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This guide will walk you through enrolling your university-owned Mac and syncing your login credentials.
Phase 1: Downloading & Installing the Management Profile
To get started, you will need the enrollment email invitation sent to your USM inbox. Please save or close any open work before beginning.
- Open the Email: Click the enrollment link inside your invitation email when you are ready to proceed.
- Download the Profile: Click Continue on the webpage to begin downloading the MDM profile and click Allow if prompted to permit downloads from Jamf.
- Open the Download: Open your Mac’s Downloads folder and double-click the downloaded profile file. A notification will appear stating that the profile is ready for review. Click OK.
- Approve in System Settings:
Navigate to System Settings > General > Device Management > Double-click the pending profile.
Click Install.
Click Install again at the confirmation prompts. If you are an administrator on your Mac, enter your local computer password when prompted.
Note: The enrollment process may take several minutes depending on your network speed. You will see multiple configuration profiles populate under Device Management during this time. This is completely normal!
Phase 2: Post-Enrollment & Identity Syncing
Once enrollment finishes, you will be prompted to link your Mac to your USM identity.
- Asset Tag: A prompt will appear asking for your six-digit USM asset number. Enter numbers only.
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Keychain Access Prompt: A macOS system prompt will appear asking for permission for Self Service + to access your keychain.
Action Required: Enter your university Microsoft password and click Always Allow.
CRITICAL: You must select Always Allow. If you select "Allow" or "Deny," this prompt will continuously reappear and interrupt your work.
- Sign In to Self Service+: When the Self Service+ prompt appears, log in using your Microsoft credentials (wID@usm.edu + password).
- Password Sync: An additional dialog may appear stating that your Microsoft password does not match your local macOS password.
Enter your local macOS password and click Sync.
This safely replaces your old local password with your USM Microsoft password, aligning your credentials.
Once complete, the Self Service+ app will display a successful, "Synced" status in the Home tab.
What to Expect Next (Policy Sync)
Before moving on to the final “log-out” step, Jamf needs a few minutes to download your new tools in the background.
- Policy Sync Time: It can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours for all security policies to take effect. This includes downloading the Jamf Connect login screen tools.
- Checking the Login Screen: If you log off and still see the standard, classic Mac login screen, the background setup is still processing. Please log back in and wait a bit longer before attempting the Jamf Connect steps.
Need to speed things up?
If your Mac seems to be lagging behind, you can manually "nudge" the system to check in with Jamf cloud:
- Open the Self Service+ app.
- Navigate to the Catalog tab on the left, then choose the Tools and Utilities category.
- Find Enforce Policy Update and click Run. This will force your Mac to pull down the required Jamf Connect files immediately.
Phase 3: Jamf Connect & Account Migration
Now, we need to link your Microsoft account to your existing local Mac account so you don't lose any files or preferences.
CRITICAL – Network Requirement: Jamf Connect does not support eduroam at the login window. Before logging out for this step, please ensure your Mac is connected to a Home Network, Hotspot, Ethernet, or the USM Limited network.
Account Migration Steps:
- Log Out: Log out of your Mac. You will be greeted by a new Microsoft sign-in window.
- Sign In: Log in using your USM Microsoft credentials.
- Connect Your Existing Account: Following a successful login, click Connect underneath your existing local user account.
Important: Do NOT select the iTech account. Select your personal local account.
- Final Password Verification: Enter your password at the prompt:
- If your password successfully synced during Phase 2, enter your Microsoft password.
- If your password did not sync in Phase 2, enter your original macOS password, then click Connect.
Your enrollment and account migration are now complete!
What to Expect on Your Next Login
Now that your account is successfully migrated, the Jamf Connect Microsoft window has done its job!
The One-Time Trigger: The full Microsoft sign-in window is only used for this initial setup and account migration.
Back to Normal: Going forward, your Mac will default back to the standard macOS login screen. You will log in using your regular Mac user icon, but you will use your USM Microsoft password to unlock it (since they are now synced).
Important Information Going Forward
Password Changes
If you reset your USM Microsoft password in the future, the Self Service+ app in your menu bar will notify you that your local account and Microsoft passwords are out of sync. You can easily re-sync them at any time by clicking the Self Service+ icon (+) in your menu bar at the top right of your screen.
Admin Privileges & Admin by Request (ABR)
To maintain campus security standards, your user account will be converted to a standard user account following enrollment. The only permanent admin account on the device will be the iTech account.
Need Admin Rights to install software or make changes? Don't worry! Admin by Request (ABR) is available on your device. You can easily self-elevate your permissions for one hour, or on a per-application basis:
- Click the ABR icon (a checkmark) located in your top-right menu bar.
- Follow the prompts to temporarily gain administrator privileges when needed.
For more information, visit our Admin By Request knowledge article.