder to disk image” in the confirmation dialog. Leave this option selected.
- Click Delete user and follow the instructions.
The Edit User dialog box allows you to choose to delete the user.
The Edit User dialog box allows you to choose to delete the user.
Foundry
The Edit User dialog box allows you to choose to delete the user.
Foundry
Foundry
When deleting the account, make sure the content is saved to a disk image.
When deleting the account, make sure the content is saved to a disk image.
Foundry
When deleting the account, make sure the content is saved to a disk image.
Foundry
Foundry
In the Users folder, you now have a Deleted Users folder where you can find the mountable disk image containing all the documents for the account you deleted. You can copy files from this disk image to your own account. You can also use sync or other copy tools, such as ChronoSync from Econ Technologies, to migrate files to existing locations in your account while ensuring that you don’t duplicate or overwrite existing files.
This Mac 911 article is a response to a question submitted by igamesnews reader Colin.
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