Mac in stand alone mode

From time to time I install fresh Mac OS and do the initial setup without any network connection. Also I setup it in the way where basically everything is disabled. There are following main reasons for that.

• I want to know I still own computer somehow and I can use it without Apple account.
• I want to enable different services one by one so I will have basic imagination which application need them.
• I want to know how the OS is configured by default and take a snapshot of it.
• Do not carry over any previous configuration and do everything from scratch.

Initial setup

We have to go through initial OS set up after fresh installation.

• Get started
• Language: English
• Country: Czechia
• Accessibility: Not now
• Wi-Fi: Don’t select any and continue
• Migration: Not now
• Terms and conditions: Agree

User account

It is time to create new local OS user now. It is the first user so it is made admin account by default.

Final setup

Once we have admin account we can finish initial OS and user account setup.

• Location service: No
• Time zone: Prague
• Set time zone automatically: No
• Analytics: None
• Screen time: Set up later
• Siri: No
• Touch ID: Set up later
• Look: Auto

Initial account setup

When we login to the system for the first time we will disable wireless networks. In system settings:

• Wi-Fi: off
• Bluetooth: off

Now we can poke around, check how the system is setup by default and disable what we don’t need/want.